Yatterman (2009)

Knowing nothing about the Yatterman anime from the 70’s I only watched this as I knew the actress Kyoko Fukada was in it and she is stunningly sexy in this movie as the main villain Doronjo.

The plot has the Yatterman team (toy shop owner and mecha creator Gan with his girlfriend Ai) trying to outwit the Doronbow gang in trying to locate pieces of the Dokuro Stone which is said to grant any wish with their dog shaped mecha Yatterwoof. The Doronbow gang is led by SkullObey who orders Doronjo and her henchmen (mecha creator, rat-faced and pervert) Boyacky and (thuggish pig faced) Tonzra to find pieces of the stone before Yatterman. Also tagging along with Yatterman is a young teenage girl Shoko whose father went missing looking for the Dokuro Stone. This creates a bit of a love triangle as she starts to fall for Gan with Doronjo also coming into the mix. So Gan has 3 girls after him (lucky git!!!).

As it’s a Takashi Miike movie it’s very imaginative and looks amazing. The special effects are fantastic. For a kids movie though it’s very risque with a couple of scenes surprising me such as Gan sucking poison from Shoko’s upper thigh, a mecha which looks like a female with 2 breasts that has machine guns, a ‘love scene’ between Yatterwoof and the female mecha plus you’ve got Doronjo’s henchmen constantly looking at her heaving bosom (well I don’t blame then for doing that!!!!). For me, Kyoko Fukada makes this movie, she just lights up any scene she’s involved in. I can imagine Japanese fathers taking their sons to watch this with the firm intention of ogling Doronjo. Of course for girls watching Yatterman their attention will fall firmly on J-pop idol group Arashi’s rapper Sho Sakurai. The theme of this movie is about love, growing up, friendship, teamwork and family

Yatterman is a fun comedic camp movie which even has a musical interlude but it does turn a little bit dark near the end. I really liked this movie. It was enjoyable and very entertaining, full of bright and colorful scenes. Recommended.

Sadako’s Rating: 4 out of 5

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20th Century Boys Chapter 2:The Last Hope (2009)

The middle part of the 20th Century Boys trilogy is set 15 years after the events of Bloody New Years Eve 2000. Japan is firmly under the control of ‘Friend’ and his followers. Genji is missing and his co-conspirators either in jail or in hiding. Taking up the baton against ‘Friend’ is none other than Genji’s niece Kanna, the chosen one now a fiesty young woman.

She volunteers to enter Friendland with her schoolmate to gleam more information about ‘Friend’ and his organisation and to try and prevent the end of mankind by a deadly virus in order to make ‘Friend’ a god. In the process she finds out more about her family especially her mother who was a doctor and her part in developing the virus. Meanwhile one of the original conspirators breaks out from jail where an opportunity presents itself for him to assassinate ‘Friend’ during a visit to Shinjuku

Although it’s long I thoroughly enjoyed this movie which further enhances the complex storyline. I thought Aira Taira did a great job as the heroine Kanna along with Haruka Kinami as Kyoko.

There are tantalising clues as to Friend’s identity but of course he’s not going to be revealed until the final part. The climax especially the last 30 mins builds up to an apocalyptic ending and the reappeance of a familiar face.

I really can’t wait for the final chapter to see how the storyline concludes. Roll on Part 3!!

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Sick Nurses (2007)

After a group of sexy Thai nurses and a doctor who harvest organs kill one of their own, her spirit comes back to wreak revenge. This is such a fun horror movie with a very sadistic vengeful ghost who particularly enjoys taking her time carrying out her deadly deeds and seems to toy with her victims. Each of the nurses have their own vice, mostly with being beautiful which the spirit exploits to the fullest. The nurses also have their eye on the doctor who has shagged his way through each one of them

Sick Nurses is an obvious homage to the Japanese long haired ghost movie but with a slight difference. I thought the first half of this movie was rather tame but in the latter half the blood starts to flow with some slick inventive death sequences and the creepy hospital setting really adds to the mood and atmosphere. I really liked this movie and if you enjoy horror movies then I’d recommend you check this one out.

Sadako’s Rating: 4 out of 5

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K-20:Legend Of The Mask (2008)

1949. In an alternative universe where WWII never happened, a masked master thief known as K-20 terrorises the rich in Japan’s capital city Teito stealing priceless items. When circus acrobat Heikichi Endo is framed for his crimes and sent to jail, he breaks out with the help of thieves on the outside and uses his circus skills to find and stop K-20 from acquiring a device that can destroy cities and to prove his innocence.

A very good old fashioned rip-roaring adventure in the mould of a superhero movie even though K-20 doesn’t have any superhuman abilities at all. The sets, CG special effects and the actors especially Takeshi Kaneshiro are fantastic in their roles. I had a blast watching this and Shimako Sato did a great job directing. I hope there’s going to be a sequel. Highly recommended.

Sadako’s Rating: 4 out of 5

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