Predator: Killer of Killers is the newest entry in the Predator franchise. This time, we’re dealing with an animated anthology, a collection of stories set in different time periods, where the titular creatures arrive on Earth and hunt down what they believe to be worthy prey. The movie was directed by Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung, and written by Micho Robert Rutare. Director Trachtenberg previously did the live-action movie Prey, set in this same continuity (be on the lookout for a couple of Easter eggs, too!), and will likewise have directing responsibilities for the next live-action movie, Predator: Badlands, set to be released later this year.
The first story depicted in Predator: Killer of Killers takes place in
841 A.D. and follows Ursa (voiced by Lindsay LaVanchy), a fierce Norse warrior who leads a group of Vikings including her son, Anders. She’s seeking vengeance against Zoran, the leader of another clan who forced her when she was a child, to murder her own father. It doesn’t matter how many stand in her way, Ursa has so far been able to defeat her opponents in some pretty brutal ways. Once she finds Zoran, things get even more complicated seeing as how a Predator also shows up. The creature makes short work of just about every warrior present there but Ursa does manage to prove she’s an worthy opponent.
This was an interesting segment. In a way, the Viking lore and story about wanting revenge could have worked well enough even without bringing in alien hunters. The brutal nature of the Norse warriors fits in well though with the whole concept of the Predators and it feels appropriate to have at least a short story in this time period. It’s also a nice touch that all of the dialogue here is in Norse language (although I cannot vouch for how correct or accurate the lines are).
The story starts in Japan in 1609. Two young brothers, Kenji and Kiyoshi (both voiced by Louis Ozawa) are the sons of a warlord who is trying to pick his successor. Among the final tests is a fight between the two bothers, which Kenji refuses to participate though he is kind of betrayed by his brother who attacks and scars his cheek with a samurai sword. Twenty years later, when the warlord has passed away and Kiyoshi has taken his place, Kenji returns as a ninja and infiltrates the palace to get his revenge. And wouldn’t you know it, a Predator is also present.
Similar to the previous chapter, this could have worked as a stand-alone story without the Predator angle. I thought the action scenes were a bit more exciting this time, with both ninja and samurai fighting each other, and then having to team up against the alien threat. The fight choreography was also pretty good, and to add to the whole atmosphere, there is little to no dialogue in this whole segment (and when it is, it’s in Japanese only, similar to the Norse themed previous story, and again, I can only presume the Japanese is accurate all of the time).
The third story takes place in the North Atlantic, in 1942. It stars
Torres (voiced by Rick Gonzalez), a young mechanic and aspiring fighter pilot in the Navy. While repairing another pilot’s damaged plane he discovers fragments of alien weaponry that brought it down. Realizing the squadron is heading into trouble he flies away to warn them and gets caught himself in an aerial dogfight with an alien ship. Torres uses all the tricks he knows in an attempt to take down his Predator and survive the fight, leading to some pretty cool visuals. Again it’s an interesting angle, and compared to the other two, this is the story that needed the Predator as an adversary the most. A WWII story normally wouldn’t need aliens to be thrown into the mix, since there were plenty of real life dangers and opponents, but none were really presented in this story.
All of the stories tie together in the final chapter, where Ursa, Kenji and Torres are revealed to have been captured by the Predators and are now forced to fight in an arena. A Predator warlord (voiced by Britton Watkins) orders them to fight among themselves, and the sole winner gets the honor to fight him. The common theme here would be that each one has somehow managed to kill a Predator, and this would be their reward of sorts. If you can call it that. They are also given weapons! Ursa a battleaxe, Kenji a samurai sword… and Torres the vintage flintlock pistol that has popped up in a couple of other Predator stories over the years. Despite their misunderstandings (not limited to none of them speaking the same language), the three concoct a plan to escape, but they must fight together to achieve that. Ursa being the hardest one to convince. Without spoiling everything, it is suffice to say the Predators are eager to hunt again, regardless of the outcome of this whole imbroglio.
Animation wise, the movie looks decent. The CGI animation provided by The Third Floor, Inc. gives the movie a pretty unique look. Though the animation style might take some time to get used to it., the action scenes – and there are plenty of them – flow nicely and get the point across. It was a bit hard though trying to capture good enough screenshots for this review. Voice acting is pretty good as well, though there’s really no one line of dialogue or speech that stands out to me. Overall Predator: Killer of Killers is an entertaining enough film, but not one for the faint of heart. To be fair, fans of the franchise should know what to expect from this series of movies. The violence is over-the-top and there are plenty of brutal moments spread throughout, but there are also some nicely done, more emotional character moments as well. The character of Torres also brings some levity to the final segment, in his attempt at speaking Japanese, for example. It all gels together rather well and feels kind of natural, and works in contrast to the serious and dire circumstances presented.
Predator: Killer of Killers was an interesting approach; dropping a nearly unstoppable alien hunter like this into various eras can lead to some intriguing consequences, and of course, over-the-top action scenes. I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing more animated shorts like this in the future, not necessarily with an epilogue that ties them all together, either. As a whole I thought this was entertaining enough but at the same time, kind of doubt I will try and re-watch it anytime soon. Though I could say the same about the other Predator movies, I think the most I watched the classic film, maybe 3 times only over the years. That’s not necessarily a knock against them, they are fine for what they are and I am sure they have a fair share of die-hard fans. Perhaps Killer of Killers will similarly become a cult classic in due time.
The movie is currently available to stream on Hulu. It’s worth a watch, especially if you’re a fan of the Predator franchise, or just familiar enough with the basics, and want to watch a brutal, sci-fi animated movie. It should provide some entertainment.
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