Predator: Killer of Killershas broken a Rotten Tomatoes audience score record for the franchise. The streaming-exclusive animated movie, which was co-directed byPrey’s Dan Trachtenberg, is the eighth feature-length installment in the sci-fi horror franchise and follows Yautja predators landing on Earth in three different timelines, fighting a Viking warrior (Lindsay LaVanchy) in 841, a ninja (Louis Ozawa) in feudal Japan, and a pilot (Rick Gonzalez) in World War II. ThePredator: Killer of Killerscastalso includes Michael Biehn, Doug Cockle, Lauren Holt, and Felix Solis.
Rotten Tomatoeshas now aggregated more than 500 user reviews forPredator: Killer of Killers, whichhave given the movie a 91% Popcornmeter scorethanks to an average rating of 4.5 out of 5. Audiences are particularly praising its innovative storytelling, emotionally complex character work, and expansion of franchise lore. This gives the movie the best Popcornmeter score of the franchise, beating out the 87% score earned by the original 1987 movie. This news comes shortly after its Certified Fresh 97% Tomatometer score earned it the best critic score in the franchise.
This Popcornmeter score is slightly lower than the Tomatometer score because of a slightly greater number of reviews with more tempered reactionsthat match the sentiments ofScreenRant’s own Grant Hermanns, who gave the movie a score of 5 out of 10. Read an excerpt from hisPredator: Killer of Killersreviewbelow:
Overall, given how well Trachtenberg did with Prey, it’s really disappointing how much of a mess Predator: Killer of Killers is by comparison. It’s a directionless way to continue the franchise and tide audiences over while they wait for Badlands' release. It’s a cliffhanger ending that not only begs for a sequel but also practically dares 20th Century Studios to not produce Prey 2. It’s something I was once excited about, but am now feeling conflicted over whether I want it.
What This Means For Predator: Killer Of Killers
The Animated Movie Is A Huge Win For The Franchise
While the first fourPredatormovieshave audience scores that are superior to the critic scores on Rotten Tomatoes,Killer of Killershas now become the fourth installment in a row to have an audience score that is lower. However, of those titles, it has the second-smallest difference between the two scores, falling just 6%. The smallest drop is stillThe Predator’s 2% dip from 34% to 32%, though both of those scores rank among the worst of the franchise. Below, see a breakdown of the Rotten Tomatoes scores of the entire series:
80%
87%
29%
44%
21%
39%
12%
30%
65%
52%
34%
32%
94%
74%
97%
91%
Additionally,Killer of Killershas made franchise history by earning what is only its third-ever positive Popcornmeter score. The threshold past which a movie is considered “Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes is 60%, and every single installment between the original movie andPreyearned a Popcornmeter score below that number, bottoming out at the 30% earned by the 2007 crossover sequelAliens vs. Predator: Requiem.
Our Take On The Predator: Killer Of Killers Popcornmeter Score
Predator: Badlands Could Do Even Better
Director Dan Trachtenberg clearly has a way with the franchise, as thesePredator: Killer of Killersrecords come after his 2022 live-action prequelPreyearned the best Tomatometer score and the second-best Popcornmeter score (at the time). This bodes well for hisupcomingPredator: Badlands, a live-action theatrical release starring Elle Fanning. While there is little room for it to improve uponKiller of Killers' scores, Trachtenberg’s track record shows that if any title can surpass the animated movie, it isBadlands.
