“Predator: Killer of Killers” Review
Director: Dan Trachtenberg, Joshua Wassung Screenwriter: Micho Robert Rutare Cast: Lindsay LaVanchy, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Rick Gonzalez, Michael Biehn Distributor: Hulu Running Time: 90 min. MPAA: R
Dan Trachtenberg’s Killer of Killers feels like the likely follow-up to his Predator spin-off, Prey. What other time periods and settings could be used for the Predator formula? While this animated interpretation acts more like a sampler than a historical epic, it does tantalize a more creative route to take this franchise down instead of figuring out how many different ways the Predator aliens can sport braids.
There are three time periods plucked for the Predators, and each one feels like a uniquely different arc for the humans targeted. There is a Viking tale of vengeance that highlights the erosion of humanity when driven by aggression. There’s a feud for the throne in feudal Japan between bitter brothers. And there’s the aerial assault of a plucky and clever World War II pilot trying to find the best ways to defeat a Predator in the skies. All of them have something to prove and a reason to fight once the triangular crosshairs of the aliens loom.
Each story becomes engrossing as it gets to know just enough of the characters before the camera switches to the Predator’s heat vision. The Viking Ursa (Lindsay LaVanchy) is a tragic figure, driven by her hatred that ultimately consumes those she loves. Her war with the tribe becomes brutal enough, as evidenced by her incredibly effective use of a shield in her carnage, illustrating how a defensive weapon can become just as deadly as the devastation it can wield amid desperation. Kenji (Louis Ozawa Changchien) relies on a few words, doing most of his talking through his swords, and choosing wise words from his brothers and honor when opening his mouth. Johnny Torres (Rick Gonzalez), by comparison, runs his mouth as the pilot who boasts more wizardry with tech than blunt objects, making him one of the more compelling protagonists to go toe-to-alien-toe with the Predators.
While the different settings suffice for a short-story sampler of Predator skirmishes, looking immaculate in CGI with a 2D edge, the film becomes extra exciting when the Predators capture the three heroes. Forced into a battle for their lives, there’s a compelling cross-cultural alliance through this staging. It’s one thing to see warring humans banding together against a common alien threat, but it’s a whole different film with language and time barriers that force these heroes into a tougher alliance. There’s greater weight to this showdown, where being the most muscular or brutal won’t be enough to escape a giant quadruped Predator that can eat you whole. For an animated film, the heroic trio has more depth than any live-action Predator movie I’ve seen.
Killer of Killers is the most inventive of the Predator movies, thanks to its bloody animation, wise characters, and refreshing anthology approach to killer aliens. The very idea of the film was enticing enough, but it goes the extra mile by investing just as much thought in the arc of these characters, the design of the Predator’s ship, and how cool it would look soaring through the skies of World War II. A return to a franchise is only as strong as whatever the director can add to it, and Dan Trachtenberg thankfully breaks out all the unused colors to paint a bigger picture, still smeared with all the decapitations and green blood that make the Predator pictures so much fun.
