DEATH TRANCE (2005)

Long ago, the Goddess of Destruction waged war in the heavens until she was banished to the world below. It is here where she continued her atrocities until a lone warrior defeated her and sealed her within a coffin. The coffin was protected by a temple of warrior monks for thousands of years. That was until the temple was destroyed and the coffin stolen by a single man simply called Grave. Who is this man?  What does he seek? Death Trance is a mixed bag where the narrative is concerned. Apart from Grave himself, we encounter a number of characters who are trying to get their hands on the Goddess of Destruction’s coffin but for some, the reasons are hackneyed if not altogether questionable. While the motivations are clearly defined for most, it still doesn’t seem like the characters are aiming to do anything worth telling a story about.

Death Trance’s setting is somewhere between a period piece and Fist of the North Star. There are fighters of substantial size and questionable aesthetics that operate with the mindset of “see what you want and take it” with the only problem being the fact that Grave isn’t a guy you want to mess with no matter how tough you think you are. The world has plenty of anachronisms such as motorcycles, gun tonfas, gun swords, and even the fashion in some cases. Of course this doesn’t detract from the movie so much as it adds to its unique design.

The action scenes are a major focus of this film. There are many of them and they are all different from the last. From a sword fight that ends with someone getting shot, to a bar brawl with people fighting with Capoeira and gun tonfas, and even a battle in a forest where characters are using anything that’s not nailed down as a weapon. Death Trance gives Tak Sakaguchi free range to display the street fighting techniques that made him a sensation in the first place. While the fights aren’t as impressive as say those in Fatal Contact, they are quite imaginative and it perfectly complements the type of world in which Death Trance is set.

All of the actors and actresses in Death Trance played their parts really well. I was not familiar with Yuki Takeuchi but seeing her play the swordsman Yuri, I am convinced that no one could have played the part better. Yuri is alluring and naturally beautiful but also intelligent, powerful, and extremely cocky, all of which were traits Takeuchi herself had in spades so it was fairly easy to bring that out of Yuri’s character. Leading man Tak Sakaguchi returns to his origins as a Dark Hero in his portrayal of Grave. At the risk of venturing into a character actor, Sakaguchi does a fantastic job as Grave is a character who talks very few times in the movie and may have just two or three paragraphs of dialogue at the most, yet Sakaguchi is able to communicate what kind of character Grave is, and why Grave does what he does using non-verbals such as his body language, facial expressions, even his eyes. Grave has a balance of being a brutal man-child who solves problems with violence but he also has a certain code of honor and is more sensitive to others emotions than one might think, and Sakaguchi did an admirable job at portraying a character that while being similar to his previous character in VERSUS, is still a bit more complex.

Death Trance is a movie that clearly emphasis style over substance. It’s not deep or thought-provoking but I enjoyed it overall. Interesting characters, very good fight scenes, and a catchy soundtrack by Dir en Grey helped smooth out the rougher edges of the film. The only real downside is the cliché sequel set-up but that seems par for the course. Death Trance is not an amazing film, but it is a fun film that won’t disappoint.

Aragami (2003)

A samurai is brought to a mysterious estate on the verge of death. He awakens to find that his wounds are completely healed and without even a hint of scarring. The Samurai is introduced to Aragami, the owner of the estate and his maid who offer him food and shelter. The flooded roads and enemy forces in the area are convincing reasons for The Samurai to stay hidden in this estate, especially when he learns that somewhere out there is a tengu - an ancient Japanese demon of terrible power. When the Samurai's hosts are Aragami and his mysterious maid, could he be safer outside?

Aragami is part of the Duel Project which was arose from a challenge made between Ryuhei Kitamura and fellow director Yukihiki Tsutsumi. As per the challenge Kitamura had to make a movie that takes place in one scene, with two characters engaged in battle, in only one week. Very few directors can even conceive rising to a challenge like this but Kitamura doesn't disappoint. Although he is better known for VERSUS, Kitamura shows that he doesn't need to make action the center or his universe. The action is played down to just two scenes and the plot takes center stage.

Having dropped us at an undisclosed point during the Warring States Period, the movie takes place entirely inside one room of Aragami’s home. Given it’s architecture, it is probably a castle of some sort or at the very least, an elaborately decorated estate, but it hardly feels inviting. While the place is well lit, the use of blue and purple light provide a menacing atmosphere, while the statues, dark curtains, and weaponry almost turns the setting into an antagonist in its own right.

The cast should look familiar as Kitamura brings back many of the actors from his previous movies. Hideo Sakaki and Tak Sakaguchi from VERSUS, and Alive, return while Takao Osawa and Kanae Uotani were both in Sky High. With that in mind the entire cast gives a stellar performance regardless of how large or small their roles are. The person who steals the show however is Masaya Kato. This is due largely in part to the fact Ryuhei Kitamura used Kato himself as the basis for Aragami. In essence, Kato isn't playing a character so much as he's largely playing himself. With that said Aragami is cool, charismatic, and deadpan funny. The fight scenes also open an interesting demonstration of Kato's skill and athleticism who is surprisingly spry for someone with such a muscular frame.

The relationship between Aragami and The Samurai is the driving force of this movie. It is a powerful friendship forged in a very short time between two men who - in addition to possessing a code of honor also have a certain understanding as warriors. Initially, The Samurai is suspicious of Aragami and his mysterious female accomplice and rightfully so. As the two learn more about each other’s motivations and ideals, a bond begins to form between them and although they must fight, they can also be friends.

