Hideo Kojima says Predator: Badlands "represents a new direction for Hollywood entertainment" inspired by "manga, anime, and gaming culture"

Hideo Kojima has returned with another film review, and he has very high praise for Predator: Badlands.

The new film from director Dan Trachtenberg is the second Predator movie of the year, following Predator: Killer of Killers. It stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as a Weyland-Yutani synth and a young Yautja, respectively.

"A few days ago, I threw out my back, so I wasn't sure I'd make it through to the end watching a movie. But armed with my secret weapon – an inflatable lumbar pillow into the chair – I watched Predator: Badlands. A back-friendly 107 minutes! And it was great!" Kojima wrote on Twitter.

Kojima went on to praise Trachtenberg's Predator prequel Prey, starring Amber Midthunder as young warrior Naru. "I'm sure some long-time fans will say, 'This isn't Predator!' I, too, love John McTiernan's Predator (1987). But director Dan Trachtenberg already pulled off a brilliant reimagining of the original style with Prey, successfully completing that mission. Predator: Badlands marks his next phase. It builds on the animated film, Predator: Killer of Killers. This is a character-driven movie about the Predator "Dek" and his partner "Thia" (Elle is, as always, adorable). Rather than a tale of "terror of being hunted," it's a classic, comedic action film that depicts the "friendship" born in the midst of the hunt.

"'Failure of the weak, isolation, journey, training, encounter, rebellion, clash, comradeship, betrayal, redemption, reconciliation, unity, revenge, growth, choice, family – and a new threat,'" he continued.

"These elements form the very blueprint of mainstream Japanese manga storytelling, typified by 'Weekly Shonen Jump.' The film also takes heavy visual inspiration from video games. It represents a new direction for Hollywood entertainment led by a new generation of filmmakers who have inherited the global 'memes' of manga, anime, and gaming culture," he added.

"I especially hope young anime fans who usually steer clear of live-action Western films will give this one a try. Even with Dek’s "ugly" face, you'll find yourself emotionally invested from the opening scene. You'll definitely get hooked."

Kojima also recently shared his thoughts on Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan's new show, Pluribus. "I finally got to watch the first episode of Vince Gilligan’s long-awaited new series Pluribus! Oh my god - this is incredible. Absolutely incredible," he wrote. "It pulls you in right from the opening scene. Vince really is a genius!"

You can keep up to date with our Pluribus release schedule, while Predator: Badlands is in theaters now. For more, check out our Predator: Badlands review or our guide to watching the Predator movies in order.