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! 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.” 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. 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.