[Review] Predator: Killer of Killers: The Birth of a Cinematic Universe
Predator: Killer of Killers is co-directed and co-written by Dan Trachtenberg and Micho Robert Rutare. Trachtenberg previously directed Prey in 2022. While working on his next live-action Predator film, Predator: Badlands (set for release this November), he secretly directed this animated feature.
Predator: Killer of Killers is comprised of three short stories, which are not directly connected to each other and take place in vastly different eras and locations. The first story, set in the 9th century, follows Ursa, a Viking tribal leader, and her son Anders, as they seek revenge against her father's killer. The second story, set in the 17th century, delves into the conflict between Kiyoshi, the son who inherits his father's position as a Japanese samurai lord, and his long-estranged brother, Kenji. The third story takes place in North Africa during World War II, centering on a naval fighter pilot investigating a mysterious Predator aircraft and its weaponry.
By comparison, the first two stories share more commonalities, and their storytelling and character development surpass the third. In the first story, Ursa was forced to kill her own father by the enemy as a child, vowing revenge against his murderer. Beyond simple vengeance, this also concerns their tribe's honor and the Viking beliefs and traditions regarding the afterlife. Vikings were inherently brave and warlike, and Ursa, as a tribal leader, possesses extraordinary combat skills, making this tale of revenge and battle exceptionally thrilling. It showcases the Vikings' ferocity while also highlighting Ursa's remarkable prowess and unwavering determination. The second story features two brothers. In their youth, their father demanded they engage in a fight, with the victor inheriting his position. Kenji, being kind-hearted, refused to attack his brother Kiyoshi, resulting in a scar on his face from Kiyoshi and his banishment by their father. He grows up to become a ninja and returns home to duel Kiyoshi after their father's death. This segment has almost no dialogue, yet it effectively conveys the brothers' bond and Kenji's conflicted feelings, especially concerning the unexpected outcome of their duel.
Although each story runs for only about twenty minutes, they concisely establish the characters' backgrounds and motivations, drawing the audience into their narratives and struggles, and helping them understand their dedication to and conflicts regarding family. Even without the presence of the Predator, these first two stories are excellent animated works on their own. However, as this is ultimately a Predator production, the Predators are the film's focal points. In these two stories, as Ursa and Kenji defeat their respective human foes, the Predator formally appears, engaging in a fierce duel with each warrior. The fighting styles of Vikings and Japanese ninjas/samurai, as well as the visual aesthetics of the two eras, are inherently different. The film skillfully utilizes these distinctions to design distinctly different Predators: the Predator battling Ursa is as rugged and brutal as a Viking, while the one fighting Kenji wields an array of weapons like a Japanese samurai. As a result, they seamlessly integrate with the combat styles of their respective eras, incorporating long-take sequences to deliver tense, exciting, and violent fight scenes, adding significant freshness to the franchise.
In contrast, the character development and story of the third segment are weaker, with the protagonist Torres's existence seeming solely to set up the film's ending. After the three short stories conclude, the film features a fourth segment. Although it's labeled as an "epilogue," it actually serves as the film's climax. The three protagonists, from different times and locations, who each defeated a Predator, are all abducted to an alien planet to engage in a fight to the death in a battle arena. This segment connects the previous three stories and delivers a climactic fight scene, but the actual participants are not the Predators. Consequently, this entire section feels less exciting than the first two stories, somewhat like an unnecessary addition.
Of course, as the title of this review suggests, the significance of the fourth segment might extend beyond merely connecting the first three stories. It also links this film with the previous live-action movie, Prey, and may establish a cinematic universe. The plot of the three protagonists being abducted to an alien world also brings to mind 2010's Predators. The ending of Predator: Killer of Killers reveals that the Predators have abducted even more warriors from different times and locations, including Naru (Amber Midthunder), the protagonist from Prey. Perhaps in the next live-action film, Predator: Badlands, we will see more connections to previous works, and it's even possible that protagonists from earlier Predator films might return to the series in the near future.
Trailer:
Synopsis:
The anthology story follows three of the fiercest warriors in human history: a Viking raider guiding her young son on a bloody quest for revenge, a ninja in feudal Japan who turns against his Samurai brother in a brutal battle for succession, and a WWII pilot who takes to the sky to investigate an otherworldly threat to the Allied cause. But while all these warriors are killers in their own right, they are merely prey for their new opponent – the ultimate killer of killers.
Photo and Source: 20th Century Studios