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Review: PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS is an Ultra-Violent, Visually Striking Evolution of the Franchise — GeekTyrant

Review: PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS is an Ultra-Violent, Visually Striking Evolution of the Franchise — GeekTyrant

Geek Tyrant07-06-2025

Predator: Killer of Killers is an absolute blast! It's brutal, beautifully animated, and emotionally rich in ways I honestly didn't expect going in. This thing does not hold back. From the opening scene to the final surprising frame, the movie barrels forward with a savage intensity that makes it feel like you're being hunted right alongside its characters.
The violence is unapologetic, the action is jaw-dropping, and the whole experience feels like someone finally decided to let the Predator franchise be as bold, artistic, and brutal as it was always meant to be.
What really hooked me, though, were the three distinct stories that make up this anthology. Each one focuses on a different warrior throughout history.
'The Shield', 'The Sword', and 'The Bullet', and they're all three are not only packed with killer action, but also grounded in emotional stakes that give the chaos weight.
Whether it's the Viking raider guiding her young son on a bloody quest for revenge, the ninja in feudal Japan who turns against his Samurai brother in a brutal battle for succession, or the WWII pilot staring down cosmic death in skies, the writing never skimps. I found myself fully invested in each of them, not just for how they fight, but why.
The character development across the anthology is strong, especially given the limited runtime for each segment. There's a sense of intimacy in the awesome storytelling, even when the action ramps up to an eleven, that makes each chapter feel personal and mythic at the same time.
Each of the settings feel immersive and meaningful to the story being told. These aren't just action vignettes, they're reflections of the characters and the cultures they come from.
Then there's the incredible animation. Director Dan Trachtenberg explained that the style was inspired by the concept art from the live-action Predator films, and you can really see it. It has this rich, painterly quality that gives it a kind of storybook-for-grownups look. The action in the film is stylized and theatrical, like you're watching a violent ballet unfold in slow motion… before it all explodes in blood and flame.
Each segment feels like a visual poem about death and survival. There's an badass elegance to how they're built with tight structure, great pacing, haunting atmosphere, and then the Predators show up and wreck everything in the most spectacular fashion.
The final act, where all the stories tie together, is where the film kicks into a whole new gear of awesomeness. The ending is one insane, fist-pumping beat after another, and it was incredibley greakin' amazing!
I also love how the movie expands the Predator universe. This isn't just another cat-and-mouse hunt. Predator: Killer of Killers takes the core idea of a Predator hunting the fiercest warriors and uses it as a lens to explore humanity… our pain, our pride, our violence.
It respects the lore while pushing it into new, exciting territory. If this is where the franchise is headed, I'm all in. Let Trachtenberg run wild with it for as long as he wants.
Honestly, I wish I could've seen this on the big screen. It's just too damn cool to be confined to a streaming service. Between the jaw-dropping animation, the emotional storytelling, and the sheer scale of its ambition, Predator: Killer of Killers isn't just one of the best Predator films, it's one of the most artistically awesome entries in the sci-fi action genre.

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‘Nobu' Review: Japanese Celebrity Chef Gets a Food Doc That Plays Like a Branded Advertisement
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‘Nobu' Review: Japanese Celebrity Chef Gets a Food Doc That Plays Like a Branded Advertisement

