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Screen Geek
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Screen Geek
'Predator: Killer of Killers' Review: The Yautja Anthology We Need
The Predator franchise has had its ups and downs over the decades. The first movie was the embodiment of 80s action films that still hold in high regard for film fans—snobby or not. Recently, the story of humans versus the perfect hunter has experienced a resurgence, thanks to Dan Trachtenberg's Prey . The director is knee-deep in production on his highly anticipated next installment in the Predator series. Still, he decided to take a little detour with the animated movie Predator: Killer of Killers . Thankfully, Trachtenberg continues to prove that he understands what works for these blood-soaked movies and even opens the door to new possibilities. Predator: Killer of Killers unites Trachtenberg with visual artist Joshua Wassung in bringing the Yautja into the world of animation. The anthology story written by Micho Robert Rutare pits three different individuals from three different eras against the hunters. The first story, called 'The Shield,' is set in the Viking era, where a Viking raider guides her son on a blood-filled quest for revenge. Story two, titled 'The Sword,' features a ninja in feudal Japan who challenges his samurai brother in combat for control of their kingdom. Lastly, the final story, named 'The Bullet,' features a young World War II pilot trying to make sense of unexplained events in the sky. One of the strongest aspects of Predator: Killer of Killers is its compelling story. Most of the Predator movies are straightforward in their portrayal of survival and the kill-or-be-killed mentality. Rutare does something a bit different with Predator: Killer of Killers by adding layers to the story. The writer develops the themes of revenge, family, and identity to give the movie a more nuanced feel. Rutare uses 'The Shield' to depict the idea of revenge being a fiery and destructive force not only for the receiver but also for the one who dishes it out. That notion allows the film to remain engaging throughout and helps converge all three stories into the third act intriguingly. The Yautja have been depicted in comics and other media as hunting people across various points in history. Predator: Killer of Killers takes that idea and uses it in ways that have not been explored in this medium. The hunters use the human victors, which allows certain characters to have a longer impact in the franchise. The film even takes it to the point where a character from past films makes a shocking appearance. It honestly left my jaw on the floor during the last fifteen seconds of the film. The combination of Trachtenberg's directing and Wassung's visual eye is the perfect mixture for Predator: Killer of Killers . The film employs specific colors, such as red, orange, and blue, to make each story stand out in its own way. A beautiful example of this is in the 'The Shield' story, where a wall of fire engulfs the background. It symbolizes the growing hatred in the Viking raider that would define her, and was truly astounding to see. Even the use of red in 'The Sword' is striking on-screen and lends the setting a truly artistic look. The only complaint I would have with the movie is the 'The Bullet' story. The previous tales gave me a lot from the characters' arcs, but I believe the last story could've used a little more. The film shows a little bit of Torre's life, voiced by Rick Gonzalez, before setting him on his path against the alien hunter. This section of the movie could have benefited from a bit more background and motivation to connect with the character truly. It's not a massive hiccup in the film; however, it felt rushed to get Predator: Killer of Killers into the Third Act. Fans of the Predator franchise, including myself, have been pining for a film where the alien game hunters battle humans at different points in time. Trachtenberg and Wassung have given that to use in Predator: Killer of Killers and did a damn excellent job. The director gets the material and understands what makes this franchise so entertaining. I think the Predator world is in good hands, and hopefully, we'll get the Alien VS. Predator movie we deserve. Grade: A
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Predator: Killer of Killers' movie review: Thrilling trinity of ultra-violence is a new Yautja best
By all means, Predator: Killer of Killers had no business being as exhilarating as it is. On paper, the premise read like the (very real) sandbox fantasies of a twelve-year-old freshly chancing upon a dusty DVD with the cool, gun-toting muscle-man on the cover: What if the Predator fought a Viking? Or a samurai? Or a WWII pilot? In the deft hands of Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung, however, this page off an AskScienceFiction subreddit thread has instead shaped into a richly imagined R-rated animated spectacle that is ferociously stylish. Structured as a triptych of ultraviolent vignettes, Killer of Killers sidesteps the predictable bloat of franchise expansion. Clocking in at just over 80 minutes, each chapter feels like a beautifully illustrated poem of death, framed in a moody chiaroscuro. There's a sort of austere theatricality to its construction. A bit of Assassin's Creed meets Heavy Metal, with the gorgeous aesthetic sensibilities of Netflix's Blue Eye Samurai. Predator: Killer of Killers (Multilingual) Director: Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung Cast: Lindsay LaVanchy, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Rick Gonzalez, Michael Biehn Run-time: 87 minutes Storyline: A Viking raider, a ninja in feudal Japan, and a World War II pilot encounter the titular intergalactic hunter The three chapters — 'The Shield,' 'The Sword,' and 'The Bullet' — each pit a member of humanity's warrior class against one of the universe's most militant tourists: the Yautja, or what the less-unhinged fans commonly call 'Predators.' They are apex hobbyists, slicing their way across centuries in search of worthy opponents. 