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United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: Japanese ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), Japanese ( Dolby DTS 5.1 ), English ( Subtitles ), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Anamorphic Widescreen, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: In the aftermath of a major earthquake, a young girl and the captain of a submarine are rescued. It transpires the earthquake is a minor precursor to far greater devastation with the scientific community predicting that Japan will sink without trace in less than a year. As further earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions devastate Japan, the scientists devise a last ditch plan to save what remains of Japan by blowing holes in the disintegrating tectonic plate - a suicidal mission that will require the deployment of massive explosives deep in the earth's crust and calls upon the bravery and skill of the submarine captain. ...The Sinking of Japan ( Nihon chinbotsu ) ( Japan Sinks )
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It may only have made it to DVD in the West to cash in on 2012, but the 2006 version of Sinking of Japan turns out not to be the cheesefest the title and DVD cover promise but a not at all bad attempt at a thinking person's disaster movie - this is more Deep Impact than Armageddon. It doesn't always succeed, but it makes a serious attempt. Of course, the Japanese film industry have been destroying their major cities for decades, and even adapted the novel in 1973 with an Americanised version with added Lorne Greene making its way into US theatres as Tidal Wave.
Certainly the pretitle sequence of an air-sea rescue man coming to the rescue of a woman and child during a volcanic eruption holds the promise of plenty of dumb heroics, but it's merely a prelude to the film's central premise: that due to subduction of tectonic plates Japan will sink into the sea, and much faster than the government has planned for. Rather than going for a Roland Emmerich-style orgy of destruction, the film instead focuses more on the spiritual as well as practical questions that arise. Beyond issues of calculating the number of dead and trying to negotiate the relocation of the entire population on a reluctant world while the Yen falls and the worldwide emigrant influx in the wake of the country's staggered evacuation causes racial tensions, the film gives increasing weight to the idea of dying with (rather than for) your country - after all, what kind of life is left if your whole life and identity is tied up in a place? Within a generation will there even be any real Japanese left if there is no Japan? The result is some genuine emotional weight despite an ill-advised romantic ballad montage (not the film's sole silly moment: a scene where an irate scientist literally pushes ministers around the cabinet room is amusingly over the top). Ultimately it once again comes down to one man to save the day, with the ever-popular kaiju movie irony of a nuclear explosion being the only hope to save Japan from destruction, though it does seem more than a minor contrivance that with the fate of an entire nation at stake they only have one submarine and one igniter that can do the job.
Still, elsewhere it avoids most of the genre clichés. The effects are generally impressive but for the most part used to show the national picture rather than to put the main characters into harm's way and watch them frantically try to get out alive, and it takes the time to think through the emotional consequences of its situation. It's not perfect by any means, but it's a lot better than expected.
No extras, but a decent subtitled 2.35:1 widescreen transfer.
Certainly the pretitle sequence of an air-sea rescue man coming to the rescue of a woman and child during a volcanic eruption holds the promise of plenty of dumb heroics, but it's merely a prelude to the film's central premise: that due to subduction of tectonic plates Japan will sink into the sea, and much faster than the government has planned for. Rather than going for a Roland Emmerich-style orgy of destruction, the film instead focuses more on the spiritual as well as practical questions that arise. Beyond issues of calculating the number of dead and trying to negotiate the relocation of the entire population on a reluctant world while the Yen falls and the worldwide emigrant influx in the wake of the country's staggered evacuation causes racial tensions, the film gives increasing weight to the idea of dying with (rather than for) your country - after all, what kind of life is left if your whole life and identity is tied up in a place? Within a generation will there even be any real Japanese left if there is no Japan? The result is some genuine emotional weight despite an ill-advised romantic ballad montage (not the film's sole silly moment: a scene where an irate scientist literally pushes ministers around the cabinet room is amusingly over the top). Ultimately it once again comes down to one man to save the day, with the ever-popular kaiju movie irony of a nuclear explosion being the only hope to save Japan from destruction, though it does seem more than a minor contrivance that with the fate of an entire nation at stake they only have one submarine and one igniter that can do the job.
Still, elsewhere it avoids most of the genre clichés. The effects are generally impressive but for the most part used to show the national picture rather than to put the main characters into harm's way and watch them frantically try to get out alive, and it takes the time to think through the emotional consequences of its situation. It's not perfect by any means, but it's a lot better than expected.
No extras, but a decent subtitled 2.35:1 widescreen transfer.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I'm so pleased this remake of a 1973 movie which was known as TIDAL WAVE in a badly edited version is finally coming out in the UK. Obviously to cash in on the forthcoming release of "2012", but I would say this movie, which pre-dates "2012" by 3 years and contains elements that Roland Emmerich could have easily borrowed, is superior in many ways. Okay, we have goofy disaster movie science where crustal instability,extreme quakes and volcanic activity cause the islands of Japan to sink into the ocean, and how will we save the country . . . but the effects are the thing here. Earthquakes rip through cities and cause massive fissures in the land mass, giant tsunamis drown Tokyo, Mount Fuji erupts and we follow a cross section of survivors ranging from the scientist out to save the world to his family searching for higher ground to find safety on. Also the evacuation of Japan is covered - how would the rest of the world cope with an influx of refugees? Overall, like the Korean movie HAEUNDAE(aka TIDAL WAVE) which was out in 2009, this is a cut above American movies of this genre and comes highly recommended. I also hope "252 Signal Of Life" gets a UK release soon!
Format:DVD
A Japanese disater movie with English sub-titles from the book ' Japan Sinks ' by Sakyo Komatsu.
Having read the book the film soon departs from the original but nevertheless is a spectacular rendering of the fictional events which eventually see Japan vanishing under the sea.
All good entertainment which will be better for those that can hear the original language.
Having read the book the film soon departs from the original but nevertheless is a spectacular rendering of the fictional events which eventually see Japan vanishing under the sea.
All good entertainment which will be better for those that can hear the original language.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
not gud to watch
this dvd isent in english even tho u wood think it is is got sub titles 2 read but as iam not a fast reader i couldent read all wot was wrtoe in time before th next ones was up on... Read more
Published 10 months ago by diane
Can't blame this one on Godzilla
This is almost a good film and, whatever its flaws, fans of disaster movies won't be too disappointed with it. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Ian Williams
Still sinking after all these years
One of the central mythic archetypes of modern Japan is the idea that the country might be destroyed or otherwise erased at any moment, whether due to geological, nuclear or... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Quackser
Awesome Disaster
This may be a remake, but not for the better. It suffers from quite a number of defects. Higuchi Shinji's Sinking Of Japan was made some years ago. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Stratonautus
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