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JAPANESE FILM TREATS: QUICK HITS
SHINOBI: HEART UNDER BLADE (2005)
Director: Shimoyama Ten
Starring: Yukie Nakama, Jo Odagiri, Tomoka Kurotani, Erika Sawajiri, Kippel Shiina, Takeshi Masu
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 5.5
A martial arts drama about two powerful Ninja clans at odds with each other that are manipulated by a government fearful of both of them.
Earlier (low budget) Shinobi movies were uninteresting, but this reworking of the Shinobi saga stands out for its fine acting (with the exception of the main actress, who was clearly cast thanks to her looks and not her acting skills), stunning cinematography, compelling characters, and imaginative portrayal of preternatural ninja skills.
Without a doubt, this is the best Ninja film ever made.
ASHURA: THE DEMON SLAYER (2005)
Director: Yojiro Takita
Starring: Rie Miyazawa, Somegoro Ichikawa, Kanako Higuchi, Atsuro Watabe, Takashi Naito
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 5
Based on a kabuki play, the movie features a lush recreation of ancient Tokyo (Edo), demons wandering about in chaotic fashion, incredible cinematography, fun tongue in cheek roles, the fast approaching rebirth of the demon queen, love, and a writer of kabuki plays who finds the whole mess perfect for his writer’s block.
Nice on the eye, exciting, likeable characters, riveting fight scenes, funny (but never descending into slapstick) -- ASHURA promises an absolutely delightful movie experience.
GODZILLA: FINAL WARS (2004)
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Starring: Masahiro Matsuoka, Rei Kikukawa, Akira Takarada, Kane Kosugi, Kazuki Kitamur, Maki Mizuno, Masami Nagasawa, Chihiro Otsuka, Don Frye, Kenji Sahara, Kumi Mizuno
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 4
Supposedly this was to be the last Godzilla movie. To make it special, they stuck Ryuhei Kitamura (director of the super-frenetic VERSUS) at the helm. This turned out to be a good choice, as he unleashes every monster ever seen in any Godzilla movie to attack the Earth. Are we doomed? Or can somebody wake up Godzilla from his Artic slumber in time to save us all?
Godzilla has (purposely) retained his cheesy man-in-Godzilla-costume look, but most of the other monsters (with a couple of exceptions) have been given the FX treatment. This creates a strange visual experience since UFOs and all sorts of creatures look real, while the movie’s hero seems trapped into a bygone era.
Tremendous fun! If you’re a Godzilla fan, you’ll absolutely adore this film. But even if you never really cared for the giant fire-breathing lizard, GODZILLA: FINAL WARS is still worth far more than the price of admission.
AZUMI (2003)
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Starring: Aya Ueto, Shun Oguri, Hiroki Narimiya, Kenji Kohashi
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 5
Before helming the aforementioned Godzilla flick, Ryuhei Kitamura backed up his weighty reputation (gained by VERSUS) with AZUMI, the tale of a group of kids brought up to be assassins. Making use of his patented camera angles, skill in creating compelling fight scenes, and many fascinating characters, we are left with a film that shouldn’t be missed by any fan of the sword.
AZUMI 2: DEATH OR LOVE (2005)
Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Starring: Aya Ueto, Yuma Ishigaki, Chiaki Kuriyama, Shun Oguri, Kenichi Endo
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 4
They brought back the lovely Ueto Aya as Azumi, but Kitamura was left behind. As a result, we get a fun movie (that starts where the original AZUMI finished) that isn’t as good as the original, but is still well worth viewing.
CUTIE HONEY (2004)
Director: Hideaki Anno
Starring: Eriko Sato, Jun Murakami, Mikako Ichikawa, Eisuke Sakai, Mitsuhiro Oikawa, Sie Kohinata, Hairi Katagiri, Mayumi Shintani
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 5.5
This is one of those films that you feel a bit guilty about when you buy/rent it. That guilt continues as you begin to watch it. And it even grows a bit when you begin to realize that you’re really tripping on the movie! However, by the end of it all, your guilt has been left behind and pure pleasure is all that remains.
CASHERN (2004)
Director: Kazuaki Kirlya
Cast: Yusuke Iseya, Kumiko Aso, Akira Terao, Kanako Higuchi, Fumiyo Kohinata, Hiroyuki Miyasako, Jun Kaname, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Mitsuhiro Oikawa, Susumu Terajima, Hideji Otaki, Tatsuya Mihashi, Toshiaki Karasawa, Mayumi Sada
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 4
In 2004 we got a trio of blue screen flicks that brought strange new worlds up close and personal. The French science fiction opus IMMORTEL was the best of them (it features a hot alien female that is raped repeatedly by a man who is possessed by an ancient Egyptian god so she will give birth to his hawk baby), while the American made SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW was the worst. Somewhere in between those two was CASHURN.
CASHURN has a convoluted and often nonsensical story about mutants and killer robots and a man that sacrifices his own humanity so that he can acquire the powers to fight the metal-headed monsters. Though the battle between Cashurn and an army of huge robots is now the stuff of legend (it’s one of those scenes that you watch over and over again), what really makes this film worthwhile is its imagery that, more often than not, simply blows your mind.
