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Predator: Killer of Killers | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

 


So Disney, are we ready to hand the whole Predator franchise over to Dan Trachenberg, or what? His surprise hit prequel “Prey” got audiences imagining what a Predator movie might look like set against other historical backdrops around the world. Killer of Killers answers that question in stylized, ultra violent animated glory with an anthology that fans are going to absolutely love. 

Upon first glance, the animation style resembles a cell shaded video game. After taking a few moments to get used to it (much like last year’s “Flow”), I was in awe of just how stunning the visuals and art direction are. Set during three different time periods, in different continents across the globe, each story brings a distinct look and feel to this collection. The colours are striking, from frozen Scandinavian shores to crisp autumn forests in Edo era Japan - it’s all so beautiful. The framing and fluidity of the action is also exceptional, highlighting the different combat styles of each culture during their respective time period. This is hands down some of the best and most creative action in the entire franchise. 


Each segment runs approximately 20-25 minutes, and surprisingly none of them feel rushed or underbaked. They each follow a fairly straightforward plot, but the flow and pacing feels perfect. While I can’t help but imagine each one as its own feature length addition to the franchise, this is a more than satisfying depiction of the “what if” style scenarios fans have been dreaming up since the release of Prey. Despite being set centuries apart, the three stories do tie together in an exciting way I won’t spoil here. It feels like a tease of the franchise’s future, and if the intention was to build hype for the upcoming “Predator: Badlands”, I’d consider this a rousing success. 


Predator: Killer of Killers is everything a Predator fan could want. While the short length of each chapter may leave some thirsty for more story and bloodshed, this anthology is an impressive collection of bite-sized Predator action. It builds on the established lore, while paving an exciting future for the franchise’s future. 


4/5 


Review by: Benjamin Garrett


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