YAKUZA APOCALYPSE is a typically demented slice of Japanese mayhem from Takashi Miike. It's a fresh and original film in an increasingly jaded world of all-too-familiar cinema, an often stunning blend of visceral delights. The plot mixes in outrageous comedy, a zombie-style vampire outbreak, and the yakuza genre into one unforgettable whole, in a style that could only be handled successfully by Miike or perhaps Sion Sono.
My main problem with this film is just how obtuse it is when comes to meaning. Things happen for no real reason and are never tied up. It just "is". A vampire apocalypse sweeps Japan but that's only incidental to a main action-adventure template in which martial arts comes to the fore. The character of the "world's ultimate terrorist" is a case in point; it's very silly, stupid in fact, and makes no sense at all, and yet it's such a great and eccentric addition to the film that you can't help but love it.
Miike adds many diverse elements into this heady brew, from outrageously funny character performances to gore and well-choreographed action. Yayan Ruhian, from THE RAID series, is present here and a great addition to the story, just as bad-ass as you'd expect. The early part of the film feels rather unfocused but it all builds to one supremely unforgettable climax which is as delirious as you could hope for.
My main problem with this film is just how obtuse it is when comes to meaning. Things happen for no real reason and are never tied up. It just "is". A vampire apocalypse sweeps Japan but that's only incidental to a main action-adventure template in which martial arts comes to the fore. The character of the "world's ultimate terrorist" is a case in point; it's very silly, stupid in fact, and makes no sense at all, and yet it's such a great and eccentric addition to the film that you can't help but love it.
Miike adds many diverse elements into this heady brew, from outrageously funny character performances to gore and well-choreographed action. Yayan Ruhian, from THE RAID series, is present here and a great addition to the story, just as bad-ass as you'd expect. The early part of the film feels rather unfocused but it all builds to one supremely unforgettable climax which is as delirious as you could hope for.