JUVENILLE (2000)
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Starring: Shingô Katori, Miki Sakai, Ann Suzuki, Yuya Endo, Kyôtaro Shimizu, Yuki, Katsumi Takahashi, Kuniko Asagi, Kinzoh Sakura, Takashi Matsuo, Megumi Hayashibara, Kazue Tsunogae
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 4
In 2002, director Takashi Yamazaki did the excellent science fiction movie RETURNER, a delightful flick about time travel and aliens. However, in 2000 Yamazaki directed the children’s version (it’s very close in concept) featuring the discovery of a small robot that’s found by a group of eleven-year olds. Eventually it turns out that the robot was sent back through time to … well, you’ll just have to watch it and find out for yourself.
Children will love it, and adults will too.
SHARKSKIN MAN and PEACH HIP GIRL (1998)
Director: Katsuhito Ishii
Starring: Tadanobu Asano, Ittoku Kishibe, Sie Kohinata, Kimie Shingyoji, Susumu Terajima, Shingo Tsurumi, Daigaku Sekine, Koh Takasugi, Shingoro Yamada, Hitoshi Kiyokawa, Yoji Tanaka, Keisuke Horibe, Yoshiyuki Morishita, Kanji Tsuda, Youhachi Shimada
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 5.5
Tremendous performances, a crafty script, and a whole slew of colorful characters (including Yamada, who might well be the most memorable character of all time!) make this brilliant movie a must watch for film fans.
PARTY SEVEN (2000)
Director: Katsuhito Ishii
Starring: Masatoshi Nagase, Keisuke Horibe, Yoshinori Okada, Akemi Kobayashi, Tadanobu Asano, Yoshio Harada, Tatsuya Gashuin, Yoneko Matsukane, Ryo Kase, Yoshiyuki Morishita, Nobuto Okamoto, Ren Osugi, Youhachi Shimada, Kanji Tsuda
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 4
Director Ishii tries to find lightening in a bottle a second time by repeating the winning formula from his earlier SHARK SKIN MAN AND PEACH HIP GIRL. The result is PARTY SEVEN, a strange comedy filled (once again) with strange characters.
Though I felt it was a bit forced, and it’s clearly not in the same league as SHARK SKIN MAN, PARTY SEVEN is still an enjoyable evening’s entertainment. If you are a fan of Tadanobu Asano, like creepy hotels, and also think that a character named Captain Banana is right up your alley, then it’s a must see.
TANGE SAZEN (2004)
Director: Toyoji Tsuda
Starring: Etsushi Toyokawa, Hironobu Nomura, Kumiko Aso, Akio Kaneda, Katsumi Sayuri
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 4
I’m a huge fan of Shintaro Katsu’s Zatoichi, the blind swordsman (I own 26 of these movies and am now trying to acquire all the TV shows that Katsu did after the movie run ended. So when I heard about another Japanese anti-hero (Tange) who was missing an arm and an eye, I grabbed the movie as soon as it became available.
Though not as good as Zatoichi, Toyokawa’s portrayal of Tange is excellent, all the characters are very likeable, and lots of good-natured humor abounds.
Thus far I only have one movie featuring this character (I understand that there are 34 in the series). If the others are gettable, I’ll certainly buy them. However, you don’t have to be an addict like I am to enjoy this sweet, enjoyable film.
RAINY DOG (1997)
Director: Takashi Miike
Starring: Sho Aikawa, Lianmei Chen, Ming-Jun Gao, Jianqin He, Tomorowo Taguchi
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 5
A Japanese hitman, whose life seems as gray as the rainy weather, is stuck in Taipei. Soon though, his life becomes more complicated when an old lover drops off a child who she says is his. That, together with a new assignment, leads us though a dark, gritty world where emotion is a weakness, where young prostitutes dream of a better life, and where violence is both your way of life and something that can consume you at any moment.
Takashi Miike has done many penetrating films about the emotions of yakuza. This moving, exciting, moody flick is one of my favorites.
TWILIGHT SAMURAI (2002)
Director: Yoji Yamada
Cast: Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa, Min Tanaka, Nenji Kobayashi, Ren Osugi, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Keiko Kishi, Tetsuro Tanba (Tetsura Tamba)
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 6
A simple, quiet film that shows the fate of the samurai in 19th century Japan and gives the viewer a deep, moving feel of life at that time. The main character, Seibei, was once a highly skilled samurai but now works hard in an office by day, and then goes right home to his two daughters at night.
TWILIGHT SAMURAI is a beautiful and soulful movie, was nominated for a 2004 Oscar, and is as near perfect a film as you’re ever likely to see.
THE HIDDEN BLADE (2004)
Director: Yoji Yamada
Starring: Masatoshi Nagase, Takako Matsu, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Yukiyoshi Ozawa, Tomoko Tabata, Reiko Takashima, Sachiko Mitsumoto, Kunie Tanaka, Chieko Baisho, Min Tanaka, Nenji Kobayashi, Ken Ogata, Makoto Akatsuka, Hiroshi Kanbe, Takashi Sasano
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 5
Director Yoji Yamada’s follow up to his widely acclaimed TWILIGHT SAMURAI. As before, we see the raging emotions of suddenly obsolete samurai as they try to assimilate into a world that no longer needs them.
While not being as good as TWILIGHT SAMURAI, it’s still an enjoyable, moving experience.
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