Anthony Bergamini
Have you ever wanted to see a Predator fight a Viking, a Japanese Warrior, and a U.S Pilot? Well, then Predator: Killer of Killers is the perfect movie for you! Much like the recent movies from 20th Century Studios featuring Aliens and Predators, Predator: Killer of Killers is a standalone tale within this universe that contains elements from other parts of the franchise to hold itself as a semi-connective tissue for the overall story. But, more than anything else, the film takes the franchise into uncharted territory, featuring a whole new style of animation and storytelling that have not been used before. While the film may not appeal to all audiences because of these factors, there is no doubt that it is worth a watch from new or old fans, or just anyone who is interested in a gory action film with heavy science fiction elements.
For anyone still on the fence, Predator: Killer of Killers essentially is told in the same vein as Prey, the previous Predator film from 20th Century Studios. Each of the three core stories that makeup the narrative take cues from Prey, showcasing warriors from different periods of history fighting a battle against different Predators. While Prey was a full film that focused on one character in one time period, the anthology nature of this film allows the same storytelling elements to be present while shifting around to these different characters to see how they would handle things with their own circumstances and available tools and technology. This review will be spoiler free, so there will not be too many details about what happens in the last third of the film, but needless to say, it ties this entire film together in a way that celebrates the legacy of Predator.
Of the three main stories, a lot of people are likely to gravitate towards the story featuring the U.S Pilot, Torres, more so than the others. The other two stories are fun and full of their own unique action; however, it almost feels like most of the pathos went into this third story. A lot of this could be because the first two stories take place in time periods and settings where the characters speak little to no English and are also the most distant from modern culture than anything else. The second story specifically, featuring a Japanese Warrior, Kiyoshi, feels like it gets the least amount of time to flesh out its characters, primarily focusing on the battle with the Predator, who attacks at a very inconvenient time for the protagonist. The first story, featuring a Viking soldier, Ursa, and her son, definitely takes the cake as being the most brutal and gory out of anything else shown in the film, but the part of the story featuring the Predator itself feels like it plays second nature to that of the characters. The third tale, with Torres, feels like it marries those two perfectly, featuring a story that focuses on its characters and the Predator equally, tying those two narratives together in a way that creates a full arc for Torres before the film gets into its last act.
The best action sequence in the film is also Torres’ story, which showcases an aerial combat sequence unlike anything fans have ever seen in this series. Torres is also the only character out of these three who isn’t traditionally a warrior of any sort. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character from the original film was a combat ready soldier. Torres is a pilot in the U.S military but was simply part of the draft and clearly has no business being part of the conflict. Because of this he has to instead focus on his quick thinking and instincts to effectively battle his Predator, creating a very tense and action-packed battle that is almost entirely featured in the skies over the ocean.
Fans of this franchise are often split on the nature of these films, some arguing that they would rather see a more traditional Predator film in the same vein as the first, rather than something more lore heavy. While that is fair, others genuinely enjoy the films that get more into the lore of this universe. Predator: Killer of Killers genuinely acts as a film that will appeal to both capacities. At the end of the day, this is the safest approach for the film, while allowing it to experiment in way that make the film watching experience more exciting.
