“Predator” Double Feature: “Predator: Killer of Killers” and “Prey”

This year, fans of the “Predator” franchise will have something to be excited about. Not only will the series be having a new theatrical sequel coming to theaters this November, there was also a secret “Predator” anime movie in production during the same time as the upcoming theatrical sequel.

So, since the “Predator” anime is now available on Hulu, I wanted to take a look at both “Predator: Killer of Killers” and the 2022 Hulu Original “Predator” prequel/spin-off “Prey.”

In the anime “Predator: Killer of Killers,” the anthology story follows three of the fiercest warriors in human history: a Viking raider guiding her young son on a bloody quest for revenge, a ninja in feudal Japan who turns against his Samurai brother in a brutal battle for succession, and a WWII pilot who takes to the sky to investigate an otherworldly threat to the Allied cause.

But while all these warriors are killers in their own right, they are merely prey for their new opponent - the ultimate killer of killers.

This sci-fi franchise made a great comeback with the 2022 streaming release “Prey,” which I’ll be getting to shortly. And, now “Killer of Killers” brings “Predator” fans an

incredibly awesome addition to the series. “Predator: Killer of Killers” delivers a unique anthology story showing the iconic Predator aliens appearing in separate time periods.

This is definitely a worthy addition to the sci-fi franchise that I’m sure fans of the series will definitely enjoy. Making this movie an anthology story gives it a slightly different, yet exciting vibe. The anthology format also helps expand the “Predator” mythology, just like how “Prey” did.

The “Predator” anime also delivers thrilling action sequences and there are quite a few of those action moments that can be quite intense. Throughout this movie, it was awesome seeing how people from each time period shown would battle the Predator. The animation is also really incredible and really helps the action scenes really stand out. The animation style is very similar to what was seen in “Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.”

And, without going into spoiler territory, this anime does a great job leading into more potential “Predator” movies and/or spin-offs.

“Predator: Killer of Killers” is rated R for strong bloody violence, some gore and language  (runtime 85 minutes)

Set in the Comanche Nation three centuries ago, “Prey” is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior. She has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people.

The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.

Just like “Predator: Killer of Killers,” the Hulu Original “Predator” installment “Prey” does an incredible job revitalizing the franchise after the dismal 2018 movie “The Predator.” This installment really brought the series back to its roots by primarily focusing on a primal hunter vs. hunter dynamic. By taking place in 1719, this entry eliminates the high tech weaponry and tactical advantages that humans possessed in later installments, forcing the protagonist to rely on her wits and survival skills.

The main female lead, Naru, is one of the strongest characters in the franchise as we see her battle the Predator with what weapons she had available. There are several moments scattered throughout “Prey” that shows Naru trying to outsmart the alien creature and brilliantly uses the skills she has acquired over time.

Now, while this movie visually looks great, there are some CGI moments that needed some work. The CGI bear in the Predator vs. the bear battle is a little distracting due to the bear’s CGI yet the alien itself looks really great.

“Prey” is rated R for strong bloody violence   (runtime 100 minutes).

Both “Prey” and “Predator: Killer of Killers” are solid, effective entries of this franchise. The latest movies deliver great action and compelling stories that fans of the series will enjoy. And, make sure to check out the trailer for “Predator: Badlands,” which brings the franchise back to the big screen this November!

You can find both of these movies on Hulu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbddYji1F8s

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• The film was animated using Unreal Engine, one of the first feature films ever to do so, and drew stylistic influences from Katsuhiro Ôtomo's Akira (1988) and Netflix's Arcane (2021), aiming to embrace both stylized violence and visual spectacle in ways Dan Trachtenberg felt would be less effective in live-action. Several artists from Arcane contributed to the production, including lead character animator Steven J. Meyer.

• The "present day" scenes are decidedly not set on Earth, and Torres's first question when he's awoken is how long he was asleep; judging from Ursa (from the seventh century) and Kenji (from the seventeenth), it could have been hundreds, if not thousands of years. Even the Warlord's possession of Rafael Andolini's pistol doesn't clear this up; while it's heavily implied that the gun was taken from Naru (who was definitely abducted), Predator 2 ended with it being gifted to Mike Harrigan, leaving it unclear if the climactic gladiatorial match takes place before 1997, or if Harrigan was abducted soon after that film and the pistol was taken from him instead.

• One of the cryo tanks at the end shows a mysterious man. Looking closely at this fogged-up cryo-chamber, the figure inside remains indiscernible, other than looking like a muscular military man. Some have taken this person to be Adrien Brody's Royce from Predators; however, without the use of time travel, that seems highly unlikely. What seems more likely here is that this could be Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch from 1987's Predator, being one of the champions the Yautja are collecting of warriors who have slain one of the alien apex predators.

• This is the first time a Predator completely forgos the classic one-on-one combat style and instead use a spacecraft and advanced ranged weaponry to hunt. Since this hunting style causes his prey to either blow up or be completely unrecoverable, it's hinted that this Predator has also forgone the tradition of collecting skull trophies, instead collecting their planes' engines.

• The opening epigraph marks the first time the species name 'Yautja' has been used in an official Predator film. The term 'Yautja' was first introduced in the expanded universe of Predator comics, with the species previously credited as 'Predators' in the films.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ7LytagKlc

• The rattlesnake could "see" the predator whilst invisible as a rattlesnake has pits on its head that allow the snake to sense heat and track prey through its thermal radiation signature, much like the Predator.

• Though still advanced, the technology used by the Feral Predator is much simpler than previous films e.g. the camouflage sections are larger, less armor, and the HUD is very streamlined and simplistic.

• The Feral Predator's bio mask is made from the skull of a River Ghost from Predators (2010).

• The script was rewritten by two Comanche activists to ensure its depiction of Comanche culture wasn't inaccurate or stereotypical, and the movie was praised for the results of their efforts. Among their changes, they insisted on giving every character (Comanche and French) a name in their language, even if it wasn't stated onscreen.

• This was the highest-viewed premiere of any TV show and movie on Hulu.

• The bear sequence was originally envisioned to be bigger and visually clearer, but the budget meant they had to limit visual effect shots, and that's where the idea of the beaver dam came in the play, as it allowed them to show partial glimpses instead. The dam interior was filmed atop a water tank.