Aragami pays homage to Japanese dialogue plays which essentially consists of two characters sitting in one room and talking for the duration for the performance. While this would normally come across as boring to the Western audience, Aragami is often held in high acclaim even in America, where the vast majority of people are not used to this style of story-telling. This is due to three factors: the captivating performances of the actors, the intelligent and at times humorous dialogue, and the highly detailed and atmospheric room where the movie takes place.

Thanks to the impeccable directing and writing of Ryuhei Kitamura, as well as the performances of the cast, I found Aragami thoroughly engrossing. The moody atmosphere, the non-contemporary setting, and the well choreographed fight scenes definitely added more than a few brownie points to boot. While it's true that Aragami won’t appeal to everyone, it is a very good movie and a no-brainer for Kitamura fans or fans of Japanese movies.

- Jetstream Rev

VERSUS (2000)

Prisoner KSC2-303 is on the way to his execution when he escapes and flees to a mysterious forest in the mountains of Japan. After meeting up with his liberators, he learns that they are actually part of the Yakuza and they have no intention of leaving the forest until they receive orders from The Man.  Easily provoked and quick to resort to violence, Prisoner KSC2-303 kills one of the them and the scene quickly devolves to a Mexican Standoff. Everyone is surprised when the thug rises from the dead. After the initial shock, the Prisoner kills the man again and escapes with a female captive.  The two quickly find out that they have escaped to the Forest of Resurrection which is filled with dozens if not hundreds of bodies buried there by the Yakuza over the years. Plagued by zombies and thugs, the Prisoner and the Woman must find some way to escape, but when the Man shows up, he will reveal to them a horrifying destiny they could have never imagined.

The plot of VERSUS is actually very layered, having its origins in a movie that came out years before this one - Down2Hell.  It should be noted that VERSUS is an extraordinary film that is truly one of a kind. It's no exaggeration to say that this film made Ryuhei Kitamura's career and exposed his artistry to millions of overseas audiences despite it’s meager budget (it would have been impossible to make this film in America). VERSUS became a huge success because it had both style and substance.

There's even a subplot within VERSUS that makes meta-commentary about itself, but it was so well-written it's one of the most standout high-points of the film. Hilarious and unnecessary, the sub plot revolves around two cops who are trying to track down Prisoner KSC2-303.  They show up as comic relief and serve no other purpose than to constantly remind us that our main character is an escapee.  What’s great about them, is that they have that cliche dynamic of good cop/bad cop taken to the extreme and played for laughs. Despite the fact that one cop is a hothead and the other is calm and collected neither of them handle any situation in the best way. These two characters became so popular they received two shorts in the Japanese re-release of the film.

Ryuhei Kitamura grabs the mainstays of cinema, throws them in a blender, and hits frappe. He has taken zombies, swordfighting, Yakuza, marital arts, shoot em ups, and shaped them into a spectacle of an action film and he makes it look easy. Despite the numerous details and events going on in the movie every thing fits well together largely due to a script that is airtight.

The cast of VERSUS play their roles with finesse if over the top at times and even then it's within the range of their respective characters.  Instead of scouring Japan for actors who are already known, Kitamura was interested in people who could not only act, but fit his world.  The two cops are simply priceless and deserve a movie so that they might explore their acting caliber.  Kenji Matsuda is just too cool.  When he is not acting crazy, he just has this casual style, this swagger and this attitude that gives the impression that he runs the show which isn't far from the truth as he chews up the scenery and his character really stands out.

Tak Sakaguchi (Prisoner KSC2-303) and Hideo Sakaki (The Man) steal the show.

This is Sakaguchi's debut as the Dark Hero and it is this role that people associate with him. Prisoner KSC2-303 is not a nice guy.  He is not wrongly accused or thrown in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Everything on his rap sheet is legit. It's more accurate to call him a villain-protagonist because all it would take is a shift of focus to set the audience against him.

Hideo Sakaki is in a league of his own.  He is the cold calculating bad guy taken to the next level.  When he's told most of his men have been killed he already knows what really went down and doesn't make a big deal out of it. Even after he loses all of his henchman it's just business as usual to him and he ensures that even after experiencing a setback he'll hold the upper-hand. The movie has layers but it's not subtle. Betrayals are easy to see coming, it's easy to tell which characters are going to be alive by movies end, and when The Man shows up all hell breaks loose.

Kitamura didn't skimp on the details when it came to casting. With the exception of two or three of the cast members, every person in the film is a true-to-life martial artist and their skills are on full display in the film. What's great is that we see a wide array of styles including Judo, Kick Boxing, Shotokan, and Ken Po. Also, VERSUS does not overuse special effects. There are a few camera tricks with the lens to change the appearance of the daylight hours and there is some wire-work at the very end of the movie but none of these things are distracting. Kitamura relies on pure creativity and ingenuity in order to tell his story. Also, this is one of the better scores for Japanese action movies. The music doesn't just fit the scenes but also plays into the personality of some of the characters, giving the score a unique feel especially during the high intensity fight scenes.

It has action, style, a genuinely interesting plot, and some really funny scenes despite it's dark theme. The only real complaint I have about the film is that it ended with a cliffhanger and there was supposed to be a sequel to conclude this film. VERSUS was released in 2000. We're currently in 2013. That's all I'll say about that. If you aren't squeamish and if you aren't turned off but a sequel hook which obviously didn't lead to a sequel then I can't think of any reason you shouldn't check this film out. It was a very popular movie that saw three DVD releases so make sure you purchase the Ultimate VERSUS if you want the full experience.

- Jetstream Rev