Takashi Miike

The first half of the film sports a pretty typical Yakuza setup. There's a lot of people to introduce and quite some connections to lay bare. Once that's out of the way though (the dentist appointment is the big turning point), it's Goro Kishitani's moment to shine, as he starts his merciless crusade.

It's a twist not everyone is going to appreciate, not in the least because Kishitani's character is absolutely intolerable. It's almost impossible to root for him, but it just makes his journey that more impressive. The first half's familiar territory, the second half a certifiable kick in the gut. A fine Miike.

Sabu is a film about two good friends (Eiji and Sabu) who work together in a store. When Eiji just disappears one day, Sabu struggles with the loss of his friend, and he decides to find out what happened to him. His journey brings him to Ishikawa, a prison island where Eiji ended up.

There are a few darker/harsher scenes here, but overall the film has a softer, more poetic tone. The cinematography is calm and polished, performances are great across the board and there are a few interesting twists that keep the story intriguing. Not one of Miike's most exuberant films, but solid proof that he's capable of more than just craziness.

Blade of the Immortal isn't a bad film, but it's not a film that screams Miike. No weirdness, no crazy ideas, no what-the-fuck moments. It's a film that could've been directed by just about anyone really, except that's a bit more violent that your average samurai flick. And even that was a little exaggerated.

There's a high enough body count, but it's just regular hack & slash action, with people falling down rather quickly. It doesn't get much crazier than a hacked off limb here and there. Again, I can't really fault the film too much, it looks nice enough and even though it's quite long it doesn't drag, but a straight-forward Miike is simply a waste of potential, no matter how good it is.

Think of it as Power Rangers on Mars, with big, cockroach-like creatures threatening the existence of humankind. An expedition comprised of humans with special powers is sent to protect our planet from these creatures. If that sounds weird or doesn't make it any sense, just remember that you're watching a Miike film.

The CG is a bit flaky, but the design are pretty hilarious. The bad guy is badass and even though the morphing stuff can get a little childish, the special powers are at least are quite original. It's a daft film that loses a bit of steam around the halfway mark, but overall there's a lot of fun to be had with this one.

While I did like the film a lot, I do have to say it feels like wasted potential when Miike does one of these films. Mostly because there are plenty of other directors who could've made something very similar, while nobody is able to do Miike. Especially with a Perfect Blue-like story he could've done so much more, if only he'd approached the film from a different angle.

But the intrigue is solid, some light horror moments make it a bit creepier, the sets look nice and the cinematography is on point. The only thing that bothered me was that the pacing was a little sluggish, even so the film was tense enough to keep me glued to my seat. Not the best Miike, but a very solid and entertaining film nonetheless.

There's none of Miike's usual (or at least, what most Western fans thinks of as usual) weirdness here, instead it's a pretty slick but simple genre film that goes through the motions with just the right amount of flair. The only real surprise was that the meaningful body count was quite a bit higher than usually the case.

Miike 's experience shines through when he's doing simpler films like these, as Shield of Straw appears quite effortless while breezing through its two-hour runtime. Fine performances, decent cinematography, a solid build up and a neat finale make this a very pleasant and easy watch. The best kind of filler you can ask for.

Aku No Kyoten bares some resemblance to Nakashima's Kokuhaku, especially when comparing the setup of both films. Seiji is a teacher with an impeccable moral, always ready to help his students with their more intimate problems. He vows to rid the school of all nasty business, but secretly the man has an agenda of his own. One that is revealed during a sprawling 45 minute finale.

The first hour is a bit tame though. There are some quirky characters, but compared to other Miike films they aren't all that interesting. The biggest flaw is no doubt the casting of Hideaki Ito (who plays Seiji), an actor who lacks the charisma and flair to play the character he is supposed to be. With him present some of the better moments of the film miss their target. A real shame, because Miike goes pretty wild during the final 45 minutes. Nothing he hasn't done before, but some of the principal characters go down with surprising ease, something I'm sure not everyone will appreciate. Miike fans will rejoice when the film makes its way to a solid climax though.

After a slow start, Aku No Kyoten delivers the goods, even when its main actor lacks the skills to impress the audience. By then it's just a case of too little, too late. It's still a pretty great flick though, but when watching a Miike film I expect a little extra and that's clearly missing here.

Performances and technical qualities are a lot better compared to the original. The score is nice, the cinematography is on point and Ichikawa is an impressive lead. The story is more or less the same, sadly Miike can't keep up the tension all the way through, the middle part in particular is a little too slow.

Not quite sure what or if the 3D effect added anything to this remake, personally I can't imagine it made a big difference (it's not really the kind of film for that either). I prefer the crazier Miike films, still it's impressive to see his range. While not spectacular or extremely memorable, Death of a Samurai is a stylish, well-made film.

I'm not familiar with the Yatterman franchise, but I got some serious Pokemon/Team Rocket flashbacks while watching this film. It's really aimed at younger kids, with its very colorful sets and props, over-the-top characters and silly plot, but that doesn't stop Miike from taking it a little further whenever he sees an opportunity (the scenes between the robot and the dog stick out).

The CG is a bit too simplistic, while the style doesn't call for realistic CG I felt a little extra polish would've raised the overall quality. It's also quite long considering how little plot there is and if you're looking for something age-appropriate (and you're over 20) than this isn't going to go over well, but damn it's so silly, fun and entertaining that I didn't mind at all.

The story revolves a set of twins, one of which is a hardworking student, the other an aimless loafer. They get mixed up in a scientific discovery that is bound to rip apart the fabric of our reality. Underneath it all lies a simpler romantic plot where one of the twins is trying to woo the girl who made the discovery.

The film is roughly divided into two parts. The first hour is mostly there to set up the story, the second hour brings the action and excitement. For once though, I prefer the slower first part, as the latter lacks the outlandish details that are so typical for Miike. It's definitely not a bad film, the film grabbed my attention from start to finish, but it just didn't feel fully realized.

Part 2 is also a full-blown Yakuza film. The usual themes of honor and revenge are abundantly present, you won't miss out on the usual Yakuza shouting, gun action, finger clipping and whatnot either. Miike is more than capable to make these types of films work and that's exactly what he does, without putting in excessive effort.

The film looks okay, but it's nothing special. From time to time Miike plays around with the cinematography and soundtrack to try out some new things, but overall it's a little too sloppy to leave a big impression. The actors do a decent job, the plot is never boring (unless you hate the usual Yakuza intrigue) and the pacing is on point. Nothing too spectacular, just a solid Miike Yakuza film.