Even in animation, these Predators are still awesome.

I’ve mentioned that my favorite adult animated film of all time is “Heavy Metal,” which combined Sci-Fi and fantasy with rock music. Even in 1981, it took a lot of chance and made a name for itself in the cult animated circuit. I also recall an interview I did with Ming-Na Wen about her second animated feature “Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within,” which was a box office bomb but broke grounds in its animation. It just goes to show you that even in this genre, there are PG-13 and R-rated animated features that know the stakes.

The same deal applies to “Predator: Killer of Killers,” which is an R-rated animated film made for Hulu. But I wish this movie would be shown in theaters, because it’s not only one of the best entries in the franchise that began successfully in 1987, but it’s also a visual animated wonder. It’s one that knows how to make the Predator bleed his green blood and how to give the humans the same texture and depth as the Spider-People in the “Spider-Verse” movies.

Also remind yourselves how Charlie Brown and Snoopy looked in “The Peanuts Movie,” how Donatello, Michaelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael looked in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” how Mr. Wolf and his gang looked in “The Bad Guys,” and how Kid Cudi wanted to look in “Entergalactic.” And the list goes on and on to the point of dazzlement. Now, look at this stylized animation in “Predator” format.

In “Predator: Killer of Killers,” we have three fearless warriors from different time periods in what appears to be an anthology, and they would eventually meet in what appears to be a tournament of champions. I’m going to have to assume they’re in the future if they have all this high tech weapons and know how these primitive humans functioned back then.

We begin in 841 A.D. with Ursa (voiced by Lindsay LaVanchy), a Viking warrior avenging her father’s death and mourning the loss of her son, who was killed by a giant predator.

We also meet a young ninja named Kenji (voiced by Louis Ozawa) fighting against his Samurai brother Kyoshi (also voiced by Ozawa) in feudal Japan. But they put aside their differences when they come across a predator.

And finally, we travel to Florida in 1941 where a young Spanish-American boy named Torres (voiced by Rick Gonzalez) dreams of becoming a pilot, but even when he gets drafted for the war, he claims he’s not a mechanic. But he ends up being the best bet against a predator warship.

“Predator: Killer of Killers” was co-directed by Dan Trachtenberg, whose last made-for-Hulu “Predator” feature was “Prey.” And the other director is Joshua Wassung, who served as a creative supervisor for the visual effects on that film. And both these movies don’t allow the iconic alien’s new technology to disrespect the past, but rather embrace the fights and character developments within. Even though I would have liked this film to be a little longer, I was still entertained by all the fights, all the color palettes, and the voice actors (which also includes Michael Biehn entering the franchise for the first time as an experienced WWII pilot). There’s a lot of ground to cover within this universe or any other universe that the Predators find themselves in.

I’ve read that “Prey” probably wouldn’t have performed well in theaters due to its lack of star power and how the other sequels have been given mixed reactions. And I’m sure the same applies to “Predator: Killer of Killers.” But if “Alien: Romulus” can take the “Alien” franchise in a new direction, I think these Predators can deliver the goods, too. And I’m still admiring the how green blood presented here almost looks like expensive glow stick juice being sprayed all over.

Now Streaming on Hulu.