‘Predator: Killer Of Killers' Review - Dan Trachtenberg's Animated Anthology Is Sublime Franchise Fodder

Geek Vibes Nation

2 days ago

In 2022, director Dan Trachtenberg proved Predator still had steam with Prey, a gloriously high-concept and brilliantly realized reinvention of the previously DOA 80s action IP. It was a bold departure from previous films in that it set its story in the early 18th century and centered it on a Comanche warrior, inevitably begging the question, 'If we can do a Predator movie there, where else can we put a Predator?' Fans quickly began generating ideas for what new potential Predator installments could look like. How about a Predator in ancient Egypt? How about a Predator in feudal Japan? How about a Predator during Vietnam? Well, at least one of these wishes has come true in Predator: Killer of Killers, a previously secret Predator project that has now graced our television screens (Hulu in the States, Disney+/Star everywhere else).
Trachtenberg has taken his initial experimentation in Prey and blown it up threefold, presenting an anthology of three vignettes that imagine a Predator fight in three distinct time periods: 'The Shield' follows a horde of viking warriors who, in their efforts to take down a warring nation, come face to face a Yautja; 'The Sword' sees a samurai warrior seek vengeance against his estranged brother only to then find himself battling two foes; 'The Bullet' takes the fight to the sky as an inexperienced World War II naval pilot is forced to take down a Predator and his spaceship. While the first two entries feel thematically linked in the emptiness of vengeance and the importance of familial bonds, the third entry feels a bit more loose, though one could argue its underdog story helps link all three stories. Despite this, each vignette is bolstered by excellent voice acting and has just enough story to maintain thematic intrigue throughout.
Killer of Killers marks the second time Disney has unceremoniously plopped an exquisitely crafted production straight to streaming, a criminal act for a company that allows hollow cinematic detritus like the new Lilo & Stitch to rack up Memorial Day dollars. Thankfully, this critic was able to experience the film in a theater as part of the Tribeca Festival's 'Escape to Tribeca' midnight programming slate, and calling the experience transcendent would be underselling it. The most notable difference is in the soundscape, which is booming with an absorbing surround mix and an intense, enrapturing score from Benjamin Wallfisch (Alien: Romulus). This is especially stirring in the film's third and final vignette, which incorporates the sounds of aerial combat a la Top Gun to bombastic effect. Unless you have a solid home theater setup, this is something you simply can't fully appreciate from the comfort of your home.
Then, of course, there's the animation. This film marks the first foray into full feature animation for visual effects company The Third Floor (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3) and the results are magnificent; though its 2.5D cel-shaded animation is not rendered as fluidly as other, more premiere examples of the format (Arcane is a particularly good comparison, with whom this film shares a lead animator), it is brimming with gorgeous detail and unafraid to get gory throughout its masterfully choreographed fight sequences. By the time the first sword is slashed, you are able to fully immerse yourself in the film's unique style and let its high-octane action and gruesome kills whisk you away. The film's second vignette, which is essentially Predator versus a samurai, is undoubtedly the film's highlight, bringing the stealth of the franchise to new stylistic heights that echo Asian cinema of the 1980s.
It's undeniable that these three short films are infectiously entertaining, taking a previously militarized franchise and imbuing it with the kind of acrobatics, combat, and ingenuity that feel reminiscent of a John Wick-meets-Mortal Kombat bloodbath. It's a shame, then, that Killer of Killers succumbs to the MCU-ification of modern filmmaking and insists that 'everything is connected.' Though it isn't worth getting into for fear that it will spoil what is an admittedly electrifying third act, the final scenes of the film do explicitly connect the three vignettes and imply a much larger story world than Killer of Killers initially lets on. Each film is strong enough on its own that the additional narrative work, while fun, feels both narratively superfluous and vaguely exploitative. One can't help but fear that the film's story devices may eventually be abused to provide nostalgia-fellating franchise fodder. Arnold Schwarzenegger has certainly been brought back to his franchises with less effort.
All of that said, the film is so invigorating from a pure genre perspective that it's easy not to care. Unlike franchises within the Marvel machine or even other blockbusters like Mission: Impossible or James Bond, Trachtenberg has proven he is only interested in pandering continuity porn when it comes secondary to expanding his franchise's lore in his own image. Though we expect his next film, Badlands, to be a more narratively coherent experience, there's nothing wrong with letting him experiment with a few creative exercises if they look, sound, and feel this good. Obsessive easter egg hunters will surely have some things to pick apart, but, for the most part, Killer of Killers is a sublime standalone project that invites endless possibilities to the Predator franchise while providing a cutthroat action romp that never takes its foot off the brakes.
Predator: Killer of Killers held its New York Premiere as part of the Escape From Tribeca section at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. It is now streaming globally on Hulu and Disney+.