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rstehli
Reviews
Shinobi (2005)
Excellent Action Movie!
Expectations were high for me, as this movie was hyped (to me at least) as one of the best ninja/action movies of the last few years. I would liken it to Azumi in the way it feels, but this movie is so much bigger and better.
For starters, its easy to see that the budget was substantially bigger, and the acting was was much better as well. Special Effects weren't the best I've ever seen, but they were incredibly cool, for example, when a certain character makes another character implode, the effects aren't perfect, but are very slick none-the-less.
The only drawback of the movie might be its cheesiness. I can't especially blame the director, because this was based on a manga, but the characters can be a little hokey, and their powers seem a little over-the-top sometimes. I will reiterate that its based on a manga, and I'm not sure if there was any way around that. While the story is a bit cliché (Romeo and Juliet), how many Ninja/Shogun/Martial Arts movies really have a unique concept? Undeniably, the plot is really just an excuse to have ninjas fight each other to the death, but I really can't complain, as it was a hell of a fight. What the action lacks in substance however, the end of the movie picks up the drama aspect very nicely. Not to spoil anything, but the end of the movie gets to be surprisingly powerful and dramatic. Once the fighting stops, the director does a very good job using the female lead(Oboro), easily the best actor in the film.
In short, even though the story is cliché and a little bit hokey, the effects are pretty spectacular, and the movie is very, very cool, with a good ending. If you like Japanese action movies, or even anime, you will love this film.
Aragami (2003)
Pretty Cool
Yeah this movie is about the Aragami, who is immortal, and his quest for death. He tricks a warrior into becoming immortal as well, and they fight it out. 1 room, two actors, many fights. A very cool movie, maybe not quite up to par with this director's other work, but still fun to watch. The plot is surprisingly well developed, but some ideas in the fights are recycled from other films. While the movie starts out slow, it actually has a plot that you can understand, unlike many Japanese movies that deal with any type of mythology. I guess you could call the movie serious, but it has a sense of humor and is just made to be entertaining. If I had to compare it to an American movie I would say... Mortal Kombat without any stupid catch phrases or comic relief. I mean, its a barebones story as an excuse to have two sweet characters fight each other. And honestly, it was made in a week.
Versus (2000)
Amazing
Imagine you are sitting down to watch a bloody, entertaining action movie. You have a cool main character who of course has a shadowy past. First, he shoots someone. Then the dead guy turns into a zombie. Then, the zombies have guns. Already, this is the coolest movie ever made. The soundtrack is killer and the cinematography is amazing. Kitamura is an amazing director, which is why he also directs the cinema in Devil May Cry, and also the soon to be made Metal Gear Solid. So to sum up the movie, it is like a horror/action video game made into a movie, with gallons of blood and huge action. This is why people import movies from Japan. The mythology is hard to follow, but just empty your brain and prepare to be entertained.