Hulu anthology is an explosion of the past

Three years ago, director Dan Trachtenberg brought back the roaring “Predator” frankly with “Prey”. Of course, it was just another film on the extraterrestrials that hunt humans for sport, but “prey” judiciously put the action at a previous time: hundreds of years ago, before science fiction was a concept, any character could reference, and when the weapons were relatively light. The protagonist of “Prey”, a Comanche woman named Naru, was more unfavorable than any other protagonist in the default series. The same old premise was suddenly cool again. The “Predator” formula has obtained a very necessary caffeine photo.

“Prey” was such a great idea that it had to be copied. No more prequal to monster films should take place in the past! “The predators fighting the Vikings”, it looks like a cool film. “The predators fighting the samurai” seem great like hell. “The predators of the Second World War?” Bring it. There are so many great historical ideas for a film “Predator” that Dan Trachtenberg could have easily exploited this conceptual basin for decades.

Or, he could do them all at the same time in an animated anthology film Hulu Straight-Streaming entitled “Predator: Killer of Killers”. Which is, of course, exactly what he did. He takes his cinematographic ball and he brings him home so that no one else can play with it. The film is a violent and violent mixture of madness of science fiction monster and mastery slightly without historical control. The fact that it works is not a big surprise, because by its very construction, “Killer of Killers” is a glorified spool of terrain, subjecting for our approval some ideas for Astume film and wrap in a tidy arc. Any action, no filling.

On the other hand, “Killer of Killers” also proves that the definition of all Predator’s films in the past would really become repetitive, very quickly. The Viking and Samurai episodes of this animated film, co -edited by Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung, are simple variations on the same theme. You can get out of it when each film only lasts 15 minutes. As a feature films, the problem would be more difficult to neglect.

The first chapter of “Killer of Killers” tells the story of a Viking woman in search of revenge, who is interrupted by a predator, who decides that she will make a great opponent. The second chapter tells the story of a samurai on a quest for revenge, which is interrupted by a different predator, who decides that he will make a great opponent. Trachtenberg and Wassung do an excellent job to ensure that these payments are adapted to each period and the combat styles of their sub-genres, but if that was all there was to this animated film “Predator”, it was worth it to recommend.

The third scenario, which takes place during the Second World War, tells the story of a mechanic who wants to be a fighter pilot, who finally climbs in the cockpit after a Yautja (this is what the predator’s species is called, looks at it if you do not believe me) begins to harp an American UFO in the sky like the Red Baron and Captain Ahab put their resources and bought a UFO. The air tips that are fired in this credulity of the pressure tension “Killer of Killers”, even according to the standards of this franchise, but it is a welcome change in rhythm, adapting the themes of the series while approaching a familiar premise from a fresh and exciting angle.

There is more at “Predator: Killer of Killers”, a last chapter where all the parts we have seen so far is being set up. This gives the film a satisfactory, although frustrating, conclusive conclusion. The film reveals a little more about the Yautja than we have known before, even if we still know very little. All we see is that these guys hunt humans and fight like gladiators. Who maintains all their computer systems? Who sweeps the floors? Is there a Yautja in a chef’s hat grilling all their cheese? They have a very complex infrastructure and elaborate technology, the same goes for some of the trophies hunters and the others only work with unemployed jobs in intermediate management, or all these unstoppable badass are warriors of the weekend which go back to the daily decrease?

“Predator: Killer of Killers” has an animation style which is increasingly popular, a CGI approach that evokes video cutting scenes. Your mileage can vary how immersive for you – it presents itself as a game that your older brother never lets you play, or as a little brother for more elaborate and costly productions generated by computer. The animation does the work, but it can take some time to some people to get used to it, unless they already grow with this as an industry standard.

Dan Trachtenberg and the animated suite of “Predator” by Joshua Wassung puts some time to prove that it is more than a simple drop in superficial badastery, but when it is the case, it is implying and intense. It is difficult not to like at least some of these characters, who continue to do not care by their own propensity for violence. If you are so deadly that monsters travel millions of light years just to try to assassinate yourself, you may have stolen a little too close to the sun. You never see a predator chasing the participants during a needle chest agreement, that’s all I say.

“Predator: Killer of Killers” is now in trouble on Hulu in the United States and Disney + internationally.