Kinda amazed Fukasaku didn't do more straight comedies.
A darkly comedic heist thriller exploding with pulp sensibilities, Gambling Den Heist sees Kinji Fukasaku try his hand at something a bit more light-hearted than the yakuza dramas he was more widely known for. It retains his characteristic cynicism and violence but has a degree of fun with the material to balance things out, showcasing the criminals of Japan as both hilariously incompetent and brutally effective. When friendship and loyalty become manipulative tools for our bosses, we inevitably wind up feeling lonely, disillusioned, and looking out only for ourselves. It's a briskly paced story, never getting bogged down in the details or too convoluted with character motivations. It has some hilarious scenes that thankfully never veer too far into madcap. All of Fukasaku's directional trademarks are here and out in full force, the cast is fantastic with a highly energetic Kinya Kitaoji in the leading role and the musical score by Toshiaki Tsushima is as upbeat and funky as you could want from a film like this. Gambling Den Heist is easily one of Kinji Fukasaku's more underrated films of his impressive filmography, the dude could direct a film like this in his sleep and it would still be fantastic, yes it's more lightweight than some of his more heavy hitters, but damn if this isn't just incredible fun.Was this review helpful to you?
Don't be put off by the first half
Representing the first starring vehicle for Yuen Biao, he had a lot riding on Knockabout, a chance to show that his combination of martial arts prowess, good looks and acting skills could blossom into the charisma of a movie star, someone who could be at the centre of a major picture. Surrounded by a combination of old pros and rising young stars, given a script no worse than most kung fu comedies of the period, he was given every chance to flourish, which thankfully he did. As a comedy, the film doesn't quite work as well as intended, the humour is extremely laboured and chock full of poor jokes that admittedly probably work better with a crowd; once the humour backs off and Sammo Hung's action choreography is allowed to take centre stage, the film massively improves ten fold to the point I'm willing to forgive the majority of bad jokes and Karl Maka mugging the camera. While Sammo's direction is fantastic, unfortunately, the pacing is completely borked. It could have really benefitted from the odd trim here and there to tighten it up, especially during the rather painful first half because once the second half begins, it becomes something truly special. Despite my negativity, Knockabout truly benefits from Yuen Biao's effortless likeability, a strong supporting cast, an extraordinarily evil villain played perfectly by Lau Kar-Wing and some outstanding fight sequences that keep it from becoming an otherwise disposable venture, improving the longer you stick with it. I probably would have liked this a lot more had it not been for the sour first impression.Was this review helpful to you?
A huge downshift
In its attempt to one-up The Peacock King, Saga of the Phoenix unfortunately feels like a massive downturn often coming across as a huge internal battle between two directors whose styles do not fit together, cutting the darker and more adult fantasy elements to make it more kid-friendly was a poor move. Poor Yuen Biao spends most of the film encased in ice and nobody seems to care, granted the sequences helmed by Lam Nai-Choi are a sight to behold with plenty of great special effects work and dazzling production design, however, the action is sorely lacking even if it is rather well shot. Nobody ever sets out to make a bad film but sometimes even the best intentions go badly awry, there's a wealth of oddness and general daftness to keep you entertained but it lacks what made its predecessor special. Granted the film does earn an extra brownie point with me for having Zatōichi himself, Shintarō Katsu, in the film even if it is a relatively small role. By the time Biao returns to the film to set things straight, the damage has been done. Truth be told, the film is passable in spurts but sadly, it's also 25 minutes too long. The scope of Saga of the Phoenix may be smaller but there's still a lot of charming creativity which means I can't hate the effort, although catering the film for a younger demographic did not help matters and hurt its overall impact.Was this review helpful to you?
