Miike relapsing back into yakuza based story lines churns out, what is conceivably an antithesis to DOA Hanzaisha, relatively almost bereft of gore, sexual innuendo and over the top violence. 'Almost' for Miike does entail having sex with corpses, children plays with fake dildos or horribly disfigured faces, so it does offer its share of unabashed brutality. Nonetheless unlike the first part, which was channelling the story with a plethora of ideas, dark humour and violence, this time around we get a more sombre character story revolving around two killers: Mizuki Okamoto (Shô Aikawa) and Shuuichi Sawada (Riki Takeuchi).
On a highly paid job to kill a Yakuza boss in order to initiate a Yakuza / Triad gang was Mizuki is surprisingly cut to the chase by Shu, a former friend with whom he grew up with on a remote island orphanage. No harm done, no love lost the two reunite and travel down to where they used to be best buds to take time out from grim reality and delve in picturesque countryside locations.
For a movie featuring cartoonish gags like pulling out an enormous brick from behind your back "DOA: Birds" belies all expectations creating in the opening act, when it slowly transgresses from being a yakuza thriller to a buddy flick drama with surprising emotional pull. Albeit based on an overly convoluted, somewhat symbolic script, which makes repeated watches almost a necessity, it builds relations between characters much better than almost any Miike movie. Both Mizuki and Shu are less of a joke and more true dramatic protagonists, even if Miike is unable to refrain from some goofing around (much appreciated and surprisingly tactfully done). Nonetheless the elements of gore and blood do seem out of place and forced, as if the director's style got the better of him and he was unable to refrain from adding a couple odd borderline scenes.
As the first part saw the world destroyed when opposing forces collide, this time around the black and white birds cooperate with other at one time killing evil by performing evil for the benefit of doing good (a minus and a minus make a plus?), eventually garnering the status of avenging angels. Even they however are not invincible, when furious adversaries bring death, but unlike in the first part death is more heartfelt, cathartic and meaningful, also due to deep relations between the dying men. The shoot-out finale is especially gripping - a shot of five corpses of boys lying dead on a rooftop, suggesting that violence is nothing more than childish behaviour by lost grown-ups, necessary but so banale and basic in nature. A telling broader explanation to the reasons between Miike's graphic comic and cartoon influenced grotesque brutality?
Nonetheless much lighter in tone, poetic and more emotional than the other DOA movies and the absurdist dramatism may make it the best of the trilogy contentwise, even if severely flawed with certain aspects of its presentation.
On a highly paid job to kill a Yakuza boss in order to initiate a Yakuza / Triad gang was Mizuki is surprisingly cut to the chase by Shu, a former friend with whom he grew up with on a remote island orphanage. No harm done, no love lost the two reunite and travel down to where they used to be best buds to take time out from grim reality and delve in picturesque countryside locations.
For a movie featuring cartoonish gags like pulling out an enormous brick from behind your back "DOA: Birds" belies all expectations creating in the opening act, when it slowly transgresses from being a yakuza thriller to a buddy flick drama with surprising emotional pull. Albeit based on an overly convoluted, somewhat symbolic script, which makes repeated watches almost a necessity, it builds relations between characters much better than almost any Miike movie. Both Mizuki and Shu are less of a joke and more true dramatic protagonists, even if Miike is unable to refrain from some goofing around (much appreciated and surprisingly tactfully done). Nonetheless the elements of gore and blood do seem out of place and forced, as if the director's style got the better of him and he was unable to refrain from adding a couple odd borderline scenes.
As the first part saw the world destroyed when opposing forces collide, this time around the black and white birds cooperate with other at one time killing evil by performing evil for the benefit of doing good (a minus and a minus make a plus?), eventually garnering the status of avenging angels. Even they however are not invincible, when furious adversaries bring death, but unlike in the first part death is more heartfelt, cathartic and meaningful, also due to deep relations between the dying men. The shoot-out finale is especially gripping - a shot of five corpses of boys lying dead on a rooftop, suggesting that violence is nothing more than childish behaviour by lost grown-ups, necessary but so banale and basic in nature. A telling broader explanation to the reasons between Miike's graphic comic and cartoon influenced grotesque brutality?
Nonetheless much lighter in tone, poetic and more emotional than the other DOA movies and the absurdist dramatism may make it the best of the trilogy contentwise, even if severely flawed with certain aspects of its presentation.