The dominant visual tone of moody black, grey and muddy brown adds a touch of mellowness to the rough-and-tumble. The original comic is supposed to be a 1990s bible for Japanese “Yankee” (country pumpkin hooligans that have style affinity with the Leningrad Cowboys), but the image designer has revamped the handsome cast with slick black school uniforms and spiky gelled hair that makes them look very crow-like indeed. However, the ending is a cliffhanger that definitely psyches the audience up for the sequel. Except for an eye-popping car/motorbike chase, action choreography, though ferocious and graphic enough throughout, is not the most original of Miike’s works. This world is almost entirely detached from reality. The final show down is shot in a stylized f/x mix of slow motion and suddenly cranked up action. Takashi Miike’s Crows Zero covered similar ground, but Fukuda’s exaggerated, anime-informed style could not be more different in its execution. Goro Kishitani, the psycho yakuza in “Like a Dragon” steals the show in a cameo as Genji’s father, a calm and collected crime boss with worldly-wise philosophy to spare.Īfter a succession of one-to-one tussles and battle royales that remind one of moving up levels in computer games, the film slowly builds up a moral universe with values of loyalty, friendship and self-sacrifice that are conservative and echo the epic struggle between historical Genji and Heike clans, Japan’s answer to “The War of the Roses,” which Miike reinterpreted in “Sukiyaki Western Django.” Unlike “Django,” one actually develops grudging respect for both sides. The young cast overall give a strong performance but the romantic sideline is very weak. There is also no lack of smutty humor, like group date setup that gets very sticky in the pants. They are fascinating even for cerebral audiences. The ensuing strategic maneuvers, alliance building and shifts in balance of power mirror corporate culture. They start a takeover war that puts the adage “if you can’t beat them, join them” into painful practice. Ken, a middle-aged Suzuran dropout, re-enters the picture as Genji’s sidekick/mentor. Genji vows to conquer the school as a litmus test to outdo his yakuza dad. The arrival of transfer student Genji Takiya (Shyun Oguri) and his open dissing of top dog Tamao Serisawa (Takiyuku Yamada) intensify the turf war. Miike introduces a squad of full-on characters who have different physical looks and degrees of viciousness.
The real action starts at Suzuran High, nicknamed “School for Crows” for the scum it enrolls.
#Crows zero movie review full#
As he sinks into the water, he yells, “Genji, if I hadn’t known you…” The ending will come full circle to this sequence giving it a new meaning. Everyone did such an amazing job, there were even parts that made me laugh.The prelude before the opening credits shows yakuza mutt Ken getting shot at the docks. But I truly think he shines the best when he plays a serious character like Genji. He does alright in romantic comedies and such. Music: Another amazing soundtrack, just like the first movie.Ĭast/Acting: I’ve seen Oguri Shun act in several movies and dramas. You’d think that with two schools battling it out against each other there would be too much going on to even notice everyone else’s skill, but the director did an amazing job showing everyone off and making sure each fight gets the attention it deserves. The best part about all the fighting is that it’s not just punching. It wasn’t just about fighting, it was about revenge, justice and defending honor. Usually sequels aren’t too good but this was amazing. Rewatch Value 10 Story: I absolutely loved the first Crows Zero and fell in love with the sequel. That's one thing that I love with Japanese films, they use the music in the right moments.Īlthough there was a tiny speck of dust that I didn’t like in the film, it still made me understand that without it the whole new story for CZ II will not start.
I love how they have incorporated the music in crucial moments. The soundtrack was perfect even for the fighting scenes. His character as Genji-san shall never be forgotten. Oguri Shun still got to me that he now holds a real special place in my heart. It was still as good as CROWS ZERO I can get. There was still a lot comparison from the first movie and so many differences, yet it still worked. Rival gangs are always not my cup of tea when watching violent movies but CROW ZERO II worked on me. So who was the best example in the film to show how a real man should act? It was Genji's father.
#Crows zero movie review how to#
What got my attention during the whole movie was how the characters showed how to make a REAL man out of a MAN. Rewatch Value 10 The second installment was not as dramatic as the first, not as action packed as the first… but it definitely had substance in it.
0 kommentar(er)