Daigoro is an ugly mf
Made to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Tsuburaya Productions, Daigoro vs. Goliath is certainly a film that follows in the goofy, thoroughly ridiculous crater-like footsteps of other 70s kaiju films, one that I can't help but make the comparison with the latter Showa era Gamera films in all their painful child-centric antics. It's the kind of kaiju film that wouldn't appeal to anyone over the age of 6, despite being bright, colourful and laden with sing-along musical numbers, strained slapstick, crazy contraptions and abundant juvenile whimsy, there's certainly a crowd for this type of rubbish, unfortunately, I am not one of them. However, I can give credit to a lot of the special effects sequences, mainly the miniatures and pyrotechnics, both of which are top-notch, though they are few and far between the otherwise horrifically ugly kaiju designs (and I thought Minilla was the ugliest mf). The usually reliable director Toshihiro Iijima delivers some exceptionally heavy-handed social commentary, far from the more subtle approaches to his work on Ultraman, while Toru Fuyuki delivers a score that would make you think he fell asleep in the recording booth, the acting is no better and plays like a half-arsed classic sitcom. Daigoro vs. Goliath can be perfectly summed up as an experience in the scene where Daigoro uses a giant Toilet to do his gargantuan business while the human cast looks on in a bizarre fascination, this is not a film I can easily recommend and ultimately feels like a tax write off cause Tsuburaya couldn't make the historical epic they initially wanted.Was this review helpful to you?
Guerilla warfare
Initially convincing Police Tactics as the final instalment of the series, all the stops were pulled out in intensifying the gangland war left unfinished by the end of the previous film, one that fully delivers on the Battles Without Honor and Humanity namesake. Instead of a unified assault, the battles of this film are more like guerilla warfare, as one side attacks the other and waits for the inevitable retaliation, drawing the ire of civilians and finally forcing the police to act. Of the sequels, this one is the most similar in tone and execution to the original, it also comes with a considerable amount of dark comedy, something unexpected from the series but certainly welcome. Fukasaku continually mounts his impressive direction, drawing a brittle atmosphere of blood splattering the camera, as the unsteady warmth which had temporarily united them, shatters to slivers as they all get forced to the wilderness. There's a double dosing of chaotic violence in this entry as everything comes to a head, darker, uglier and completely unsympathetic with everyone in a constant state of conflict that seemingly never ends. The cast is once again phenomenal, everyone feels so lived-in and believable, and there are too many standouts to name especially Bunta Sugawara at the centre of it all. Powered by the deep grooves of another fantastic Toshiaki Tsushima score; Proxy War was all about setting up the game, Police Tactics comes in, flips the game board and laughs as all the pieces go flying, rounding off the story in an explosively satisfying manner yet the War for Hiroshima is far from over.Was this review helpful to you?
The Yakuza Papers 2: Hiroshima Deathmatch
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Hiroshima Death March
The political machinations of the yakuza world provide bloody, non-stop thrills in this deliriously anarchic sequel that is never less than fascinating for its attention to personal details and vivid pictorial exploration of a criminal, country-wide hornet's nest. Deadly Fight in Hiroshima may take a more linear direction than that of its predecessor due to its basis having not been finished at the time of filming, the screenplay by Kazuo Kasahara cleverly weaves an adaptation of real-life gangster Mitsuji Yamagami, whilst continuing to build upon the themes of the first Battle. Fukasaku's direction continues to impress, unveiling an eye for breathing space in the middle of the blood-flowing whirlpool; the action sequences are brutal and unforgiving with the camera work by Sadaji Yoshida, at times, mesmerising, especially in the film's final twenty minutes, where Yamanaka is hunted in the rainy laneways of Hiroshima, those are exceptionally beautiful. Despite Sonny Chiba's impressive performance as the ultra-psychotic Katsutoshi, whose manic, psychotic body language jerking movements are used by Chiba to hold Katsutoshi as a ticking time bomb keeping everyone on edge; Bunta Sugawara's weighty presence, despite taking a back seat in this episode, the film truly belongs to Kinya Kitaoji and, the lone voice of feminine voice within the first two films, Meiko Kaji. Their chemistry is fantastic; you get a real feel for these two forbidden lovers' plight, a testament to Fukasaku's handling of the romance, which is deft and touching without becoming cloying. Backed by another spidery score from Toshiaki Tsushima (who even includes a playful nod to Seijun Suzuki's Tokyo Drifter), Deadly Fight in Hiroshima might be a more commercial film than it's predecessor, but just as worthwhile, one that's magnificently vicious and brutally exhilarating.Was this review helpful to you?
