Tokyo Zombie [DVD]

A lot of fans seem quite excited over the long-awaited North American release of Tokyo Zombie on DVD, and I can't say I blame them. I've seen some seriously wacky Japanese films in my day (and you don't really know what wacky is until you've seen the Japanese variety), but this over-the-top zombie comedy thoroughly revels in its zaniness. I have to say that some parts of the film didn't really click with me, but Tokyo Zombie's originality and sheer chutzpah go a long way toward minimizing whatever complaints I might have - and I'm sure many a fan will enjoy Tokyo Zombie more than I did, especially those familiar with the original manga by Yusaku Hanakuma (illustrated in the "so bad it's good" heta-uma style). Heck, just thinking back on it makes me realize I like this film even more than I thought I did as I was watching it. It does have a little bit of everything - zombies, black comedy, social commentary, class warfare, gore, sex (including a zombie BJ, which really isn't the way you want to go out), etc. - and it features cult film stars Tadanobu Asano (Ichi The Killer [DVD] [2001]) and Sho Aikawa (Dead Or Alive [DVD] [1999]) as the best buddies at the center of the weirdest zombie apocalypse I've encountered in quite some time. I might also mention that the film is directed by Sakicho Sato, the man who wrote the script for Ichi the Killer.

Fujio (Tadanobu Asano) and Mitsuo (Sho Aikawa) - or, for the sake of convenience, Afro and Baldy - are two blue collar workers at a fire extinguisher plant who spend most of their time practicing jiujitsu (which involves far too much rolling around on the ground together, if you ask me). Their mean boss doesn't appreciate their dreams of becoming fighters, which leads to his accidental death. The two friends decide to bury him on Mount Fuji, a huge trash dump that has grown up in the middle of Tokyo (and a popular place for disposing of future mothers-in-law and other folks you want to get rid of). Unfortunately, the place is so full of dead bodies and dangerous contaminants that some sort of chemical reaction begins reanimating the dead in the form of shambling zombies. So the rest of the film must be your basic survivors trying to survive the zombie apocalypse, right? Au contraire, my friend.

The two friends are separated before they can follow through with their "real men go to Russia" plan, at which point the story leaps five years into the future. Tokyo is now a three-class society, as the rich and elite who managed to survive the zombie apocalypse have enslaved their fellow survivors and like to pit the strongest of them against zombie opponents for their own amusement. Fujio has become one of the human champions, even though his commitment to jiujitsu makes him a "boring" fighter that the crowds love to hate (although the fight promoter is overly fond of him). Don't let the film's abrupt transition mid-way through get you down, though, as the zany comedy continues in full force all the way through the film's sequel-begging conclusion. I hesitate to say any more than that about the plot.

I don't think there's much middle ground to be had here, as most viewers will either love or hate this film. Many Western viewers will undoubtedly watch this film expecting to see a typical zombie bloodbath, and some will be disappointed because that isn't what this movie is about. Yes, there's a limited amount of gore, but it's far from realistic. Those who can't adapt to what they are seeing and embrace the story as an exceedingly weird and far-reaching comedy may feel cheated. That being the case, I certainly wouldn't recommend this film to anyone unfamiliar with Asian cinema. The more familiar you are with Asian - especially Japanese - horror in all of its amazing and oftentimes brilliantly original guises, the easier it will be for you to recognize and embrace the dark, wacky genius of Tokyo Zombie.

And I'm not just talking about the decision to compare it to Shaun Of The Dead on the cover. The marketing people behind this DVD should be shot. This film is absolutely nothing like Shaun Of The Dead at all.

But what is it like? Well, erm, I don't know, really. It's quite unlike anything I've ever seen. It's one part zombie film, one part romance, one part buddy comedy, one part wrestling / ju-jitsu, one part action thriller - and every single one of them is completely nuts.

As a whole, the film never really flows because it just jumps so ludicrously from one element to the other, but it's certainly never boring or predictable and it is quite often very funny indeed. Perfect for fans of indie curios and suplexing zombies.

Firstly just to say am a huge fan of Japanese cinema and would set the expectation level that if you've never seen a Jpn cult film before then please don't expect a Hollywood blockbuster. This film is incredibly cheap (although to be fair the effects are pretty reasonable mostly and the animated sections are excellent) and there are some cultural differences and uses of language that you may not be comfortable with.
So, the good - the two lead characters are genuinely funny, their sections are amusing and if the film just focused on them and their adventure it would have been a 4 star movie (more on this below). Some of the other little touches (the hand squeezing electric company, the master teasing the student about his 'experiences' at school) are funny too, and the twist right at the end is genuinely inventive and, again, very amusing.
And, the bad - the introduction of the female character and (spoilers) the switch to the zombie fighting arena completely ruin the film and the film should have avoided them completely. The female character is awful, terribly written, completely unlikeable and as soon as she enters the films pace falls thru the floor. If you skip thru this section (I have to be completely honest, I found the middle 40 minutes so awful I have fast forwarded and not watched it properly) then you've got a 4 star beginning and ending (the return of the other main character, the twist and the zombie ringmaster), just take my advice and skip thru as soon as the girl enters.
A shame as it could have been so much more, but if you're a fan of Jpn cinema then I would recommend it as it is a nice take on the genre and genuinely different to most Jpnese cult films, plus will have some laugh out loud moments (plus some dull, tedious sections you'll want to avoid).