'The Shield' begins on the windy coasts of Scandinavia. Ursa, a shieldmaiden fueled by a Hamletian bloodthirst, storms an enemy stronghold in pursuit of revenge. Just as she triumphs, a cloaked interloper enters the stage, dispatching her comrades' heads from their bodies. The carnage is operatic, and choreographed with a balletic rhythm. Ursa's duel with this armour-less behemoth with a bionic sonic cannon is the stuff of legends. Rendered in Unreal Engine, the style blends 3D depth with hand-painted 2D textures, creating a look that hovers somewhere between graphic novel and moving fresco. The Viking sequence alone feels like Frank Frazetta's sketchpad sprung to life, full of fog-drenched fjords, flailing limbs, and the glint of bloodied steel. From there, we move east to feudal Japan. 'The Sword' follows twin brothers trained in the art of war, who find themselves entangled in a duel for succession. The Predator in this segment is stealthy and precise, cutting through shadows with a chain-sickle and cloaking tech that makes even a shinobi nervous. The storytelling is sparse and nearly silent, which lends it the air of a Noh play, though one in which the masks are eventually ripped off and the faces underneath are cleaved in two. The chapter comes to a beautiful, poetic bookend with the same haiku that opens it. Then, in 'The Bullet,' the film takes to the skies above the Pacific during the second World War. A chatty Navy mechanic-turned-pilot's cocky optimism is tested when his dogfight with Nazi planes is interrupted by something otherworldly. The Predator here is like a space pirate, complete with a cybernetic eyepatch and a ship that spits alien harpoons. Of the three stories, this one takes the longest to get airborne, weighed down slightly by its earnest backstory. But once it lifts off, it does so with a gory Top Gun-like panache. These segments are not connected by plot so much as by theme. Each hero is fighting their own war that's just as much against their interstellar enemies, as it is against the crushing weight of expectation, legacy, and self-worth. This makes Killer of Killers feel, unexpectedly (and unpretentiously), like a meditation on the cost of proving oneself. Even the Predators' motives are encoded in the title. They're hunting killers, to become better killers themselves, and that logic feels aptly circular. The final act brings these disparate warriors together for a last stand on Yautja Prime, and the tone pivots slightly toward the absurd. The physics get looser, the pacing accelerates, and the final battle is a delirious jamboree of swords, shields, and alien tech. But even here, the film never loses sight of its confidence. Perhaps the real shocker here is that Killer of Killers never once feels like a commercial for something else. Granted, there's a little nod to Trachtenberg's Prey, and a breadcrumb or two pointing toward his upcoming Predator: Badlands. But for once, the fan-service feels exciting, and that's only because Killer of Killers is a full-course meal under the guise of an animated amuse-bouche for bigger things to come. It knows exactly what kind of lean, mean and mercifully self-contained franchise extension it is, and like a perfectly executed decapitation, it's all the more satisfying for how clean the cut is. Predator: Killer of Killers is currently streaming on JioHotstar
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
'Predator: Killer of Killers' Is Now Available to Watch
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Last October, an interview with The Hollywood Reporter revealed that - along with the upcoming "Predator: Badlands" - there was a secret "Predator" project in the works that would release before "Badlands". That film turned out to be "Predator: Killer of Killers", and it's finally streaming. Co-helmed by Dan Trachtenberg, the same director who brought the "Predator" franchise to near universal acclaim with 2022's "Prey", "Predator: Killer of Killers" takes the Predators out of the 21st century and pits them against warriors from all across history. Read More: 'Predator', All Of The Movies Ranked From Worst To Best Here's everything you need to know about the new film "Predator: Killer of Killers". "Predator: Killer of Killers" "Predator: Killer of Killers" 20th Century Studios What Is 'Predator: Killer of Killers' About? "Predator: Killer of Killers" is unlike any of the films to come before it in the "Predator" franchise. