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Coolie (2025) — Lokesh Kanagaraj’s High-Octane Rajinikanth Spectacle

By your  Entertainment  Journalist Following the runaway success of Leo and Vikram , filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj reunites with icon Rajinikanth for Coolie —an epic Tamil action thriller that aims to make a seismic impact this August. 🛠️ Genesis & Filmmaking Project announcement & production : Officially unveiled as Thalaivar 171 in September 2023 and retitled Coolie in April 2024, principal photography began mid‑2024, spanning Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, and Bangkok Crew highlights : Director & Writers : Lokesh Kanagaraj (story/screenplay) alongside Chandhru Anbazhagan . Music : Anirudh Ravichander – marking his fifth collaboration with Rajini and fourth with Lokesh . Cinematography by Girish Gangadharan and editing by Philomin Raj . Casting : Apart from Rajinikanth , the ensemble includes Nagarjuna Akkineni, Upendra, Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan, Soubin Shahir, Reba Monica John, Junior MGR, and a special cameo by Aamir Khan ....

“Predator: Killer of Killers (2025): A Bloody Animated Anthology That Hits Hard”

 


🔥 What Is It?

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg (of Prey fame) and co‑directed by Joshua Wassung, this 90‑minute pred-O‑verse feature premiered on June 6, 2025, streaming on Hulu (U.S.) and Disney+ internationally. It’s the sixth movie overall in the Predator franchise and the second animated installment after Prey 


🕒 Structure & Plot

This animated anthology weaves three separate yet interconnected stories:

  1. The Shield – A fierce Viking queen, Ursa (voice: Lindsay LaVanchy), hunts down the Predator in 841 CE Scandinavia.

  2. The Sword – In feudal Japan, samurai brothers Kenji and Kiyoshi (Louis Ozawa) clash—until they face a Predator together.

  3. The Bullet – During World War II, pilot Johnny Torres (Rick Gonzalez) encounters a Predator in aerial combat.

In a twist, all three protagonists are then cryogenically trapped and brought to the Predator homeworld, forced into a gladiatorial showdown against a legendary warlord Predator dubbed the Grendel King . Amber Midthunder briefly appears as a frozen Naru from Prey, hinting at franchise continuity.


🎨 Style & Technicals

  • Animation: Created using Unreal Engine, it gives a visually striking, painterly vibe reminiscent of Arcane and Akira 

  • Tone: R-rated, brutal, and relentless—visceral gore meets stylized spectacle 

  • Music & Writing: Follow-up to Prey, written by Micho Robert Rutare and scored by Benjamin Wallfisch 



🎭 Performances & Characters

  • Lindsay LaVanchy's fierce Ursa, Louis Ozawa’s conflicted twins, and Rick Gonzalez’s brave pilot bring strong voices to their roles 

  • Michael Biehn returns as Vandenberg, adding classic franchise weight early in the film.


✅ Reception & Reviews

  • Critics praise its fast pace, inventive structure, artistic animation, and unapologetic violence .

  • Rotten Tomatoes is glowing: critics score it at 97%—some calling it the best animated film of the year so far .

  • Audience sentiment splits between fans thrilled by the animation/world‑building and purists skeptical of its deviation—but many rally behind its boldness .

Reddit users on r/Predator praise the trilogy structure:

“The carnage is what fans expect… making this a satisfying entry” 

  • IMDB Rating: 7.6 (21K) 


🌌 Why It Matters

  • Genre evolution: Moves away from live-action format to deliver intense, scalable violence via animation.

  • Franchise building: Sets the stage for Predator: Badlands (live-action, Nov 7, 2025), while integrating Prey characters—hinting at an expanded universe .

  • Visual storytelling: It’s proof that brutal action can transition seamlessly to stylized, animated form.


🎯 Final Verdict

Predator: Killer of Killers is a lean, hardcore adrenaline fix—three brutal tales bound together with sharp direction and rich mythos. It’s not meant to push character depth, but for fans of Predator lore and bloody spectacle, it delivers big time.

Best for: Predator franchise fans, animation enthusiasts, and anyone ready for R-rated sci‑fi violence.
Not for: Viewers seeking deep narrative arcs or live-action realism.


🧭 Your Move

Are you streaming Predator: Killer of Killers yet? Which era’s battle had you hooked—the Viking fight, samurai showdown, or WWII aerial clash? Share your favorite segment below!



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