The Yakuza Papers: Battles Without Honor and Humanity
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Self destruction
The epitome of humanity's self-destructive nature in its raw, chaotic form all delivered via Kinji Fukasaku's ultraviolent, handheld stylistic blitzkrieg. The title says it all. There's a true sense of lawlessness at the heart of Battles Without Honor and Humanity, one that applies the electric shock treatment to lobotomise any romantic notions of gangsterdom. A dog-eat-dog world of violent, craven thugs and corrupt law enforcers, here the traditional codes of humanity and group loyalty on which Japan's postwar foundations were built are revealed to be a sham. There's some truly superb acting here from everyone involved, although Bunta Sugawara is a clear scene-stealer, a diverse cast of characters who offer a different perspective with their own viewpoints. Fukasaku demonstrates his great skill as a director, and his technique perfectly fits the movie's tone. Using a fast-paced, erratic, nearly chaotic style the action scenes offer us that taste of brutality we wouldn't have felt had the film been directed more traditionally. Fukasaku strays from the established formula of people getting killed fast and easy with one or two bullets instead he shows us an alternative to that: a slow, painful exercise, one that more accurately portrays the yakuza's violent lifestyle. Yet there are no large body counts, the battles are often predetermined with one side attacking an individual or small group from the other, by surprise and in overwhelming force. There really is no honour in the Japanese underworld. Bright, brash, violent and bloody terrific it's hard not to see how Battles Without Honor and Humanity triumphs, a brilliantly, violent tale about the dark and unforgiving nature of the Japanese crime syndicate that once it starts, never stops.Was this review helpful to you?
A melancholic goodbye to the dreams of youth
A melancholic goodbye to the dreams of youth, Kids Return is easily one of Takeshi Kitano's most personal films, one with a strong empathy for disenfranchised youth while also looking forward to what the future holds. At the story's core, we have the theme of friendship and life choice, represented by the path and decisions of the main characters but still retrains of all Kitano's trademarks and stylings from the affectionately stupid pranks of the leads to the recurring appearance of a twin comedy group, who banter in the style Kitano's own "Two Beats" double act, but it's organized, more confident. He knows what he wants to say, and how he wants to say it. Having grown up in poverty, Kitano likely felt some kinship with his prankster punk anti-heroes but refreshingly refuses to sugar-coat their more disreputable behaviour. They are surly and disrespectful with bad attitudes and a streak of believable, if unfortunate, cruelty. Yet Shinji and Masaru suffer their share of beatings and misfortune as boxing proves no more salvation for the former than the yakuza life suits the latter. The dual messages that there are no shortcuts to success and a lack of diligence can undo the most promising young dreams might seem conservative but the film is more complex than that. Takeshi places his protagonists in a world manipulated by embittered old men whose mixed messages and bad advice leave them uncertain about what is right and wrong. These are not triumphant stories but the film still ends on a frail yet persuasively hopeful note. After his near-fatal motorcycle accident, there was supposedly doubt as to whether Takeshi Kitano would ever work again, with his usual outstanding direction, sumptuous photography and yet another incredible score by Joe Hisaishi, Kids Return crushes pretty much crushes all doubts in one fell swoop.Was this review helpful to you?
Fukuda does Fukasaku
Cut from the same cloth as the likes of Spielberg's Duel, 3,000 Kilometer Trap / Shadows of the Highway sprang from the golden age of Japanese automotive films, one that offers up a surprisingly sombre and low-key chase thriller across the Japanese landscape. It's directed exceptionally well by the usually ridiculous Jun Fukuda. There are few images quite as breathtaking as the black-striped, bright orange GTO floating over blankets of white. However, it does feel like Toho desired him to capture the same aesthetics and style you'd see in a Kinji Fukasaku thriller rather than his usual madcap direction. The acting all around is solid and the pacing is exceptionally nippy, breezing with the roar of an engine accompanied by a brilliant cheesy cool jazz score by Norio Maeda serving as the perfect companion for an epic cross-Japan road trip. Despite a couple of questionable sex scenes and having next to no internet presence, it is very worthwhile to seek out Shadows of the Highway, it's tense, moody and exhilarating in the way only the best car chases can be.Was this review helpful to you?
