Three warriors across Earth’s history fight Predators in the amazingly entertaining, animated action blast Predator: Killer of Killers, directed by Dan Trachtenberg & Joshua Wassung; now streaming on Hulu.
Predator: Killer of Killers is freakin’ awesome. Full Stop. Want more? fine…
The concept of the Predator franchise, begun in John McTiernan’s 1987 classic, is simple: an extraterrestrial hunter, of the Yautja species, seeks out a worthy opponent to fight against to prove the honor of the hunt. It could be Schwartzeneger in the jungle, Danny Glover (a strange warrior, yes) in Los Angeles, Alien Xenomorphs a few regretful times, or in the franchise’s best: a Native American woman in 1719. Before he heads out for this fall’s Predator: Badlands, Prey director Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung wow with incredible animation action, skipping through time, featuring three warriors around the globe as they encounter Yautja hunters in Predator: Killer of Killers.
The idea behind Killer of Killers is so easy, I’m surprised it hasn’t previously been done on screen. The Predator comics and games have explored dropping the hunter into all sorts of scenarios for decades, but it took 2022’s Prey to make it happen on screen. With Prey, director Dan Trachtenberg (working from a script by Patrick Aison) proved it can work by moving the action to the Comanche nation in 1719. The film was a huge hit on Hulu – it should have been on the big screen, reawakening the franchise after several meh entries (yes, one of those left Earth shifting it a bit, but it was a dull affair).
Killer of Killers is an animated astonishment of cartoon carnage. With three main warriors and ninety minutes, it has a refreshing quickness to storytelling: a setup, a series of action sequences, and a Predator. But more than just a filter placed over the same, each segment has its own look, feel, characters, and animation style. And even with the quickness to the action, there is a nice amount of character to draw in. Whether the 800s Scandinavia of the Vikings, the 1600s Edo era Japan, or World War II, the characters are well established before facing the battle of their lives. The action is the pull, but the writing by Trachtenberg and Micho Robert Rutare gives reason and life to the warriors. I care for the Viking Ice Queen, the Japanese brothers, and the fighters and flyers of World War II (one voiced by Michael Beihn, making Beihn the third actor to face Predator, Aliens, and Terminator after Lance Henrikkson and Bill Paxton). Doubly cool is that each warrior speaks in their native language, as close to accurate as possible. I had a good laugh as the Vikings refer to the Predator as Grendel, from Beowulf (say, maybe this isn’t fiction after all…)
The use of animation is fantastic. The non-action sequences can look choppy at times, the models are awkward standing and talking, but it’s a smooth and wild ride once they start moving. Using this medium allows a largeness to the action, giving the ability for moves, designs, sequences, and choreography that would be incredibly hard to pull off in any capacity, let alone seriously, in live action. The animated boost further allows the viewer to wear the belief suspenders and become enamored with the truly heart-racing sequences. It’s impressive and over the top with cheer-inducing bloodshed and violence. Ursa does things with a pair of shields that’ll make Captain America blush. The sleek grace of a ninja sneaking into a fortress is beautiful, even before a Predator joins the fray. The sheer epic of the third sequence that blows it all away, approaching the Predator in a wholly new way. It’s a perfect example of using the medium to full effect in building complicated, moving sequences of intense action. I said it before, but it’s just fuckin’ awesome. Fist pumping, crowd cheering, elating, awesome.
It’s obvious how much care went into making each sequence feel like its own. Each has its style, and how each Predator looks and fights is distinct. The individual settings are used to great ingenuity, using the differences to full advantage, with the animation giving more freedom to explore. As seen in Prey or 10 Cloverfield Lane, Trachtenberg is proven to know how to build tension and excitement, often by beautifully sustaining shots (you may say with animation it’s easier to do it, but it’s still a hard achievement no matter the medium). His know-how is built on Joshua Wassung’s history of visual effects, including Prey; his work and skill are so built into this film, he’s credited as director. Visual effects for the win! With Predator: Killer of Killers, two filmmakers work in tandem on what they know best, meshing their knowledge into a great package.
Trachtenberg’s passion for Predator potboilers is paramount. Predator: Killer of Killers is one of the strongest entries in the series, third to Prey and the original. With awesome and bloody animated action and characters to root for, hunt down Predator: Killer of Killers (it’s an easy chase: open Hulu). I can’t wait for what Dan Trachtengerg brings with Badlands!