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung, "Killer of Killers" is an animated anthology film that takes the alien hunters from the "Predator" franchise and puts them in bloody action in three distinct historical settings. "Predator: Killer of Killers" sees the eponymous hunters stalking Vikings, ninja and samurai in Japan, and World War II pilots in the skies above Europe. When Does 'Predator: Killer of Killers' Come Out? "Predator: Killer of Killers" is out now. The animated anthology film began streaming on Friday, June 6, 2025. How to Watch 'Predator: Killer of Killers' Like 2022's runaway streaming hit "Prey", "Predator: Killer of Killers" is streaming exclusively on Hulu. What Do Reviews Say About 'Predator: Killers of Killers'? "Predator: Killer of Killers" debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a 100% critics rating, and as of the time of this writing it has just barely dropped to a still impressive 97%. The critical consensus is that "Predator: Killer of Killers" is exactly what it should be: bloody, brutal, and action-packed, with a satisfying narrative. For example, Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting writes that the movie "boasts stunning Arcane-inspired animation and a commitment to gory action in its bid to explore lethal brawls with the Yautja throughout time, revealing a deep well of potential for the franchise in the process." Carlos Aguilar of Variety is particularly impressed with the animation, writing that "the gruesome anthology continues to assert animation as a versatile and viable storytelling vehicle for all genres." While the film is rated R, Bob Strauss of the San Francisco Chronicle calls it, "the best movie a 10-year-old boy could ever hope to see. That's because it's really a bunch of bloody, action-filled animated stories in one neat, 90-minute package." More Movies: 'Predator' Director Talks 'Killer of Killers' Inspiration Predator and Humans Team Up in 'Predator: Badlands' First Look Trailer
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Review: ‘Killer of Killers' honors ‘Predator's' legacy while setting a new gold standard
'Predator: Killer of Killers' is the best movie a 10-year-old boy could ever hope to see. That's because it's really a bunch of bloody, action-filled animated stories in one neat, 90-minute package. There's a Viking saga that could just as well be called 'Conan the Revenger.' A ninja versus samurai standoff comes next. World War II aerial combat like none you've seen before (well, maybe a bit in the new season of 'Love, Death & Robots') then fills the screen. And it all culminates in a gladiator match with otherworldly monsters. Of course, there are Predators too. Those trophy hunters from outer space, with advanced weapons and camouflage equipment, raid various time periods and Earth cultures to kill or capture humanity's best warriors. But while the dreadlocked aliens may have superior technology, they don't always succeed. 'Killer of Killers' continues the concept co-director Dan Trachtenberg applied to his 2022 live-action ' Prey,' only with the more elaborate action, wider scope and graceful, graphic kineticism animation can accommodate. The film's co-director, Joshua Wassung (who also worked on 'Prey'), presumably oversaw its animation aspects. He's the founder and chief creative officer of the Third Floor, which makes its feature animation debut with this project. The company has a long history of creating digital visual effects for films and television shows, but is perhaps better known as a preeminent provider of previsuals for those and other productions. Previs is a rough animated guide created to work out how scenes will be blocked, shot and later enhanced before cameras roll. They're not meant to be viewed as any kind of final product, and perhaps that explains why the sole aggravating aspect of 'Killer of Killers' is a sometimes jerky movement similar to that of many video games or the cheaper, frame-skipping kind of anime. This is most noticeable in the opening Viking sequence, particularly during that stretch's visceral, blood-and-thunder fight sequences. There's such beautiful brute force to the overall visual scheme, though, that this feels less distracting as the often headless body count climbs. The Japanese warriors are as agile as any Kurosawa directed (this segment even opens with a leafy homage to 'Yojimbo'). The dogfights over Vichy North Africa swoop and spin with vertiginous torque. By the time Earth's most resilient heroes must face one another, and heaven knows what else in an off-world coliseum, we're fully engaged by the physical struggle to survive. But what makes these mini-mayhem marathons extra tasty is how most of the protagonists are preoccupied with long-simmering agendas. They at first view the incomprehensible aliens as annoying interlopers impeding their dreams of glory or hate-driven payback. Communication issues are a running theme, adding to the difficulty of surviving the new superseding threat. Narrative-wise, it's all rather rudimentary but as dramatically effective as a battle-ax dismemberment. Trachtenberg's next movie, 'Predator: Badlands,' looks like it has enough VFX shots to blur the line between live-action and animation. Whatever that film's aesthetic turns out to be, the director's sensibility breathes exciting new life into a franchise that, let's face it, was an 'Alien' by way of 'Terminator' knockoff from the start. The inclusion of original 'Terminator' star Michael Biehn as a voice actor in 'Killer of Killers' feels intentional, underscoring Trachtenberg's desire to reboot this franchise at a higher level. The tween boy in all of us should be stoked.
