Most critics like it, and eleven of the thirteen reviews so far are positive. The praise clusters on the action: the fight choreography, the volume and inventiveness of the gore, and the anthology structure that moves a Predator through Viking Scandinavia, feudal Japan and a Second World War dogfight before a finale that ties the three stories together. Several reviews single out the aerial segment as the strongest of the three, and a good many admire the animation for taking the violence further than live action would allow.
The reservations are consistent and mild. The short runtime leaves the human characters thin, and Empire finds the whole thing closer to a teaser than a film. The Guardian thinks it slick to a fault and misses the spark of the live-action entries; Radio Times calls the tone juvenile and the visuals video-game-like; Paste finds the cel-shaded animation uneven. Nobody is negative, the spread is narrow, and the dissent is almost entirely British.
I
IndieWire
5 June 2025 · David Ehrlich
90*
The review calls it a gloriously fun, awesomely violent animated spinoff that highlights the franchise's full potential through its death-match premise across history. It praises the streaming treat co-directed by Dan Trachtenberg for its energetic execution.
Read the full review →H
The Hollywood Reporter
5 June 2025 · Frank Scheck
90*
The critic finds the animated anthology a satisfying, fan-pleasing entry that inventively expands the Predator franchise across time periods with clever story connections. It delivers nonstop gruesome action and violence without concessions to the animation format.
Read the full review →V
Variety
5 June 2025 · Carlos Aguilar
90*
The critic praises the animated anthology as a thrilling, stylized triptych that effectively uses the medium to deliver intense, stylized violence and action set-pieces across different historical eras. They single out the impressive visuals, thematic integration, and inclusion of diverse characters for praise.
Read the full review →A
The AV Club
5 June 2025 · B+ · Toussaint Egan
83
The critic hails the gruesome animated anthology as a lean, mean action-thriller that captures the heart of the series with its historical vignettes pitting warriors against Predators. It singles out the frenetic, novel action sequences and unique Yautja designs for praise while noting callbacks that set up future entries.
Read the full review →E
Empire
5 June 2025 · John Nugent
70*
The animated anthology delivers gory kills and visual flair across Viking, ninja and WWII pilot segments, with the aerial battles standing out as the strongest, but the short runtime leaves characters thin and the whole feels like a teaser.
Read the full review →S
Slant Magazine
5 June 2025 · Justin Clark
70*
The review describes it as a thrilling, quick-and-efficient animated anthology that expands the universe with visceral combat across eras, excelling in bloody, choreographed fight scenes. It notes the twisty climax ties the stories together effectively despite limited character depth in the vignettes.
Read the full review →The critic finds the animated anthology an inventive but uneven extension of the franchise, with Predators hunting in Viking, samurai Japan and WWII settings, but notes it lacks the spark of live action and feels slick to a fault. The final arena showdown on the Predator homeworld offers some decent jokes and communication gags that keep the series fresh after nearly 40 years.
Read the full review →R
Radio Times
6 June 2025 · ★★★ · Calum Baker
60
The critic finds the animated anthology diverting enough mayhem with satisfying cartoon ingenuity, especially in the Pacific dogfight sequences, and unmissable for franchise fans. They single out the juvenile tone, video-game-like visuals and half-hearted themes about honour and teamwork as drawbacks.
Read the full review →C
Collider
5 June 2025 · 9/10 · Aidan Kelley
90
The critic praises the anthology structure that quickly establishes compelling human protagonists across three eras, the visually striking Spider-Verse and Arcane-inspired animation that makes it the most beautiful film in the franchise, and the brutal, inventive action sequences that continue the series' bloody spectacle while adding intriguing lore connections.
Read the full review →C
Consequence
5 June 2025 · A-
90
The critic celebrates the film's recharging of the franchise through strong storytelling, a clever anthology structure that unites the segments in a rousing finale, and especially the inventive, crowd-pleasing action sequences with buckets of blood and creative violence in varied styles from medieval to aerial combat.
Read the full review →/
/Film
5 June 2025 · 8/10 · Jeremy Mathai
80
The critic calls the animated anthology a vital, brutal, and visually stunning addition to the franchise that proves the future of Predator has never felt brighter. They single out the precise direction, character-driven stories across distinct historical periods and genres, and the way the tight 84-minute runtime invests viewers in the humans before unleashing meaningful gore.
Read the full review →P
Paste
6 June 2025 · 7.7/10 · Jim Vorel
77
The review highlights the gonzo, brutal action and satisfying anthology format that builds to a uniting finale with inventive ultraviolence and genre thrills, while noting the cel-shaded animation is uneven and hit-or-miss in fidelity and fluidity compared to higher-end styles.
Read the full review →The critic finds the animated anthology an entertaining if simplistic blast from the past that effectively showcases historical Predator encounters but risks repetition across its short segments. The WWII aerial story stands out for its fresh take and thrilling action, while the wraparound narrative adds some franchise mythology.
Read the full review →Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate