Director: Yoshihiro Nishimura
Year: 2008
Country: Japan
Alternate Titles: Tôkyô zankoku keisatsu
Genre: Creature Feature; Exploitation
Plot:
Joining the Japanese Police Force, a female officer finds that the current string of murders around the city are created by a race of mutants called Engineers who don’t take lightly to a change in policy to take them out and lead a war against the officers for control of the streets.
Review:
There was quite a lot to like within this one. Among the more impressive elements featured here is an excessively detailed and immersive storyline that packs plenty of intriguing elements. Not only is the post-apocalyptic setting rather enjoyable but the rapid-fire means of setting up the different characters with these storylines about the privatized corporate police force and the commentary that raises over the violent antics they engage in to protect the citizens all come together into a rather enjoyable and believable setup. These issues make it easy to accept the universe this film presents and gives this a great starting point for the rest of the film involving the strange breed of mutants that are able to turn their bodies into a strange murderous devices that spring forth from their wounds that make for a fun time in this one.
On top of all that, the film’s action is off-the-charts with a near-continuous stream of confrontations between her and the mutants. The opening battle with the chainsaw-sprouting engineer sets this off on a fantastic note as the swirling chainsaw acting as a weapon slicing up those who get too close to the object before being utterly dismantled with sword slashes, and a later encounter with the engineer getting to stalk and attack a victim in the subway system that switches it up and provides a wholly different look from the rest of the film. Still, the majority of the film is the frantic, frenzied series of encounters such as the Engineer's destruction of the locals in a whorehouse where they let loose with their abilities in rather graphic fashion as well as setting the stage for a delirious finale that’s just absolutely insane. Delivering confrontations between the two sides that are taking place throughout the city as a massive war takes place here, the ingenuity and commitment to showcasing over-the-top moments here with the battles taking place manage to feature some frantic and grueling encounters between them.
However, none of that action means anything without the uber-graphic and gory special effects work that shows the impressive nature of real effects work. With limbs being chopped off and turning the wound into a flesh-covered deformity that contains a steel weapon attached to the sputtering limb, slicing people in half from the top of the head through the waist, decapitations, and chainsaws slicing and cutting up the body, there’s so much over-the-top work here that tends to showcase a love for practical effects-work. The designs on the mutants and their deformities are also solid, keeping their look distinctly inhuman while still carrying the feeling that it was originally a person at one point, which is a major component in these Japanese splatter flicks from that time. As everything that tends to strike the body erupts in what looks like geysers that spray from the wound, that blood flow is enticing and enjoyable to watch, giving this one so much to like that hold this one up overall.
There isn’t a whole lot that doesn’t really work here. The main issue befalling the film is the inclusion of the social commentary here on the privatization of the police force and the corruption that follows when a public service is turned over into the private sector. That they become ruthless, bloodthirsty killers with as little remorse in their willingness to dole out punishment on individuals but also become even more incompetent in their inability to stem the tide of the Engineers on their heels. It’s a fine storyline but in an over-the-top action-packed gorefest like this, that feels like overkill and detrimental to the point of unleashing as much bloodletting and carnage as possible. Likewise, the film’s pacing is somewhat challenging with the useless cutaways to more social commentary with the better-ways-to-kill-yourself promos and a lengthy backstory sequence explaining the origin of her father’s shooter that stops the film cold for no reason. However, that’s really all that holds this one back.
Overview: *****/5
An over-the-top display of gore and carnage with practical effects in the greatest of Japanese splatter traditions, there’s a lot to like here in that regard rather than its underwhelming and complicated storyline. Give this one an immediate look if you’re any kind of a fan of Japanese splatter or over-the-top gore from this time period, while those with weak stomachs or an aversion to this genre should avoid it altogether.
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