Movie review: 'Predator: Killer of Killers' a visceral animated trio
1 of 5 | The animated "Predator: Killer of Killers," on Hulu Friday, features new Predators. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios
LOS ANGELES, June 5 (UPI) -- Predator: Killer of Killers, on Hulu Friday, is a worthy addition to the Predator franchise. The animated film takes advantage of the format to explore aspects only hinted at in the live-action movies.
Killer of Killers is an anthology of three stories in different time periods. In 841, the Viking queen Ursa (voice of Lindsay LaVanchy) encounters a Predator during a battle against an enemy clan, while in 1629 Japan, two samurai brothers come across a Predator in a mostly dialogue-free segment.
Later, in 1942, World War II mechanic John Torres (Rick Gonzalez) leads a dogfight against a Predator ship.
Predator 2 seeded the idea that the Predators have been visiting Earth throughout human history, but it wasn't until 2022's Prey that the live-action franchise explored the past. While live-action period pieces would be welcome, a single period piece is cost-prohibitive, let alone three in one movie.
The animation directed by Dan Trachtenberg, director of the live-action Prey and upcoming Predator: Badlands, feels like a legitimate Predator movie from the moment the score plays. The Predator's invisible ship ripples against the backdrop, and the creature turns on heat vision to stalk its prey.
The Predator that Ursa faces is taller and more hulking than any of the human actors who wore the suit, even the late 7-foot-2 Kevin Peter Hall in the first two films. The Japanese brothers face a leaner Predator, and the WWII Predator, sitting in his cockpit, has interesting horns and scars.
Details show the thought put into crafting an alien encounter, such as a leaf sticking to an invisible Predator or a spark from a fire rippling the Predator's invisible cloak.
The humans prove as vicious as the Predators, committing graphic decapitations. The setup has always been that the Predators sought the most worthy warriors, hence elite soldiers in the original, Native American warriors in Prey and even the xenomorph in the Alien vs. Predator films.
The dynamic action shows the steadiness of a long take is as effective in animation as live action, letting the viewer absorb extended, unedited combat.
Recognizable and more obscure Easter eggs add connections to the rest of the Predator series.
The three stories connect in surprising ways that make it more than just an anthology. Still, Killer of Killers would already be cool as a collection of Predator minisodes.
Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Read more of his work in Entertainment.
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