******SLAYING SPOILERS!******

Directed by John McTiernan and cowritten by Jim & John Thomas, 1987’s action/adrenaline-soaked sci-fi flick “Predator” has led to some so-so sequels and a quasi-canonization within the “ALIEN” franchise. To be honest, I’ve only enjoyed the first movie and the last sequel, “Prey” (2022), directed and cowritten by Dan Tratchenberg. Everything in-between was largely forgettable for me, save for a moment here and there.

However, when I heard that Tratchenberg was creating a new animated addition to the franchise, my eyes and ears perked up for “Predator: Killer of Killers,” the new Hulu animated anthology feature that promises to be both a sequel to “Prey” and a prequel to the new “Predator: Badlands,” coming in November of this year, and starring Elle Fanning (“Super 8”). While a new Predator movie usually wouldn’t be enough to get me into a theater these days, I have much respect for Tratchenberg’s knack for visual-based storytelling, so that might be enough.

However, “Predator: Killer of Killers” is a 90-minute animated feature film streaming exclusively on Hulu (as “Prey” did three years ago), so there’s no need to dust off my Fandango account for this one. Instead, I fired up the HD digital projector and pulled out the 80″ (2-meter) screen for a comfy, at-home screening of “Killer of Killers,” which is divided into four distinct acts; three of which are chaptered and a fourth that is something of a free-for-all…

“The Shield”

The first act opens in snowy Scandinavia in the year 841 AD, where a Viking warrior named Ursa (Lindsay LaVanchy) is leading her son Anders (Damien Haas) on a quest for revenge against a tribal leader named Zoran (Andrew Morgado) whom she holds responsible for the murder of her father. In Zoran’s fortress, Anders slays the tyrant. But the victory is short-lived, as Ursa and her fellow warriors are ambushed by a massive Predator, which uses a sonic-energy pulse weapon that demolishes its opponents. Ursa’s iron-edged shield is able to resist it. Taking the fight outside, Ursa impales the Predator under a frozen lake, and returns to find Anders mortally wounded. He dies in her arms. We then cut to a captured Ursa aboard what appears to be Predator spaceship, next to an unidentified passenger…

Note: This chapter is aptly named, since an iron and wooden shield is Ursa’s weapon of choice, and it is the weapon most effective against her particular Predator. Screenwriter Micho Robert Rutare‘s screenplay, at least in its first two acts, does a brilliant job of conveying lots of information with minimal dialogue and exposition. This is visual storytelling at its best. The animation style of the movie looks like high-quality production artwork come to life; imagine the work of production artist Doug Chiang or the late Ralph McQuarrie in animated form, and you get the idea. While this chapter’s sparse dialogue begins in Old Norse, the characters are soon speaking English, albeit with accents that aren’t too jarringly modern.

“The Sword”

The next chapter opens in feudal Japan in the year 1609. A warlord pits his twin sons Kenji and Kiyoshi (Louis Ozawa) in combat against each other, to determine who will succeed him someday. During their battle, Kiyoshi cheats–pretending to yield, before charging at an unguarded Kenji. The combat leaves Kenji with a deep scar on his cheek, and he runs away. 20 years later, Kenji has become a ninja, returning to the familial palace to seek revenge on his brother. The stealthy Kenji is stalked by a stealthier Predator. Slipping back into the palace, Kenji duels with Kiyoshi and leaves him with a scar to match his own. With honor satisfied, Kenji leaves. Then a Predator de-cloaks and ambushes Kenji and the remaining palace guards. Kiyoshi falls from a balcony and is taken out of the fight. Several palace guards are killed, as Kenji flees. Finding Kiyoshi alive, the two brothers reunite in common cause to kill the Predator. Afterward, Kiyoshi dies from his injuries. We then see Kenji aboard the Predator spaceship, as we peer over to its third human passenger…

Note: “The Sword” was, by far, my favorite chapter of this movie. There is almost no dialogue until its final scenes, when the brothers are briefly reunited before Kiyoshi’s death. This almost entirely nonverbal, yet easy-to-follow story reminded me of what George Lucas used to say about Akira Kirosawa‘s movies; they threw audiences into the culture of ancient Japan, and by the end, foreign audiences found the universalities within the story and its characters. This is similar to Lucas’ approach with his first feature film, “THX-1138” (1971); he threw his audience into an alien world of a bizarre dystopian future and let them sink or swim. While “The Sword” is not as opaque as “THX,” we aren’t told much; though we easily wade the waters of the movie’s feudal Japan. Everything is conveyed visually, and very effectively. Frankly, I wish the entire movie was done this way, but that wish wanes a bit with the following chapters.

