'PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS' MOVIE REVIEW

MY EXPECTATIONS FOR AN ANIMATED PREDATOR FILM WERE PRETTY LOW, BUT KNOWING IT CAME FROM THE SAME DIRECTOR OF ‘PREY’ AT LEAST HAD MY HOPES PRETTY HIGH THAT IT WAS AT LEAST WATCHABLE.

I’M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT IT IS A LOT OF FUN. THE AMOUNT OF LOVE FOR THIS SHARED UNIVERSE THAT DAN TRATCHENBERG HAS IS EVIDENT AND IT’S WHAT THIS FRANCHISE CONTINUALLY NEEDS.

THIS FILM PUTS THE PREDATOR IN SITUATIONS WHERE HE WORKS BEST - MORE PRIMITIVE ONES ACROSS TIME. PART OF WHAT MADE THE ORIGINAL FILM WORKS SO WELL WAS JUXTAPOSITION OF AN ADVANCED ALIEN RACE AND ANCIENT WARRIOR-LIKE HUNTS.

THE FILM UTILIZES THREE STORIES ACROSS TIME AND A BRIEF EPILOGUE TO NOT ONLY MAKE A DECENT ANIMATED FILM, BUT ONE THAT FEELS LIKE A WORTHY ADDITION TO THE FRANCHISE WITH THE SAME REWATCHABILITY AS A LIVE-ACTION FILM.

IT HONORS AND EXPANDS THE CANON IN A WAY THAT FEELS WORTHWHILE AND IS DEFINITELY A RECOMMENDED WATCH FOR FANS OF THE PREDATOR/ALIEN UNIVERSE.

WARNING! - SPOILER REVIEW BELOW

WHAT REALLY WORKED ABOUT 'PREY' AS A FILM WAS THAT IT TOOK THE MENACING PREDATOR CHARACTER AND PIT IT AGAINST CHARACTERS WHO WOULD BE MORE AMAZED BY WHAT THEY WERE SEEING THAN CHARACTERS OF TODAY AND THAT WOULD HAVE ALL THE ODDS STACKED AGAINST THEM TO BUILD THE TENSION. WHILE THERE'S DEFINITELY WAYS TO MAKE THESE FILMS WORK IN OTHER TIME PERIODS ('PREDATOR: BADLANDS' SURE LOOKS PROMISING) BUT THERE'S SOMETHING SO COOL ABOUT SEEING THIS ADVANCED ALIEN WARRIOR TAKE ON A VIKING AND A SAMURAI.

THE MOVIE IS ANTHOLOGY STYLE LIKE OTHER SIMILAR ANIMATED FILMS (LIKE 'ANIMATRIX') AND MAKES SURE THAT IT DOESN'T JUST FEEL LIKE FILLER YOU CAN SKIP IN THE FRANCHISE.

THE WARRIORS TASKED WITH BATTLING THE PREDATOR IN THEIR RESPECTIVE TIME PERIODS ARE A VIKING, A SAMURAI AND A WWII PILOT. ALL THREE WARRIORS END UP HOLDING THEIR OWN WITH THEIR OWN PERSONAL STAKES HANGING IN THE BALANCE AS EACH TALE ALSO ENDS WITH THE SACRIFICE OF SOMEONE CLOSE TO THEM IN ORDER TO WIN AGAINST THE PREDATOR. THE SKELETON OF THE FILM, THOUGH, IS THE CONTINUOUS REVEAL THAT ALL THREE WARRIORS HAVE EVENTUALLY BEEN CAPTURED BY THE PREDATOR RACE AND HAVE BEEN IN SUSPENDED CRYO SLEEP OF SOME TYPE AS SUDDENLY THEY ARE ALL IN THE SAME ROOM DESPITE LIVING HUNDREDS OF YEARS APART.

"THE SHIELD" IS PART 1 OF THE MOVIE AND IS THE VIKING STORY TAKING PLACE IN THE YEAR 841. URSA, LEADER OF A VIKING TRIBE, LEADS HER SON AND THEIR TRIBE IN A WAR AGAINST ANOTHER TRIBE. OF COURSE SHE AND HER PEOPLE ARE THEN HUNTED BY THE PREDATOR. URSA MANAGES TO DEFEAT THE PREDATOR BUT HER SON DIES IN HER ARMS.

"THE SWORD" IS THE NEXT PART OF THE FILM AND TAKES PLACE IN THE YEAR 1601 AS A SAMURAI NAMED KENJI HAS TO FACE HIS WARLORD BROTHER IN BATTLE. ANOTHER PREDATOR WARRIOR SHOWS UP AND INTERVENES. KENJI ALSO BESTS THE PREDATOR BUT HIS BROTHER DIES AS WELL.

"THE BULLET" IS THE WWII STORY INVOLVING A PILOT NAMED TORRES IS ALSO NOW TASKED WITH TAKING DOWN AN INTERVENING PREDATOR THAT IS HUNTING HIM. TORRES' CAPTAIN SACRIFICES HIMSELF SO TORRES CAN SUCCESSFULLY TAKE DOWN THE KILLER ALIEN.

THE EPILOGUE, THOUGH, IS THE BONUS STORY THAT TIES EVERYTHING TOGETHER. AS THE CHARACTERS MEET ALL IN THE SAME ROOM, THE FINAL STORY "THE BATTLE" BEGINS AS THEY ARE TAKEN TO A GLADIATOR TYPE LOCATION TO FIGHT A MEGA PREDATOR WARRIOR CALLED THE GRENDAL KING. THE THREE CHARACTERS TEAM UP TO ESCAPE BUT URSA SACRIFICES HER OWN ESPACE TO ENSURE THE OTHER TWO MAKE IT OUT. THE MOVIE ENDS AS TORRES AND KENJI ARE BEING HUNTED AND URSA IS PLACED BACK INTO SUSPENDED ANIMATION. THE REVEAL, THOUGH, IS THAT ALONGSIDE HER ARE OTHER PREDATOR ALUMNI NARU, MIKE HARRIGAN AND DUTCH SCHAEFER WHO ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERS FROM 'PREY,' 'PREDATOR' AND 'PREDATOR 2' RESPECTIVELY.

THIS FRANCHISE HAS HAD ITS UPS AND DOWNS BUT FUN STORIES LIKE THIS BREATHE NEW AND MUCH NEEDED LIFE BACK INTO THE FRANCHISE. BETWEEN THIS FILM, 'PREY' AND THE UPCOMING 'PREDATOR: BADLANDS,' HERE'S HOPING THE FRANCHISE AND THE SHARED UNIVERSE IT'S A PART OF GET TO FINALLY GO TO MORE ENTICING TERRITORIES.

8/10

YOU CAN CATCH 'PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS' ON HULU AND DISNEY PLUS NOW.