Animation feature film “Predator: Killer of Killers”, which was released on Disney+ early in this month, tries an interesting variation on what we have seen from “Predator” (1987) and several films from its franchise. This time, we get three different Predator tales presented in animation, and the overall package is fairly enjoyable enough to make you have some expectation on whatever may come next.

The first story, which is set in Scandinavia, 841, is about a female Viking chieftain named Ursa (voiced by Lindsay LaVanchy). For many years, she has been quite determined to avenge for her dead father, and now her moment of revenge seems almost close to her as she and several others including her young son are about to corner a figure responsible for her father’s death.

However, as you have already expected, something is silently pursuing Ursa and her men, and that is one of those Predators. Not long after Ursa and her men eventually accomplish her personal mission, this Predator finally reveals itself for killing them all, and we are accordingly served with lots of bloody and violent actions which are definitely not for young audiences.

The second story, which is set in Japan in the early 17th century, begins with a conflict between two brothers of some powerful lord. When they were just little young boys, they were inseparable from each other, but then they were forced to have a duel by their stern father just for determining who will succeed him later. Kenji (voiced by Louis Ozawa) refused to fight, but he only found himself betrayed and then defeated by his brother, who subsequently succeeds their father after he died several years later.

Kenji, who has been in exile after that humiliating defeat, returns to settle his old score with his brother at one night, but, unbeknownst to him, a Predator is quietly following after him. What follows next is basically not so far from what is presented during the first story, but different atmosphere and details bring some personality at least, and the second story also provides a fair share of brutal violence for more thrill and excitement for us.

Around this point, the film feels a bit repetitive, but the screenplay by Micho Robert Rutare, which is developed from the story written by him and director/co-producer Dan Trachtenberg, thankfully changes the setting a lot in case of the third story, which is mainly set in the early 1940s. The hero of this story is a young Latino American pilot named John J. Torres (Rick Gonzalez), and the early part of the story succinctly establishes how much this lad is eager to fly a fighter plane someday.

And then there comes an unexpected chance for Torres not long after he got drafted into the US Navy. In the middle of the North African campaign, his squadron happens to encounter an unidentified aircraft, and, after coming to learn that this unidentified aircraft is something beyond their skill and knowledge, Torres quickly gets into a rather shabby fighter plane for warning his fellow squadron members as soon as possible.

It is not much of a spoiler to tell you that Torres eventually finds himself confronting that unidentified aircraft alone, which turns out to be one of those Predator spaceships. Although he seems quite disadvantaged at first, Torres eventually discovers how he can outwit his deadly opponent, and that leads to a thrilling action sequence to watch.

As already implied to us in advance, all these individual stories converge on the last act of the film, and that is where the film becomes less interesting. We get to know a bit about Predators, and we later get a brief moment linked with “Prey” (2022), the previous Predator movie which is incidentally directed by Trachtenberg. In addition, the cliffhanger ending makes the film itself more like a teaser for the next film to follow, and we become more aware of how it is rather thin in terms of story and character.

Nonetheless, the film is pretty competent on the whole while packed with enough style and energy to distinguish itself to a considerable degree. I like how its digital animation often emulates a rough cell animation style, and the action scenes in the film are slick, fast, and efficient without ever confusing us at all. In case of the voice cast members, Lindsay LaVanchy, Louis Ozawa, who incidentally appeared in “Predators” (2010), and Rich Gonzalez did a commendable job of imbuing their respective characters with enough intensity and personality, and Michael Biehn brings some little extra fun as Torres’ no-nonsense squadron leader.

Overall, “Predator: Killer of Killers” is another entertaining film from its franchise after “Prey”. Like that movie, the film demonstrates that there is still some potential for more intrigue and entertainment in the franchise, and I come to have more admiration on the skills and talent of Trachtenberg, who made a solid feature film debut with “10 Cloverfield Lane” (2016) and will soon give us another Predator flick around the end of this year. In my humble opinion, the franchise is finally in the right direction thanks to him, and I am already ready to be entertained by his next Predator film.