Takeshi Kitano

Do you have a pilot in the plane, Brother? This new one feels like a spiritual successor to 'Getting Any'... it’s basically just making fun of everyone, especially himself. I caught a scene where he's driving around with those Dolls from the movie in his car...😁 😁
Anyway, Tarantino says after this film, he's moving into a whole new phase of his creative life...😁

drunkard said:It actually just hit me—wasn't that the same Takeshi who hosted American Gladiators on DSF? Does anyone else remember that show? Hahaha!
That final battle with those weird lungs, man... hahaha.

Man, wouldn't it be great if they brought that back? Just pure perfection...🙏 👍

glupinickname said:I actually found the movie pretty funny. Like, genuinely hilarious. It’s got that belsav comedy vibe, almost on the level of an American version of "Do you have a pilot in the plane." I guess it was funny enough that I was actually worried about waking up my mom in the next room because I couldn't stop laughing (CBS aired it late on a Sunday night). I might even try to track down a copy.

Personally, I thought the first half was solid—right up until they start mixing things up with that hitman character. From there, it just kind of goes downhill, and I barely made it to the end. But I'll admit, there were some decent bits in there...

Takeshi's... who were you watching?

I just finished it, and honestly, it was a total letdown. "Film" is a strong word for this; it felt more like a technical exercise. Sure, there are some decent moments with sudden bursts of violence or that specific sense of humor, but overall, it’s just exhausting and a tough watch.
Why isn't he going back to making those gritty crime dramas? What is this nonsense even supposed to be? 😢

I’ve been trying to guess the pattern here, but I’m coming up empty. What exactly is so bad about it? 😢

Possible SPOILER* regarding the section where Dolls is mentioned

So, I was just over on another thread talking about Tarantino, which reminded me of Kitana—who, honestly, is one of my absolute favorite directors. His films are just soaked in this incredible visual language, storytelling, and atmosphere; he’s really the master at handling themes like violence and romance, two things that seem totally irreconcilable at first glance, yet he manages to weave them together perfectly in almost everything he touches. For those of us who have seen his work and actually enjoy it (and even for the critics who follow him but can't stand him), it’s pretty obvious that those long, lingering shots and the minimal dialogue are his most striking trademarks. In that regard, his films Ana natsu, ichiban shizukana umi and Dolls really stand out. To me, the former is probably his best work because it captures that irony between the imagery and the sound of the ocean without being pretentious or overly philosophical—it just slowly pulls you into a sort of Kitano-mode that practically pins you to your seat. On the flip side, Dolls is primarily an art-visual piece where Kitana explores the morbidity of emotion in the most haunting way possible. Through a collection of beautiful, heavy symbolism, he presents three unfinished love stories in the most brutal, grim manner imaginable. By the end, it hits you like a slow, massive freight train—it shakes you up and leaves you feeling somewhat emotionally revolted... He’s a brilliant director with incredible films. There’s certainly plenty to unpack there...

Honestly, if you want to actually grasp everything happening in "Dolls," you’re going to need to sit through it at least three times just to catch all those subtle details... at least, that’s how long it took me to wrap my head around it. 😬

Robert Cooper41 said:Honestly, if you want to actually grasp everything happening in "Dolls," you’re going to need to sit through it at least three times just to catch all those subtle details... at least, that’s how long it took me to wrap my head around it. 😬

I’ve never actually watched Dolls more than once—even though I’ve always felt this nagging urge to. That first time I sat through Dolls... I honestly felt like a single lifetime wouldn't be enough to wrap my head around every little detail and truly grasp what was happening, even if I know deep down that isn't actually the case...

I just finished watching Violent Cop. It wasn't great.

I can't quite put my finger on why, but the pacing of the characters feels incredibly sluggish. Every time an action sequence kicks off, the momentum dies because the characters themselves seem to move in slow motion.

Take this first instance:
The criminal—who is clearly a heartless killer and a total sadist—stabs the protagonist. The lead manages to escape into an alleyway, but then the villain catches up, presses a gun to his head, and instead of pulling the trigger, he just stands there for an eternity.

Second example:
A guy bursts into a garage, spots an armed enemy, and decides to just walk toward him, risking his life needlessly instead of simply opening fire immediately.

Third example:
When they raid that dealer's apartment... the guy just stands at the doorway while the dealer beats those three people up. He stays glued to the door instead of stepping in to help. What was that?

Beyond that, the editing is frustratingly disjointed. A character approaches another... pause... says something... pause... the other responds... pause... they walk away. What is the purpose of these constant, awkward pauses?

The fight scenes aren't edited well either; it makes the cops look like they’re fighting like some rough middle schoolers.

The same goes for the scene where the guy hits the dealer with the car for the first time... it’s painfully obvious he just threw himself onto the ground.

I did appreciate the underlying message, though. Nothing actually changes. The young trainee becomes corrupt, and one mob boss is simply replaced by another.

Violent Cop: 5 out of 10.

Robert Cooper41 said:Honestly, if you want to actually grasp everything happening in "Dolls," you’re going to need to sit through it at least three times just to catch all those subtle details... at least, that’s how long it took me to wrap my head around it. 😬

Between Hana-Bi and Dolls... those two are easily my favorites...🙏🙏

I'm feeling nostalgic for Brother again 🙂

I’m all for him. 😁 It’s been a while since I sat down for one of his movies. I went through his entire filmography once, and I have to say, the man was incredibly prolific... 😍

The one thing I'm really curious about is Blade of the Immortal.

crimsonmoose3 said:I’m all for him. 😁 It’s been a while since I sat down for one of his movies. I went through his entire filmography once, and I have to say, the man was incredibly prolific... 😍

The one thing I'm really curious about is Blade of the Immortal.

You're bringing up Takashi, but this thread is about Takeshi. 😁

electriccanyon26 said:You're bringing up Takashi, but this thread is about Takeshi. 😁

My bad, blame Takeshi. 😁

I mean, honestly, I think Takeshi Kitano is just incredible. Like, whenever I decide to dive into one of his movies, I already know I'm going to have a blast.

☕

I actually just finished watching Brother. It’s pretty good, though some of the plot points felt a little out there, you know? A bit weird in the script department... Still, it’s nice to see a fresh take on an action flick. He really should dive deeper into more Japanese stories next time.

So, I was doing a little digging into how this movie even came to be. Apparently, Kitano was really pushing to break into the American market, which explains why the production feels the way it does...

On RT, it's sitting at a 48% approval rating, and honestly, even Kitano didn't seem thrilled with how everything turned out. But hey, that doesn't mean it isn't worth a watch!