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How TED-Ed Became A Global Learning Phenomenon
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TED-Ed Weekend at TED HQ, New York, NY. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED From Classroom Idea To 5 Billion Views: TED-Ed's Story What began as a single educator's vision has exploded into one of the most impactful educational platforms globally, TED-Ed. It's the educational arm of TED, the organization behind the iconic TED Conferences. But here, it's not talking experts who are at the center of each short video. Rather, it's a beautifully crafted animation. And this library of animated videos has garnered over 5 billion views (and more than 20 million YouTube subscribers), won awards, and become one of the go-to resources for teachers across the country. Logan Smalley, selected as a TED Fellow by TED Fellows founder Tom Rielly, has spent the last decade building out this tangential (and perhaps lesser-known) educational platform of animated videos, student programs, and multilingual learning tools, all united by one mission: to spark curiosity. Logan Smalley gave a TED Talk about his experience filming Darius Goes West, which began his career ... More at TED. In 2004, Smalley was working as a high school special education teacher in Georgia; the following year, he left the classroom to shoot a documentary. Little did he know that it would be the beginning of a new career. 'I only left the classroom because I had a story—I had a friend whose story I had to help tell,' he recalled, referencing his work on the documentary Darius Goes West. The film, which was selected for Netflix, also landed Smalley on The Today Show, CNN, Nightline, and the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Smalley's film went on to become a winner at countless film festivals and landed him a TED talk. Having experience in both teaching and filmmaking, Smalley envisioned a platform that could bring TED's signature storytelling into classrooms. 'When you're a TED Fellow, you get to pitch a project,' he explained. 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It's quite a visceral effect,' Smalley says, referencing one of the program's recent successes, 'The Three Sisters'. The Three Sisters, one of TED-Ed's recent films on climate and agriculture. TED-Ed's evolution wasn't just about content creation—it was about access. 'TED is organized by themes every year like awe, joy, inspiration,' Smalley explains. 'Which is awesome for the conference. But not as helpful for a teacher who needs the content to connect to the subject matter he/she is teaching – like science, English literature, climate.' So TED-Ed restructured TED content for education by tagging videos with curriculum-relevant labels, and more importantly, began making original content for 13 to 18-year-olds. 'One common misconception is thinking animation means kids,' he clarifies. 'But our videos are being consumed by 13-year-olds, and upper high school and college. So this is a different take on animation than say a cartoon show for little kids.' 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One standout story is Ayana, a young student who used TED-Ed to express her dream of becoming a filmmaker. She was invited to deliver a talk at TED's World Theater in New York. 'She ended up getting a full scholarship to become a filmmaker,' Smalley says. 'There are so many stories like hers.' Creating Global Impact Through Animation TED-Ed's ambitions go beyond the English-speaking world. 'We have 1.2 million subscribers in Spanish,' says Smalley, 'and we've recently won a grant to launch nine additional channels—Mandarin, Hindi, Arabic, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Portuguese, Swahili, and Thai.' Animations are uniquely suited for global distribution. 'They're animated, so there's no faces for dubbing, and not relying exclusively on translated subtitles can circumvent the literacy barrier,' he explains. This global push is particularly valuable in climate education. 'Climate can't be solved in English alone,' he adds. 'TED-Ed is in a position to… reach the people who already care and the movable middle.' TED-Ed's impact isn't limited to students. They also offer professional development for teachers and sustain a large network of animators at a time when AI is threatening creative industries. 'We're one of the most consistent employers of animators. We help them grow their portfolio, get discovered by millions,' Smalley says. 'Sometimes it's even led to major commercial deals, including Super Bowl ads.' Asked if TED-Ed is running out of ideas, Smalley laughs. 'We could make content forever about one topic… I wish we could make 1,000 videos a year. There's no shortage.' And what's next? 'Languages, distribution, and more,' Rielly says. 'All young students deserve free, high-quality educational materials. In 2025, there's no reason whatsoever that anyone should have a dated science textbook or no access in the first place.' TED-Ed's latest release is actually in the physical realm — a jigsaw puzzle that's garnered over $1 ... More million on Kickstarter. Plus, the TED-Ed team have just launched their first physical product: a game (filled with puzzles), called Pandora's Legacy. It's garnered over $1.2 million in pre-sales and support; the goal was initially to hit $300,000.'Let's just say both the game itself and the Kickstarter launch have been incredibly successful and a validation of the TED-Ed ethos and brand,' says Rielly. TED-Ed, now with a 20+ person team, is just getting started. What began as one teacher's pitch has become a worldwide movement. And as Smalley puts it, 'It's just so fun to learn… and I think people kind of forget that sometimes. Imagine if your high school experience was filled with curiosity-invoking, thought-provoking and action-inspiring content every day. That's what's happening with TED-Ed on a global scale.'

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