Hey folks, Harry here... RoninKengo here is like the only person out of about 30 emailed reviews of UNDERWORLD that kinda liked it. Copernicus hated it so much that after standing in line for 2 hours, he up and left the theater before it was finished. That's intense hatred for the film. Little shocking I'd say. Anyway, I'm dying to see ZATOICHI, here's RoninKengo...
Hey Harry
Here are my reviews thus far. I still have to see Gozu and Ong Bak, I'll send those to you as well.
You can cut out the personal bits I guess.
Zatoichi
I was so psyched to see this movie, I woke up at 8 AM. It was Saturday and this was an unusual occurance for me.
I was going to see Zatoichi at 2:30 PM at the Elgin Theatre in the heart of downtown Toronto. Yes, it would be a good day.
I arrived at the Elgin at 12:15 PM, and was pleased to discover I was the first person in line. For anyone who was there, I was the fly bastard in the Scarface T-shirt and aviators. Several hours of waiting and some poutine later, they opened the doors.
Though I was first in line I still sprinted down the hallways of the Elgin, afraid some usurper fanboy would rob me of my rightful seat. Thankfully this did not happen, and I wasn't forced to drop kick anyone off the balcony. Front row centre on the balcony, perfect view, truly the best seats in the house.
After a short introduction, and a word from our sponsors the film began.
I don't want to give you a plot synopsis, instead I'll outline some of the reasons you should see this flick.
If you are a fan of Japanese cinema, samurai flicks, the original Zatoichi or Takeshi Kitano ... it is your duty to see this movie. I went to see it with two guys (Craig and Chris) who'd never seen a Kitano film, and little... if any Japanese cinema... and they were floored by the movie.
The action scenes are some of the coolest sword fights EVER put on film. Remember to bring water because your jaw will be on the floor during every fight scene. That's the only way they can be described JAW DROPPING.
The swordplay is lightning fast, bloody as hell and incredible to behold. You really get to see what a sword is capable of in the hands of a master like Zatoichi. Get ready for flying limbs and the sound of steel cutting through flesh and bone. The violence is by no means cartoony; but stylized and brutally realistic. Ah the Japanese and stylized violence... they're so good at it. I found myself disturbed and in awe all at once.
Brilliant action sequencecs aside, this movie will also have you laughing your ass off throughout. The humor is subtle at times, and slapstick at others. Kitano's deadpan wit as Zatoichi is classic. There is also an excellent comedic performance by Taka Gadarukanaru who plays the gambling addicted nephew of Oume.
The plot ain't bad either... dare I say a little Yojimbo/Sanjuro-esque. But hey it's a good example to follow. Rival gangs bossing meak townspeople and farmers around, Two mysterious and incredibly skilled swordsmen find themselves embroiled in the conflict and on opposite sides. With the entire film building up to their climactic duel. This is essentially the plot, but there are many twists and substories that make it more than standard fare. The premise may seem a little formulaic but it's execution is far from it.
With several subplots involving everything from revenge, honor, family and even sexual identity the movie is far from boring. Information about characters is revealed through slick flashbacks that work well with the rest of the film.
Takeshi Kitano is a very gifted director, but you don't need me to tell you that. Many scenes have little or no dialogue and instead the audience is given a simple beat or rhythm that builds into a full fledged score. Kitano's use of sound in this movie is superb.
The farmers pound the field as Zatoichi slowly trundles by, the beat of the farmers pounding continues and adds to the clang of armor and weapons as a group of soldiers marches past.
These rhythms then evolve into music and so on and so forth. It's a very cool effect, and Kitano uses it well in many scenes.
I also must mention the stellar badass that Tadanobu Asano (Who aslo stars with 'Beat' in Taboo, for those of you who didn't see it because you were afraid of gay samurai) plays in this film. The stoic ronin Gennosuke Hattori is a good man who has just had a streak of misfortune. He is a dishonored masterless samurai, with a sick wife and no means to support her. He is forced to do bodyguard work for the local gang. He doesn't want to do it, but if he has to kill a few people to help his wife get better... so be it. A stand out performance by Asano in this film.
A few criticisms though... The CGI used during the fight scenes is amazing for the most part, but there are a few instances where you can really tell it's a fake sword blowing through some hapless bastards chest cavity. Most of the time though the action is too fast to notice these small problems anyways.
As well... the big dance number at the end... went on a little too long I think. But that's just me... I'm not a song and dance guy... so sue me.
A few points of interest: WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD.
One of the Geisha assassins is a man, baby ! If you couldn't tell pretty quickly... well maybe it's time you reevaluate where you stand sexually.
They don't call Pops and Gramps... Pops and Gramps for nothing.
The final confronation between Zatoichi and Gennosuke is lightning fast and Gennosuke gets his ass whooped !
END Spoilers
This movie was so much fun... I highly recommend you catch it if you can.
A+, Two Thumbs Up, Four Stars !
Will "RoninKengo" Perkins
Underworld
An Exercise in Heavy Metal and Vampire/Lycan Love.
Half the fun of a film festival is the experience. The people you meet, and the good times in line.
The other half of the fun are the films.
Underworld is an example of a fun film. Not bad, Not Great. But entertaining none the less.
Les Wiseman's first directorial effort is a success at what it is. A Romeo and Juliet-esqe tale about a war that has been raging between vampires and werewolves for hundreds of years. Best desribed as a mix of Blade 2 and The Matrix, it has all the makings of good summer entertainment.... but wait it's September, seems like it should have been out a few months ago.
Kate Beckinsale does a bang up job as Selene. A vampire death dealer who's obsessed with wiping out the Lycans(werewolves) who killed her family hundreds of years prior. Scott Speedman is decent as the confused human caught in the middle. He spends most of his time writhing around, he's either tied down, being bitten by someone, or chained to something for most of the movie.
Good god though... Shane Brolly who plays Kraven ... is terrible. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but his acting is pretty mediocre in this film. He sticks out like a sore thumb.
The action scenes are pretty good. Very remincent of The Matrix. Lots of slow-mo, jumping and gunplay.... just not done as well as The Matrix.
Overall I thought it was... okay. I'm sure it will do pretty well in theatres.
I would give it a B- , 2 and Half Stars.
God damn ultra-nerds who stayed for the Q&A... ask a fucking relevant question instead of badgering the director about why the vampires had reflections.
Will "RoninKengo" Perkins
