Review: Animated PREDATOR Anthology KILLER OF KILLERS is a Violent Treat

The Predator franchise's Achilles' heel has long been storytelling. "Hunt, kill, repeat" sounds like a doable premise to redeliver, and yet entries like Predators and The Predator beg to differ. That's the beauty of Dan Trachtenberg's not-so-secret Predator: Killer of Killers, an animated anthology of rad-as-hell Predator deathmatches. Strip away exposition, pick some eras, and unleash Predators on warriors throughout time—it's that simple. Prey was just an appetizer for the sci-fi combat carnage that Killer of Killers successfully delivers.

Trachtenberg and co-writer Micho Robert Rutare unleash Yautja hunters on historical periods where warfare reigned supreme. Viking raiders led by Ursa (Lindsay LaVanchy) in 841 A.D., ninja brothers Kenji & Kiyoshi (Louis Ozawa) in 1600s feudal Japan, and an Allied WWII pilot tagged Torres (Rick Gonzalez) all face Predator foes. Each chapter is a fight for survival tied into a conspicuous wraparound that reminds of Predators—“The Shield,” “The Sword,” “The Bullet.” Glorious battles between Predators and their mightiest human foes, which waste no time spilling blood and ripping spines because Killer of Killers breathes what Predator audiences crave.

The animation style channels Netflix's Arcane, blending 3D and 2D into a portrait of stop-motion cell shading. Third Door handles the film's digital illustrations as overseen by Joshua Wassung, Trachtenberg's co-director. It's cartoonish yet gritty; less Pixar and more Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge. Killer of Killers has its own vibe, which is a bit more texturally flattened, despite shadowbox-like settings with deeper backgrounds. However, Third Door never struggles to animate brutal fight sequences that live up to the Predator's violent tendencies. You'll notice random images like airplane consoles or skylines with less intricate renderings, if only to focus on what matters: all that juicy M-for-Mature dismemberment.

Each chapter honors the combat mechanics of a chosen warrior's lifetime. Ursa, this Nordic queen of death, uses bladed shields to gruesomly sever heads with devastating combo attacks. Kenji's and Kiyoshi's katana handling is far more agile and nimble, favoring Asian cinema's martial artistry over brute strength brawls. Then there's Torres' dogfighting prowess, which opens the skies as a battlefield that still finds unique ways to chop pilots to bits using diabolical Predator inventions. It's all intentionally streamlined—we're watching Predators adapt to centuries worth of combat evolution—but in a way that upholds the integrity of Yautja codes. There's nothing uncharacteristically rich about Killer of Killers, with segments wrapping neat little crimson bows on bite-sized tales that are begging for a tad more investigation.

To be fair, that's not the motivation behind Killer of Killers. It's a precursor to Trachtenberg's live-action Predator: Badlands, although there is no confirmation on exactly how or if the titles crossover. The film broadens Yautja culture by varying physical appearances of Predators and their signature weapons, while also referencing franchise staples like the flintlock pistol engraved with the name "Raphael Adolini." Killer of Killers bleeds standalone appeal, but that doesn't stop Trachtenberg from teasing exciting links to other Predator entries—perhaps even nodding at Prey (cheeky shrug). Trachtenberg and Rutare emphasize the importance of telling original stories within adored franchises, sustaining a new-spaceship-smell freshness throughout, but their passion for Predator cinema pops up in some tantalizing cliffhanger ways.

And yet, there's a sideshow appeal to Killer of Killers that never feels like a headlining event. Mega-sized Predators with their sonic-boom punch tech are a nifty attraction, but these miniature survival standoffs are missing the slightest over-the-edge impact. Themes of brotherhood, bravery, and community are overt as characters learn that solo rebellions aren't the answer. Killer of Killers pits each Predator's rites of passage against foes aplenty, but by the finale, we've essentially just watched a highlight reel of extraterrestrial massacres. There's nothing wrong with that—in fact, hell yeah—but as an anthology feature, substance is gutted as entrails are scattered.

But that doesn't tank Killer of Killers. After Prey, we all shared our dream Predator scenarios, from swashbuckling pirates to medieval knighthoods. Trachtenberg and company take the animated route to bring three of those fantasies to life, opening the door to future editions where Predators test their skills against more of Earth’s Dutches and Narus from alternative origins. Killer of Killers is a full-throttle slaughterama that proves animation isn't just for kids, and is a pleasantly punishing hold-us-over treat before Predator: Badlands. Who needs feature-length stories when there are trophies to collect and champions to crown?

Movie Score: 3.5/5