Review

Micchan and Mistuo are two losers working in a fire extinguisher warehouse on the outskirts of Tokyo. When I say "working", I mean practicing their Jujitsu, Micchan is trying to train Mistuo in the rather homoerotic looking martial art for no apparent reason. Naturally they are caught gyrating on a mat by their Boss, who is less than impressed. In the wash up the Boss is killed, and our pair decide to bury the corpse on "Black Fuji", a mountain of industrial waste and chemicals. Seems the mountain is a popular place to dispose of dead relatives, co-workers, and any stray body you might have lying around the place. Naturally the chemicals and waste bring the dead back to life as flesh devouring zombies!

With Tokyo falling to the undead plague Micchan and Mistuo take to the road in a strange attempt to drive to Russia, Japan being an Island might be a problem. They team up with Yoko, though it might be construed the two jujitsu masters kidnapped her, and Micchan eventually get's bitten by a Granny with false teeth. From there the movie gets surreal as it keeps in contact with the Manga it's based off. When the going gets tough who you gonna call? - well not these two anyway.

There are a number of things that need mentioning before this movie review kicks off, so getting them out of the way up front. Firstly second movie review, last of the year, and another Asian movie? Secondly since when do the Japanese do horror-comedy? And finally anyone believing this is the Japanese Shaun of the Dead really need to get out into their horror movie aisle more often. While I really do like some Japanese horror, Ring, Dark Water etc, this one wasn't working for me. I've seen some adaptations of Manga previously that were well worth the time tuning in for, but Tokyo Zombie put paid to any warm fuzzies I might have. The movie attempted to kamikaze my lounge, but missed my apartment completely!

While I was digging the leads, Micchan is balding and always takes a pessimistic view to what life can throw at him, while Mistuo sports an afro that was just screaming out soul glow and is more apt to simply wander through life in a semi daze condition, they couldn't carry the movie beyond about ten minutes of entertainment. I was getting bored with the chop suey, yes I know Chinese reference - suck it up, and the seemingly random lurching from scene to scene. While the movie is being sold on the zombie action, pretty much the zombies are only there to provide some light entertainment. Anyone else thought the arena of death in the second half of the movie was pulled undead and screaming from Romero's Land of the Dead? I don't know, maybe this worked better for Japanese people, I was left slightly bored and noting the lack of funds or filming ability during some scenes that were poorly constructed.

For once I got to say I had a bad time with a J-horror outing, maybe I didn't get the cultural norms being hammered

I got to say I wasn't impressed with the movie structure either, it sort of clunked along without really nailing the change in tempo and situation. The first half of the movie plays like a standard zombie romp, with a gradually worsening situation as the plague spreads via bites. Our duo, besides being somewhat psycho in outlook, wonder dazed and confused through the growing apocalypse, with the single idea of driving to Russia upmost in their minds. Along the way they pick up Yoko and Micchan is lost to a possible zombie bite. About mid way through the movie, and at this stage it's getting pretty aimless, we jump to five years in the future with a short narration of intervening proceedings via an animation montage of the Samurai Jack variety. The second half of the movie takes place in a walled Tokyo fortress of the Land of the Dead variety, with the rich living off the efforts of the put upon poor. There's some truly cringe worthy ideas floating around in the second half the movie that had me face palming myself repeatedly.

Adding to the general tedium, the jokes are wide of the mark in this one - once again they may work for a Japanese audience, is a whole dollop of sentimentality that falls flatter than a pancake on a hot griddle. Yoko summed it up best, "are you f**king retarded". Director/Writer Sakichi Satô might be trying to channel Shaun of the Dead in this aspect of his movie, but clearly he has no idea about what makes the Brit movie work. Tokyo Zombie labours its points and the character development and self realisation is essential non-interesting, leaving not a lot to be taken from the movie.

The zombies in Tokyo Zombie are so clearly extras that it becomes somewhat amusing to watch them trying to get their zombie shuffle on. While I've got nothing against extras, where would the industry be without them, it's indicative of Director Sakichi Satô's lackadaisical approach to his movie that the audience are well aware that relatives, friends, and any local wandering past has been enlisted to help with the flick. The zombie makeup itself went nowhere, but that could be due to a lack of serious budget rather than lack of skill on the part of the makeup department.

While there have been successful Japanese zombie properties, Wild Zero for example, the sub genre really isn't a J-Horror staple and I get the feeling that Japanese Writers and Directors really don't know what they are doing when they dial into the shambling undead. For the Japanese the idea remains moribund in a certain Romero time loop, whereas for better or worse the zombie notion is evolving in the west. Actually come to think of it, for the worse definitely in the West as movie maker after movie maker lowers the concept to brain dead teen fodder, no pun intended. The Japanese are far more adept at handling revenants, ghosts, and all manner of demons, stick to what you are good at would be my call.

So I was kind of up for a zombie movie, as long as it didn't feature the fast moving flesh eaters that have overrun the sub-genre, and I kind of got what I wanted with Tokyo Zombie. However the humour didn't work for me, this is no Shaun of the Dead more an oriental Land of the Dead, the zombie action was secondary, and the self evaluating leads had me wanting to fast forward whole segments of the film. I'm not entirely sure who this movie would appeal to, hence am giving it no recommendation at all. For the first time in my recent exposure to Asian horror I got to say I have run across a movie that is pretty piss poor in Tokyo Zombie. There's a whole lot better Asian horror out there, give this poor effort a miss would be my call, it'll be a black day on Fuji san before I watch the flick again.

Eastern Eye have our backs with Tokyo Zombie, delivering a single disc jam packed with extras. Check your local outlet if they stock Eastern Eye product as the movie will be included somewhere for a reasonable price.

What I learnt from this movie is that the Japanese are one step away from living in a Manga inspired insanity dream.