‘Predator: Killer of Killers’ is Awesome
A movie surprising you is one of the best feelings out there. It’s something I’m always looking to experience, but don’t get very often. It’s my own fault of course, you can’t expect to get surprised if you are always trying to find out everything about upcoming releases after all. Thankfully I got to experience that a couple of times this year. I got that feeling with Black Bag and Sinners, and now I got Predator: Killer of Killers to add to that list.
It shouldn’t really be a surprise, along with the other two movies I mentioned (they’re all from directors that I’m a big fan of). After all, I love Predator, I was wowed by Prey, and Daniel Trachtenberg was on board (he directed Prey and the future Predator: Badlands). It was just one of those that kind of slipped under my radar. I knew about the film but didn’t even realize it was already coming out! So when Braden sent me the screener (shoutout to Braden, who urged me to see it immediately), I plopped down and put it on after an exhausting week, tired and not really thinking about what I was in for.
That tiredness quickly subsided as the movie went on. This movie is awesome! Beautifully animated and action packed, this is a fantastic Predator entry that, much like Prey, breathes fresh life into the franchise.
For the first time, this Predator movie is an anthology consisting of three different stories. Each of them are set around different times and locations: a Viking clan on a hunt for revenge, a samurai and ninja sibling rivalry, and a World War II pilot looking to prove himself. Their journeys are all clear, but the splinter they all have in common? These born and bred warriors are violently interrupted by the ultimate hunter.
Each of these stories provide us with incredible bite-size set pieces (I say bite-size purely because of its length). This shouldn’t be a surprise considering Trachtenberg’s work in Prey, but you can tell he (along with co director Joshua Wassung) really got to flex their creative muscles here with the freedom of the incredible animation. The short stories make it very action-heavy, and it is some fun, badass action. While they all follow a similar formula (and there’s nothing that original to these characters), it manages to avoid that feeling of sameness or repetition, all the way down to the various Predators and their fighting/hunting style. The viking story is a lot more hand-to-hand, the samurai more swords and parkour, and World War II all aerial combat. My personal favorite of the three was one set in Japan. It manages to include both samurai and ninja action, is nearly dialogue free, and samurai Predator is an instant S tier. But they’re all fun. There’s so many great character bits and moments to love here that had me smiling throughout its quick runtime.
Great action setpieces along with equally great animation would’ve been enough to recommend Killer of Killers, but it doesn’t stop there. They give you just enough background on each of the characters here to make you actually invested in their story, making you latch on. It’s not just about who lives or dies, but how their journey is resolved. It’s incredible work.
It still doesn’t stop there, but to go further would be a disservice to you guys. It’s something you have to experience yourself. I wasn’t actively looking for further lore into the Predator mythos, but for die-hard fans, you’re really going to want to watch this. But trust me you’ll be glad you did.
I can’t stop gushing over Predator: Killer of Killers. It is just fun. Brutal and badass, this is a big recommendation from us at ScreamInn. It manages to inject a lot into its short stories, not just with its slick animation and fantastic set pieces, but into its characters, even the predators. It also expands the lore and gets you excited for the future of Predator. It feels like this franchise really found its footing, and while this does get me excited for the future of it, I also can’t wait to rewatch this again.