Assured, poetic and a gently unassuming cinematic masterpiece
Takeshi Kitano is one of the few directors who can bring me to tears in seemingly every manner possible, A Scene at the Sea is no exception. A beautifully realised tale of an outsider who almost unwittingly finds himself embraced by a community he seems virtually indifferent to in his single-minded determination to master a new and chance-discovered obsession. Tethered to only the slightest narrative, the film evokes the experience of early love and disappointment in a manner both sharp and tender. Kitano has managed to excel himself by retaining all the interesting and original traits of his more graphic films, yet managing to tell a story that is just as deep and provocative, only to a more subtle degree. With much of the film playing with no dialogue at all, it's down to the body language and facial expressions of the performers, the shot choice and the editing skills of the director to tell the story, you only need to have seen one of Kitano's other directorial works to know that this is a long way from a tall order. The camera work is extremely sedate and enveloping, managing to capture the beautiful tranquillity of the ocean. The characters do not speak, yet the story never seems to drag at all, with each scene drawing the viewer steadily into this very attractive and insular world that they inhabit. And then there's Joe Hisaishi's music... A haunting mixture of marimba, synthesisers, piano & strings, it augments the atmospheric stillness and compliments the mood of the film perfectly. A hugely important film in Kitano's development as a filmmaker, one in which he discarded his dramatic safety net to tell a small story in a resolutely minimalist fashion and scored a bold, quietly brilliant bulls-eye. There's no violence, precious little dialogue and the tone and pacing vary little throughout, yet the hold exerted by the characters and storytelling is considerable, one that speaks in confident whispers instead of shouting its qualities in the manner of more attention-grabbing early works from any number of younger filmmakers the world over. A Scene at the Sea remains to this day one of his most assured, poetic and yet gently unassuming cinematic achievements, one that can be genuinely moving but never slips for a moment into sentimentality. I love it.Was this review helpful to you?
Full on Ninja Mania
Pitting the lethal arts of Chinese Kung Fu and Japanese ninjitsu against each other in a battle for supremacy, Ninja in the Dragon's Den seemingly has everything you'd ever want out of a martial arts film and the kitchen sink thrown in for good measure, be it ridiculous stilt fighting, ninjas galore, demonic possession, the hero fighting the latter half of the movie in a pink outfit and female anatomy saving the day, this is undoubtedly a classic; a mixture of typical Jackie Chan-style comedy and hard-hitting ninja action, but unusually the two styles mix very well and the film, as a result, is great fun. This Hong Kong / Japanese co-production came about due to the explosion of ninja-mania in the early 80s, one that showcases the contrasting styles of its two cultures in plenty of no-holds-barred and hilarious action. For being Corey Yuen's directorial debut, he pretty much knocked it out of the park on his first go, despite the conventional storyline he manages to give the material a slightly unusual twist, a credit to his years as an action choreographer, offering up highly entertaining set pieces with an endearing vein of slapstick humour. Young Conan Lee and Hiroyuki Sanada are particularly well-rounded here, although Sanada eclipses Lee for most of the runtime, the film does a great job of exhibiting their respective skills. Playing as an offbeat tribute and parody of its own Ninjaspolitation sub-genre, it's hard not to love Ninja in the Dragon’s Den, an exhilarating action film that fully delivers for every second of its running time, the amazingly repetitive theme song certainly reinforces that.Was this review helpful to you?
Full rebellion mode
Resident bad boy Seijun Suzuki in full rebellion mode, Branded to Kill refuses all direct relations with geography in depicting a career hitman on the verge of losing control, one that's discordant, broken and thoroughly berserk. The film is infamous for Suzuki's firing by Nikkatsu, with Suzuki doubling down on everything they hated his films for after all the restrictions placed upon him, the result is an arresting cocktail of sex, violence and surrealism, the monochrome hues accentuating the perversity of the entire twisted venture; it thrums along to an irresistible hard-bop beat, with effortlessly stylish black and white cinematography and set-pieces straight from a pulp fiction fever dream. Because it's so free of the conventions of other crime thrillers, ignoring all rules of conventional filmmaking and forgoing a traditional three-act structure, the disorienting camera angles and jumps in time are all part of the atmosphere. Suzuki outdid himself with this astonishing blend of yakuza films, film noir and new wave, yes it makes little sense but the strong performances from its cast, especially that of Jō Shishido uplift Branded to Kill to the stuff of legendary status in all its audacious genre-bending and narrative-busting ways.Was this review helpful to you?
