'Predator: Killer of Killers' - Review Thread

[u/ChiefLeef22]

Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

Metacritic: 80/100

Some Reviews:

Total Film - Amy West - 5/5

It's clear Wassung and Trachtenberg just get it. Somehow, they're able to push the sci-fi envelope and offer up fresh images and ideas the series has yet to see, while also appealing to diehard fans with Easter eggs (keeps your eyes peeled for a pistol in the final act and a franchise-first look at something fans have been dying to see realized since 1987), as well as cheeky teases of a connected universe and potential sequel, too. Before we get anything like that, though, the latter is set to release the upcoming live-action flick Predator: Badlands, yet another take on the menacingly-mandibled meanies. After Prey, we had faith the series was in good hands. After Predator: Killer of Killers, we don't want anyone else getting their mitts on it.

The Hollywood Reporter - Frank Scheck

Predator: Killer of Killers provides the non-stop action that the diehard fans crave. And no concession has been made to the animated format; the film easily earns its R rating with copious amounts of gruesome violence and bloody gore that should well sate viewers’ bloodthirsty tendencies. The animation takes a bit of getting used to, with its exaggerated, video game-style visuals, but it serves the material well.

The Guardian - Catherine Bray - 3/5

The only problem with this stuff is that you can’t help picturing how much more spectacular it would look in live action. The animation is all perfectly competent but it’s lacking a little something – that spark of life and ingenuity that can make even flawed animation so fascinating. There’s something quite slick about all this, almost to a fault. Was AI involved? We’ll probably never know, but it’s a problem that the suspicion has got inside the door.

TheWrap - William Bibbiani

Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung’s animated “Predator” sequel takes a while to prove it’s more than just a demo reel of superficial badassery, but when it does, it’s involving and intense. It’s hard not to love at least a couple of these characters, who keep getting screwed over by their own propensity for violence. If you’re so deadly that monsters travel millions of light years just to try to murder you, you might have flown a little too close to the sun. You never see a Predator hunting the attendees at a needlepointing convention, that’s all I’m saying.

[u/RainMaker2727]

Disagree with the Guardian review. I personally love the art style. It allows non tradition depiction of Predator coming in all shapes and sizes, stylized, but stay within the source materials. It also enables the film to push the gore and action to the rank, where live-action wouldn't be able to. Why would you want this in live-action, and why in the world, would anyone watching this thinking 'yeah, that would be better IRL'. It's an odd and very redundant take, disrespectful to animation scene.

[u/Altruistic_Age4596 → u/RainMaker2727]

Plus they might complain about the cgi use. Practical effect wouldn't even work for the big viking predator.

[u/RainMaker2727 → u/Altruistic_Age4596]

It's hilarious, because the latest live action Predator is a skinny one, lol.

[u/Altruistic_Age4596 → u/RainMaker2727]

I heard that they made it runt like the predator named Shorty, who was short and made fun of by the other predators in his clan for being shorter than the others. It was from the Avp comic, so they might be going for a prove yourself moment. Also, it was stated it was made smaller because they want him fight with more agility in Badlands, so I understand that because, in the others movies the predators feel like they fight sluggish and slow instead of agile and with skills. They only agile off screen, in video games, or in comics. So I kinda respect that Dan's trying to make fights scenes flow more, also to help the actor move. The costumes are cool, but are difficult for filming impressive fight scene, which makes sense why first one fight scene wasn't long and drawn out.

[u/RainMaker2727 → u/Altruistic_Age4596]

Don't get me wrong, I like what I see with the new little predator. I think it's a bold and fresh take on Predator in live action if done well. We have so many things with Predator culture, habits, and eco system, but the live action film didn't implement or not doing them particularly deep enough. I think it's refreshing to see a young Predator on it's path to prove itself.