Predator: Killer of Killers
I did not anticipate more cinematic Predator action until November’s “Predator: Badlands,” but if you send me a screener for an animated “Predator” film from a story by- and directed by- “Prey’s” Dan Trachtenberg (and co-directed by Joshua Wassung), I’m going to try and get to it. “Killer of Killers” lands on Hulu tomorrow, and if you’re a fan of the iconic movie monster- and especially, how Trachtenberg brought him to life in “Prey”- it’ll whet your appetite until the next live-action film drops.
We get three different stories in this animated anthology. In the first one, “The Shield,” we see a Viking warrior going to attack a rival, but getting a surprise themselves when the Predator touches down, and seeks a fight. Next up we have “The Sword,” as we move to 17th Century Japan, where Samurai brothers fight for succession after their father’s passing, only to have an added challenge arise when the titular alien comes into the picture. In “The Bullet,” a WWII pilot must get his plane back in the sky to fight an enemy even more dangerous than Axis pilots.
One thing that was so great about “Prey” was that it removed the Predator from modern times, and saw it as a creature whose species has been around for centuries, and what that would be like for someone in an earlier time confronted by it. In that film, it was a Comanche tribe over a century prior to the United States forming. Here, we get the Predator facing off against Vikings, Samurai and WWII pilots- in a way, Trachtenberg and screenwriter Micho Robert Rutare are fulfilling the potential of 2010’s “Predators,” which looked at the Predator as a collector of warriors and the best potential prey for its own purposes. Even if “Predators’s” execution was not great, it pointed the way forward for this franchise in a way none of the other movies prior to “Prey” could do. In that way, Trachtenberg is proving to be a good steward for this franchise.
By virtue of its anthology nature, “Killer of Killers” focuses less on narrative and more on action. That’s typically the case with projects like this or “The Animatrix” or “Star Wars: Visions.” But characters matter, and I was more intrigued by Torres, the pilot, and his captain in “The Bullet” and the dueling brothers in “The Sword” than I was the Viking warrior in “The Shield.” That said, I enjoyed all three of these stories, but it does not end there. All roads lead back to the Predator’s ship, and the world of the Predator builds from there in what looks to be a prelude to Trachtenberg’s “Predator: Badlands.” The animation is stylish and visually intriguing, and I really enjoyed the music by Peter Bateman. For all the flaws its had along the road since John McTiernan’s original film, this franchise has found its footing, and even if I don’t love every entry, each one has something unique to bring to the table. “Killer of Killers” is no different.
