Full Metal Yakuza - 1997
Directed by: Takashi Miike

Starring:
Tsuyoshi Ujiki
Yasushi Kitamura
Shoko Nakahara
Ren Osugi

Takashi Miike's been directing films since the early '90s and while Full Metal Yakuza, filmed in 1997, isn't one of his later more well know flicks, it does show flashes of the Miike filmmaking style that would be present in Ichi the Killer and the absolutely brilliant Audition.

When a bumbling gangster, played by Tsuyoshi Ujiki, is killed in the crossfire of a yakuza execution, he's rebuilt by a mad professor as a super robo yakuza. Now this full-metal killer is ready to find out who was responsible for his death and mete out bloody revenge. But he has to watch out for rain.

Ujiki is fantastic at Hagane, our aforementioned bumbling gangster. Miike makes this film a bit schizophrenic, tossing us back and forth between serious and silly without warning. Ujiki has to make this character work in that schizo world and does a great job, right down to facial expression extremes that almost convinced me that two actors were at work in a couple of scenes.

The only tough thing with this flick is just as you get comfortably situated in the genre you think the move is supposed to be, an over-the-top comedic element will get tossed in (watch for Hagane learning a bullet-deflecting technique as his new robo-body self). Breaks the mood up some but it also adds a surreal touch that helps overall. It keeps you off-balance and maybe that was the intent.

Arts Magic DVD did a nice job in the production of the region 1 release of this flick. It's uncut and widescreen with great picture and sound. We lost a bit of the title screen right and left at the beginning of the movie but that didn't continue and the rest of film's 16:9 presentation was spot on. They've also added an interview with Miike, an interview with editor Yasushi Shimamura and with main lead Ujiki. Nice collection of extras.

Part horror, part scitech, part comedy, Full Metal Yakuza successfully pulls together a patchwork of genres. This isn't the first Miike film you should watch if you're not familiar with his work. We'd suggest the stunning Audition for understated horror fans and Ichi for the gore-lovers. But if you're a fan of Miike's, you'll find lots to like here as well.