THE STORY – Three of the fiercest warriors in human history become prey to the ultimate killer of killers.
THE CAST – Lindsay LaVanchy, Louis Ozawa, Rick Gonzalez, Michael Biehn, Doug Cockle, Cherami Leigh & Damien Haas
THE TEAM – Dan Trachtenberg (Director/Writer) & Micho Robert Rutare (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 85 Minutes
“Prey” was the first time in a long time that the “Predator” franchise showed it still had life in it. The series, which has strayed from the perfection that was John McTiernan’s original 1987 action staple, was in desperate need of a retooling if audiences were going to be forced to watch Hollywood attempt to reboot it every few years. So, when filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg just floated the simple idea of what if a Predator was in the 1700s fighting the indigenous and fur trappers based in the Northern Great Plains, it was obvious that it sounded rad as hell. Luckily for us, “Prey” was the best thing to happen to this series in a long time, and it was more than evident that the folks at 20th Century were locking down Trachtenberg for a sequel. While many were expecting “Predator: Badlands” to be Trachtenberg’s second film in the series, he surprised everyone, revealing that he had secretly worked on an animated “Predator” feature, a first for the franchise. To no one’s surprise, it turns out that “Predator: Killer of Killers” is everything one could want in a “Predator” film: a bloody good time.
What if the predator tried to kill the best warriors from different moments in history? A shtick that Trachtenberg wholeheartedly lives by with his approach for this series, which never fails to diminish in how entertaining it is. It’s the baseline for which “Predator: Killer of Killers” operates as the film starts the first act (titled The Shield) in 841 A.D, Scandinavia. A group of Viking warriors embarking on a quest for blood, led by their ruthless leader Ursa (voiced by Lindsay LaVanchy), is desperate to even the odds against someone who wronged her. Audiences see Ursa and her clan obliterate enemies with shields, knives, and whatever they can grab. Ursa, blinded by loss, is urging her young son, Anders, to adopt the violent ways ingrained in their culture. While this familial drama is a more than grounded manner to invest viewers, it’s expectedly interrupted as a Yautja comes in, wreaking havoc, turning anyone around it into a pulpy mixture of gore and bones. It’s all of the things “Predator” fans are eagerly waiting to see.
By the time the Ursa’s chapter ends, the threads begin to be established as Trachtenberg and Micho Robert Rutare’s screenplay contains a simple yet reliable structure, making each act an anthology before merging the storylines. Each section breaks into three vastly different timelines in world history, starting with the era of the Vikings, then heading to Feudal Japan (The Sword), and finishing off in the 1940s as fighter pilots soar amid the aerial chaos of World War II (The Bullet). Viewers witness these randomly selected protagonists showcase their strength and ingenuity as they fight for their lives against an alien race that considers itself the ultimate warrior. Tractehnberg and Rutare’s storytelling works spectacularly, but that’s mainly due to how strong the first chapters are. “Killer of Killers” first half is front-loaded, so by the time the third chapter comes in, the air starts to let out a bit, and the storyline pales in comparison to the previous one. The third chapter, The Bullet, is the most contemporary of the film, focusing on a U.S. Navy fighter pilot named Torres (voiced by Rick Gonzalez), and is the weakest chapter, being far less emotionally riveting than the previous. It also comes off as if the inclusion of a character like Torres is purely created to keep the plot going, mainly in the end, when all our protagonists are desperately in need of each of their best traits. On a practical level, he contributes nothing strength-wise, as his skills are purely technology-based compared to the physically imposing Ursa or the stealthily spry yet deadly Kenji (voiced by Louis Ozawa).
Even though the quality in the chapters wavers, the animation in “Predator: Killer of Killers” is stunning throughout. All of the action sequences are brilliantly staged, instantly instilling in audiences the unique ways in which the characters of these different periods in history engaged in combat. It’s a blast seeing how the various fighting styles of these characters would be enacted when having to fight a Yautija. While all of the character designs for the human protagonist are incredibly well done, the character designs of the Predators feel truly inspired.
Each timeline is approached by a different Predator, allowing the animators to go all out with the designs that honestly wouldn’t be as feasible to create in a live-action feature. Without giving too much away, there’s one Yautja design towards the film’s backend that, without a doubt, is one of the coldest looks to ever grace this series. “Killer of Killers” animation style is one of many films that derive their stylistic inspirations from works like “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “Arcane.” This hyper-detailed style of 3D animation with alterations to the frame rate has only grown rapidly to become a standard in animation today, so while it may not be the most original, it’s still exceptionally executed.
Audiences are now again put in the same spot as they were after “Prey” was released, where a Trachtenberg “Predator” film was set straight for streaming when this, without a doubt, should’ve graced the screens of theaters worldwide. Even with the lopsided storytelling and cheap cramming of sequel bait to further connect the ties of Trachtenberg’s “Predator” universe, “Predator: Killer of Killers” is one of the best-animated films released this year. It’s the perfect gore-filled palate cleanser to prepare everyone for what Trachtenberg has in store for “Predator: Badlands.”