“The Bullet”

1942 Florida. Carefree Torres (Rick Gonzales) is out joyriding until his car breaks down, and his patient mechanic dad (Felix Solis) tells him it’s just a flooded engine. Torres then receives his draft notice. Later, we see Ensign Torres stationed aboard an aircraft carrier in the Pacific during World War 2. His experienced squadron mates, including his tough CAG, Vandy (Michael Biehn) are launched against a mysterious Predator spacecraft that picks them off one-by-one with its wild array of weapons. With most of the squadron down, Torres takes his own battered heap of a plane into combat. Forced to jerry-rig the plane during flight, Torres’ resourcefulness comes in handy, as he tricks the Predator into using its own weapons on itself. After the war, we see Torres back in Florida fixing cars in his garage, when he’s abducted to the same Predator ship that’s abducted Ursa and Kenji…

Note: As engaging as the voice talent of this chapter is, “The Bullet” is where things go a bit off the rails a bit, story-wise. I like the character of Torres, and Rick Gonzales nails it with his voice work, but even within sci-fi/fantasy, credibility can be stretched beyond a breaking point. Sci-fi/fantasy movies are usually allowed a certain number of ‘asks’ from an audience for any given scenario to be contextually believable–especially in a period piece. The scene where Torres climbs onto the wing of his jerry-rigged fighter and repairs it during aerial combat was one ask too many for me, as was the less-than-stealthy appearance of a large alien spaceship in full view of the Japanese fleet (!). The first two chapters were believably limited enough in their scope to work as unspoken or undocumented history (much like “Prey,” which could be attributed to ‘tribal legend’), but World War 2 was well documented with cameras, and left plenty of living eyewitnesses, so that bubble of credibility can only be stretched too far.

The untitled final act sees Torres awakening aboard the alien spaceship, after being revived from suspended animation, along with Ursa and Kenji. The are transported to the Predator home planet of Yautja Prime, where they are brought before an alpha Predator leader. Through neck collar translation-devices/bombs, the leader orders a fight to the death among the combatants; with the winner facing him in a final death match. At first, Ursa turns on Kenji and Torres, but they convince her to help them all escape. A large, quadrupedal monster is then released into the arena, which swallows Torres. Inside the creature’s gullet, Torres finds a hover bike (convenient much?), which he uses to exit the creature, and which they use to board the leader’s ship. As pilot Torres familiarizes himself with the alien controls (riiiight), Kenji and Ursa battle the alpha. Torres uses the engines’ blowback to knock the leader off balance. With a seeming death wish, Ursa stays behind in order to help Kenji and Torres (who reminds her of Anders) escape. After Torres and Kinji flee, we see that Ursa was placed into a suspended animation pod, where she’s stored alongside other combatants captured from human history; including Naru, the young Comanche warrior/healer from “Prey.”

Note: The muted restraint of the earlier, more carefully-crafted chapters is thrown out the window in favor of an action-packed, over-the-top finale. This is a shame, as the movie could’ve just as easily ended with a more abrupt (and arguably more effective) ending; with the three combatants in suspended animation right alongside Naru. To me, this would’ve been much more in keeping with the movie’s minimalist earlier chapters than the excessive ‘Battle Royale’ that followed. Like 2003’s “Animatrix,” or the three “Blade Runner” animated features (“Blackout 2022” “2036: Nexus Dawn,” “2048: Nowhere to Run”), “Predator: Killer of Killers” is supposed to set up November’s “Predator: Badlands” feature film, but I found most of this animated anthology good enough to stand on its own merits, rather than serve as filler between live-action movies.

The End.

Summing It Up

Written by Micho Robert Rutare and director Dan Tratchenberg, “Predator: Killer of Killers” is a handsomely produced anthology that looks like living production art come to life. Each frame of this movie looks like it leaped from the portfolio of “Star Wars” production artist Doug Chiang, though the movie earns its R-rating for bloody violent combat. Make no mistake; this is not some sanitized PG “Predator” cartoon made for the kiddies–this is a fully adult animated movie. One can only imagine what this history-spanning movie would’ve cost to make in live-action, but it probably wouldn’t look nearly as good as it does within its handsomely-realized frames. I also enjoyed the minimal dialogue of the first two chapters, which rely more on pure visual storytelling than heavy exposition delivered in clumsy dialogue. The movie keeps to this approach–for its first half, anyway.

The movie’s third chapter, “The Bullet,” and its untitled final act on the Predator planet of Yautja Prime are where things start to fall apart a bit. The credibility of the story is stretched to cartoonish limits (not cartoonish as in ‘animated feature,’ but in the other sense). The scenes of Torres climbing onto his fighter plane’s wing to effect repairs during aerial combat, or finding a too-convenient hoverbike inside the gullet of a large alien creature (as you do) burst the carefully minimalist, yet effectively violent universe seen in the first two chapters (“The Shield” “The Sword”), which exercise more restraint in their storytelling. It almost felt as if a third uncredited writer jumped in to work on those final two acts of the film, with orders in hand to punch things up. Such excesses give this otherwise fine film an inconsistent vibe during its last chapters. The result is half blood ‘n guts, half Marvel movie.

Despite the tonal flaws, there’s a lot more to like than dislike about “Predator: Killer of Killers,” and given that it’s released directly to streaming, there’s little risk with enjoying this appropriately R-rated, yet handsomely-produced animated anthology. Savvily expanding upon the previously narrowed confines of the “Predator” universe, this is one “Predator” worth preying upon.

Where to Watch

“Predator: Killer of Killers” is currently and exclusively streaming on Hulu, which can also be accessed through the bundled Disney+/Hulu package as well.