Predator: Killer of Killers is the newest entry in the franchise that premiered on Hulu this weekend. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the film stars Lindsay LaVanchy, Louis Ozawa, Rick Gonzalez, and Michael Biehn. The film follows a Viking raider, a ninja in feudal Japan, and a World War II pilot encounter a fierce intergalactic hunter.

When it was first announced that we were getting two Predator movies in one year, I was surprised and concerned as it could have spelled the doom for a franchise that seemed to be on its way up after Prey. After I learned that it would be animated, it seemed like it could work. At the same time, it is wild that director Dan Trachtenberg made both films. That’s almost unheard of, but it does show the trust Disney has put into the filmmaker to make this work. Trachtenberg may be the saving grace for this franchise, because the film delivers.

After Disney bought 20th Century Fox, I think everyone was sure they would continue to expand on properties from the studio. They have been doing that with both the Alien and Predator franchises, and that may be a strategic thing to do when viewers aren’t feeling the same way they used to with the Marvel and Star Wars properties. Bringing director Dan Trachtenberg back for more with this franchise was a brilliant decision from Disney as Trachtenberg appears to be the only one, in a long time, to understand how to make this franchise work. With only one other film under his belt, the filmmaker is transitioning into the franchise, becoming the Kevin Feige of Predator. You’d think doing it once in this franchise might be a fluke. As he moves into animation, he proves his work is no fluke.

Animation tends to get a bad track record, making others believe it can’t be as good as it could if it was live-action. With this being the first animated film in the franchise, the film delivers on all fronts as it allows to be more creative as it spans over specific time periods and how these characters have interaction with the creature. Prey released back in 2022 on Hulu, making others including myself wish it got a theatrical release instead. Since Predator: Badlands releases in theaters later this year, I think releasing this on Hulu is the right move. It gives Badlands more marketing as this gives viewers more to be excited about, as well as gaining new viewers more to go of off unfamiliar with the property. This may be the best case scenario with studios being able to utilize their streaming services to market their theatrical movies.

With its three-act structure, each story has an identity of its own, but makes it quite clear how they each fit into this overall story thematically. By placing other warriors against the titular character, we continue to see how the predator has interacted with others throughout time. It manages to utilize its concept with giving us something new to care about throughout. Each story doesn’t run too long since the overall film runs at about 84 minutes. The three stories work itself up to a grand finale that I won’t give much away with. I honestly thought we were only going to get an anthology of stories, but it turns out they all amount to something big in the end that can set up even more stories for years to come that this franchise can go off of.

My personal favorite story in the film is the second one involving a ninja in Japan. I love the overall concept with each one taking a warrior within a specific time and pitting them against the predator. Not only does the animation start to click for me in the second story, I love how this story barely has any dialogue. That gives the viewers the opportunity to connect with the film visually, which is what works best for the film, especially when it leans into the action.

With only an 84-minute runtime, the film could have done more to beef up the runtime. This could have given the film a great opportunity to offer a prologue that invites viewers into the film’s unique concept, as well as introduce new viewers unfamiliar with the franchise. Again, it doesn’t feel like a necessity as every minute here matters, making the overall film feel longer than it actually is.

Fans of the franchise will certainly cater towards this film more than those unfamiliar with the franchise. The animation style, for me at least, took some time to get used to as it purposely looks like its lagging. It may take some time to get used to, but it eventually offers something more creative and unique than the franchise has ever done before. I just hope we continue to get more films like this. I’d love to see it.

Overall, Predator: Killer of Killers offers more great quality to the franchise spearheaded by Dan Trachtenberg. The animation style takes some time to get used to and the short runtime may leave more to be desired. There is no denying though how entertaining and unique it is throughout. I can’t believe I would ever say this, but I can’t wait to see what’s to come out of this franchise. I am hyped for Predator: Badlands.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)