Gaming legend Hideo Kojima recently praised Dan Trachtenberg’s new film, Predator: Badlands, calling the 107-minute movie “great.” The film is the second Predator movie this year and stars Elle Fanning as an android and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as a young Yautja. Kojima noted that Trachtenberg, who also directed Prey, has succeeded in giving the classic monster franchise a brilliant, modern feel.

Moving Away From The Usual Predator Tropes

Kojima was most impressed by how different Badlands is from past films. It moves away from the usual theme of the “terror of being hunted.” Instead, he described it as a “classic, comedic action film” focused on the friendship that grows between the Predator, Dek, and his partner, Thia. This character-driven story is centered on the duo’s relationship and growth, which Kojima found to be a moving and successful change.

Similarities to Japanese Shonen Mangas

The film’s structure also caught Kojima’s attention. He explained that the entire narrative is built like a mainstream Japanese manga, similar to stories in Weekly Shonen Jump. He noted it uses a clear blueprint of common story beats like failure, training, comradeship, and growth. He also highlighted that the movie’s visuals and overall feel are heavily influenced by modern video games, making the whole production feel extremely modern and sharp.

Kojima Believes Hollywood Is Making The Right Decisions

Kojima sees Badlands as a sign of the future for Hollywood. He believes the movie represents a new direction in entertainment, driven by a younger generation of filmmakers who are influenced by global culture, especially manga, anime, and gaming. His final thought was to urge young anime fans who typically skip Western live-action films to watch it. He promised they would become emotionally invested and “definitely get hooked” on this new action style.