This was probably the best time travel alien invasion gangster movie I have ever seen. It owes much to the Hong Kong action movies of John Woo and follows the story beats common to this type of Asian crime cinema only with a hard sci fi edge. I was impressed with all the creative gunfight stunt work that only served to enhance an already fantastic science fiction adventure tale.
Ritânâ (the Japanese name for this feature) - After an alien invasion threatens to annihilate the human race, a young Japanese girl, named Milly (Anne Suzuki), travels back in time from 2084 to October 2002, and enlists the reluctant aid of skilled Tokyo gunman, named Miyamoto (Takeshi Kaneshiro), to discover and prevent the start of the war. However, trouble ensues when the two protagonists are forced to deal with a Japanese mafia boss, named Mizoguchi (Goro Kishitani), who is somehow involved in the start of the war by keeping the first alien spaceship and its alien pilot captive, while our two heroes race against the clock to find a way to stop the oncoming destruction from the vengeance-seeking alien invasion fleet on its way to Earth.
I enjoyed watching the English translation with the subtitles. It was rare that the spoken words actually matched up with the words on the screen and that was fun.
Anne Suziki makes for a spunky heroine with literally the entire world on her shoulders and Takeshi Kaneshiro is the shady agent who she enlists against his will to help her in her mission. Their characters have a great breezy chemistry between them.
I hate to say this but I would like to see this idea get the Hollywood remake treatment. I would love to see a Chloe Morentz or Hailee Steinfeld as Milly with a Justin Timberlake as Miyamoto.
This movie moves at a great pace taking just enough time to establish the situation, the players and the nice relationship moments between the two leads.
No adventure film worth it's salt is anything without a good villain and this one has a doozy. Gorô Kishitani as murderous gangster Mizoguchi is just this side of crazy to be a deadly formidable opponent. You knew from the moment this fox was let into the hen house that it wouldn't turn out good for anyone. He has this marvelous grin when he plans his evil and you can see the wheels turning in his mind.
The script has the danger ramp up as the time to invasion ticks down. The effects are cutting edge for the time and don't overpower the story. There is just enough grit to take the shine off all the alien stuff and really root the story in it's own realism.
I really enjoyed being taken on this ride.
8/10
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6 comments:
There's another amazing up-and-coming young actress I'm not sure you're familiar with-- Saoirse Ronan (pronounced seer-shuh).who seems to just own every role she takes. She was a murdered girl navigating the dreamscape afterlife in "The Lovely Bones", a precociously literate amateur playwright in "Atonement", and more recently in "Hanna" as an ethereal Bourne-esque supersoldier on the run from the CIA program that genetically engineered her. "Hanna" also stars Eric Bana as her father and Cate Blanchett as the CIA agent hot on their heels. I strongly urge you to put it at the top of your queue as I have no doubts that it is right up your alley-- unforgettable young heroine, globe-trotting adventure, gorgeous Arctic wilderness, and slick action.
I like Saoirse very much. She is magnetic in everything that she does. I was hoping for her to get the lead in 'Hunger Games'. 'Hanna' is a very cool movie. I could watch her character in a trilogy of movies like Jason Bourne.
I really wish there was a role for her in Game of Thrones.
She really has a timeless beauty that would allow her to fit seamlessly into that kind of setting.
Saoirse is an amazing talent. I discovered her through watching City Of Ember.
glad you enjoyed it. It was a fun little movie. Surprised it didn't become an international hit.
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