As fast and lethal as the banker robbers it depicts
One of Kinji Fukasaku's lighter and more comedic works, Violent Panic: The Big Crash is an unrelenting and fast-paced slice of vehicular mayhem, one that feels right at home in his crime-ridden filmography. It's classic Fukasaku from start to finish, just dropping the Yakuza subgenre that often defined his works. Despite the departure from the said genre and the film being a bit of a mess tonally in the first half, Fukasaku still creates a gripping world of slick, charismatic characters. It's a film filled with brutal, quick-to-the-trigger, cigarette-breathing bank robbers, and Tsunehiko Watase is a star among them. He walks the line between enthralling and too ruthless well as he robs his way through Japan. The characters in the second act are often one-note or clash with the gritty crime world Fukasaku paints, but few diminish from the atmosphere of danger throughout the narrative thanks to Fukasaku's trademark urgent and frantic camerawork being out in full force, from its thrilling bank robberies to its outstanding car chases, he puts the audience square within the chaos. From the mix of funky grooves to slow spaghetti western ballads on the soundtrack, Violent Panic: The Big Crash furthers Fukasau's stylish legacy with one hell of an entertaining ride, as fast and lethal as the banker robbers it depicts.Was this review helpful to you?
Uncut edition
One of the most iconic cult martial art films of all time, the influence felt by Master of the Flying Guillotine can still be seen in pop culture to this very day. Nothing captures the imagination of genre fans like the notion of a mechanical device being hurled through the air to behead its victims. With its nonstop flurry of fighting, ersatz bloodletting and incidental hilarity, this sequel to Jimmy Wang-Yu's earlier One-Armed Boxer doubles down on what made that film work, ultimately leaving this film as his most fondly remembered and signature work, very few films can compete with having a one-armed hero, a blind antagonist who wields a Flying Guillotine and a stolen Krautrock on its soundtrack. The main plot is completely nonsensical and only serves as window dressing for the film's bloody trail of vengeance and tournament antics, one that Yu directs with exhilarating energy. After a series of ultra-cool martial arts set pieces, choreographed fiercely and imaginatively by Lau Kar Leung, Yu eventually faces Kam Kong in an awesome coffin-tossing, wall-climbing, one-arm boxing, guillotine-throwing finale. As writer, director, and star Yu proved to be an extraordinary showman whose creativity, experimentation with genre conventions, and knack for surrounding himself with great talent results in a recipe for a marvellously manic film, Master of the Flying Guillotine needs to be seen to be believed, and even then defies belief.Was this review helpful to you?
Far more than a teenybopper romantic fantasy
One of the most imitated and popular Hong Kong productions of the 90s, A Moment of Romance sees a modern-day Romeo and Juliet-style tale under the veil of contemporary underground Triad warfare, far more than a teenybopper romantic fantasy. In many ways the film is responsible for many a cliché within its industry; a disaffected youth, the good girl romantic interest and a cartoonish villain, however, it's the way these clichés are all assembled within the film that makes it so memorable. "Director" Benny Chan has his way with the clichés and throws in enough slow motion, syrupy Cantopop music video montages and hyperemotional crescendos to tax even the weepiest audience member. The core emotions that the film mines are so innately compelling that they're not lost beneath bombastic montages or sudden flashes of gangland violence. It's often stated this was heavily ghost-directed by Johnnie To and it's not hard to see why, so much of the film carries many of his later stylings. The film works because it is a consciously chosen cinematic style and is used without fear with all available means with the superb cast all delivering perfect performances to compliment. Andy Lau brings righteous anger and hidden tenderness to an exceptional genre character. What's so compelling about the character and the performance is that Wah Dee acts and very rarely talks. His decisions have believable and compelling consequences with the affirmation of Dee's morality coming with a price, and only one outcome is truly possible. Put simply, A Moment of Romance has it all; fiery action, sweeping cinematography, an unforgettable love story and beautiful chemistry, quick-witted humour, a beautiful score and more. The film triumphs, not despite its genre excess, but perhaps because of it.Was this review helpful to you?
