Jigoku Kôshien
2003 / 87m - Japan
Comedy, Horror, Sport
3.5*/5.0*
Battlefield Baseball poster

Watches

July 02, 2004

4.0*/5.0*

September 02, 2022

3.5*/5.0*

One of those films that prefaced the Sushi Typhoon age. It was Yudai Yamaguchi's first feature film, fronted by action/horror bad boy Tak Sakaguchi, and adapted from a manga. There was bound to be craziness galore, and crazy is what you're getting. It's just that the execution is a little wonky.

Yakyu Jubei is new at his school. He never really fitted in, but he's a very gifted baseball player, and when his school's team is chosen to play one of the toughest, meanest teams in the league, Jubei is the only one likely enough to give them a fighting chance. He needs a bit of convincing, but finally, he commits.

There are some crazy ideas and insane plot elements, which are mostly played for laughs. The film works better as a comedy, the gore is a bit basic and looks rather cheap. It doesn't hinder the film too much, but since then crazier, weirder, and more outrageous films have been released. Still good fun, but not really a masterpiece anymore.