Movies
Terumae Romae is a film that survives on the comic whims of Hiroshi Abe and the excellent premise cooked up by Yamazaki.
While it's probably best Takeuchi stops the series here, this second film was anything but redundant.
Reminiscent of that French animated series from the 80s about the human body. Cells at Work is exactly how you'd imagine the Japanese would turn that series into a live-action film. It's goofy, colorful, weird, and most importantly, it's very entertaining. But a little too uneven and/or childish to be a true favorite. It's the tokusatsu elements that didn't quite do it for me, but other than that, I had a lot of fun seeing all the usual problems with the human body translated to a fantasy live-action setting. Things get a bit grimmer near the finale, which was also a plus. Overall though, this is light and creative entertainment.Read all
Fly Me to the Saitama: From Biwa Lake with Love
A sequel that gives you more of the same, which isn't a bad thing, especially if you liked the first film. It's a rather unique franchise that blends extreme anime clichés with a surreal take on local differences in Japanese culture. It's one of those films that works a lot better for people familiar with Japan, but it manages to be entertaining regardless. The performances are over-the-top by design, the visuals are extremely bright and colorful, and the comedy is overtly goofy. Takeuchi's direction is a little soft, it would've been even more fun if he'd dared to take a few more chances, but if you're looking for a madcap Japanese comedy with a hefty budget, this won't disappoint.Read all
Quirky and goofy comedy, set in a universe that offers an unparalleled mix of modern, historic, realistic and fantastic elements. The film looks rich and there are some solid laughs, but somehow the direction itself felt a little too timid. This film deserved a full-on Tetsuya Nakashima treatment, even so there's plenty of fun to be had here.
After directing the TV series, Takeuchi also takes on the movie version. It's a loose Lupin spin-off, though apart from the "famous family of thieves" there isn't a whole lot to connect it to its more infamous relative. Sadly, Takeuchi never manages to rise above the TV roots of the source material. The performances are quite poor and the direction feels rushed. It's a pretty lively and colorful film though, with some amusing ideas and memorable moments. I wish Takeuchi could've had more time or access to a bigger budget. This could've been a lot more fun if it hadn't felt so cheap.Read all
A romance with fantastical touches that hopes to please fans of classic cinema. In the hands of Takashi Yamazaki this could've been great, but Takeuchi isn't the man for this kind of film. The romance is a little stale and the fantasy elements don't quite work. It's not a bad film, just a little boring and by the numbers.