Watches
September 23, 2021
The mere idea of Sion Sono and Nicolas Cage making a film together made many cult fan drool uncontrollably. And sure enough, it did sound like a pretty perfect combination. This could very well become Sono's Sukiyaki Western Django, though I'm sure Sono himself would resent the Miike comparison. Sadly for him, Miike also did it better.
The premise is pretty simple, which is normal considering this is more or less a Mad Max clone. The governor's daughter has run away, so he straps a jailed criminal into a highly explosive suit, and he gives him five days to find her. The post-apocalyptic wastelands are very hazardous territory though, so finding her and taking her back in one piece won't be a trivial task.
Marrying Japanese and American influences within a film is never easy, and there are moments when Sono stumbles. There's plenty of crazy and the film certainly has its share of memorable ideas, but it never really culminates in the cult cool you'd expect from a project like this. The sets are creative and colorful, the characters are mad and the pacing is perfect, even so the film lacks impact. A minor disappointment.