This is the new anthology that just debuted on Hulu yesterday... or Disney + if you're also subscribed to Hulu like I am for the next month. Regrettably, like typical for modern cinema, my opinion is lower than many others, for one specific reason:
A return of me offering dissenting opinions, this will be. Rarely is it enjoyable for me to go against popular opinion-yet at the same time I don’t want to like to myself or all those random people from literally around the world who read my (average, IMO) writings. I liked Prey rather than loved it yet the idea of an animated Predator anthology where the Yautja is inserted into three different eras that franchise fans have clamored for in the past.
Yes, the movie feels like fan fiction at times although that is not automatically a negative. It was interesting seeing the title creature in the time of Vikings, interesting w/ samurai in Japan and finally in World War II. Plot quibbles could certainly be made; however, what ultimately ruined the experience for me is a detail that likely most will vehemently disagree with, but here we go… I HATED the animation; my brain summarily rejected it and my heart sank at the realization that the entire film would have this aesthetic.
Clearly, a trailer was never viewed by me; otherwise, I wouldn’t have even bothered. If that opinion isn’t enough to leave you steaming, note that it reminded me of Flow, a movie I haven’t seen and never will see as the trailer told me that the animation looked HORRIBLE and no way would I enjoy viewing it. Yes, on the night of the Oscars this year I learned the story of how it was made; this detail does not sway my opinion. As unpopular as this opinion will be, the animation looks janky, unnatural, and totally unappealing.
It's a crying shame, as if it didn’t make my eyes bleed, the rating would be higher. The three stories are all interesting and especially in the Viking tale, graphic gore and devastating deaths are presented. Plus, it was nice to hear the voice of an 80’s genre fave—moreover, the Benjamin Wallfisch score was perfectly acceptable.
As most will (& already have noted that there is) not an issue w/ the aesthetics, you’ll hopefully have a better time than I did. As Prey was something in the “like” rather than the “love” category and Badlands will hopefully be good but the trailer did not fully sway me—at least there is the first two Predator movies and it is easy for me to pretend that most of the others do not exist.
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