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Rating: 5 out of 5
I have been watching the Predator franchise for a very long time. The first Predator movie is AWESOME with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and some of the best one-liners man has ever spoken. The next few years the Predator franchise shit the bed hard. All the movies sucked pretty bad, with a few okay ones sprinkled in. The Predator series really got back on its A-game with the 2022 film, Prey. That one brought the franchise back to the basics with a fantastic story, amazing character development, and a badass fight. The good times seemed to keep coming as the Predator universe expanded, with quality and engaging stories.
The Predator franchise took its game to a new level with Predator: Killer of Killers. This film was freakin AWESOME and honestly one of the best Predator movies of all time. It might be the best film out of the entire franchise. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg from a screenplay by Micho Robert Rutare, along with a story written by both Trachtenberg and Rutare, this sixth installment is the first animated version, telling stories rather than a single continuous storyline.
The first highlight of this film is the writing/storyline. There are three main stories that all come together in the end. Each story has excellent action scenes that will make your jaw drop. What I love about each story is that something happens, and then a Predator shows up to make the main character hit their “oh shit.” The first story, “The Shield,” is fantastic. This story is set in 841 Scandinavia. It follows Viking shieldmaiden Ursa, who rolls with her son Anders and her clan on a hunt for another Viking leader. After Ursa kills dude, a Predator shows up and kills her son. Ursa and the Predator have a freakin EPIC battle.
The second story, to me, is equally AWESOME, and it is called “The Sword.” This one is set in 1609 Edo Japan. The story features brothers, Kenji and Kiyoshi, who are the sons of a samurai warlord. The young siblings are forced to fight to decide who will be their father’s successor. Kenji refuses, and Kiyoshi quickly scarred his face to win. Decades later, Kiyoshi becomes the new lord, and Kenji rolls up as a shinobi and duels his brother. After the duel, a Predator rolls up and battles the brothers in a fantastic sword fight. It is a flawless fight between the characters in this story.
The third story was good, but it was the weakest. This story was called “The Bullet.” It is set in 1942 during the North African campaign. It follows Latino mechanic John J. Torres, who is drafted into the U.S. Navy. This story is more of a firefight in the air in WWII as Torres helps shoot down some Nazis, but the real fight comes when the Predator rolls up in his ship and starts killing everyone. Torres must go beast mode to kill the Predator and survive all the other vessels that are shooting at him.
This excellent film comes together in the fourth story, where all the main characters from the previous stories come together to fight on the Predator’s home world. This shit was crazy because there is a leader Predator that is bigger, stronger, and more fearsome than any of the others. Watching three people try to communicate and survive is crazy.
As stated before, the violence and fight scenes are off the charts. I love how each story started off with violence or a particular situation that led to death. When you take a breath, the Predator would show up and straight up cut someone in half, blow them up, or some crazy thing. When the person battled against the Predator, it was insane. The fights were crisp and drawn in such a way that they will hype you up. It is very visually appealing. It is one of the best movies made this year.
I want to keep this review short because I really want you to watch this film. If you are a fan of the Predator franchise, this is a must-watch. Watch the first film, the film Prey, and then this one. You will not be disappointed, and the ending is a chef’s kiss as you will be surprised.
