Exiled (2006)

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Posted on September 25, 2007 by James

After following reckless and ruthless triad bosses across Hong Kong and China in Election and its sequel, Johnnie To returns to the perspective of the heroic underling as well as to the celebrated story dimension of 1999’s The Mission, one of the major highlights of his prolific career.

Exiled is neither a direct sequel or prequel to The Mission, but rather an interplay of similarities and divergences from the earlier film’s plot, themes, characters and stylistic approach. … (read more)

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Daredevil in the Castle (1961)

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Posted on September 25, 2007 by Justin

In his prolific and much-lauded career, Toshiro Mifune worked with director Hiroshi Inagaki even more often than he did with his more celebrated collaborator Akira Kurosawa — the best-known product of these collaborations is the Miyamoto Musashi trilogy, with Mifune playing the title character. Working for the Toho studio, Inagaki was a very well-respected writer/director during the 1950s and 60s with a bit of a specialisation in period action films: his Musashi films and his version of The 47 Ronin… (read more)

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Death Trance (2005)

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Posted on September 25, 2007 by Alan

There’s an awful lot of biffo in ‘Death Trance’, which is to be expected from the Yuki Shimomura, the action director of the barking mad Versus making his directorial debut here.

And that’s pretty much the point of the film — there’s not too much interference from that pesky plot stuff. In fact, at one point, Grave, the vaguely androgynous anti-hero of the film, gets an explanation of back story from Ryuen (Takamasa Suga), the temple monk sent after him … (read more)

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Gun X Sword (2006)

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Posted on September 25, 2007 by Andy

Gun X Sword creates a sense of unease right from the get go. Its hero Van’s (literal) Puritan attire of uncocked, felt hat and black longcoat seem to be cast offs from Vampire Hunter D. The hand-me-downs don’t end there. Van is not only a dead-ringer for Cowboy Bebop’s Spike but his personality is a facsimile right down to his melancholy indifference to the world around him. Finally, Gun X Sword’s setting, the planet Endless Illusion, is a futuristic … (read more)

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Gilgamesh (2003)

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Posted on September 25, 2007 by Deni

Long has mythology and history inspired anime. Remember Studio Pierrot’s Mysterious Cities of Gold back in the 80’s, where ancient South American technology was set against the backdrop of a boy’s search for his father? Or how about something from more recent memory, like Rah Xephon for example, where oracles and obscure references to the Greek arts take centre stage? Even the epic Neon Genesis Evangelion could be said to draw upon aspects of religious mythology, making a good argument … (read more)

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Fafner (2006)

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Posted on September 25, 2007 by Andy

With teen mecha pilots, huge glowing celestial enemies and poly-mythological naming conventions with a leaning toward the Norse and the sturm und drang of Wagner’s Ring cycle, Fafner doesn’t so much wear its influences on its sleeve as tailor a whole leisure suit out of them.

What Fafner may lack in concept originality, it certainly makes up for with intrigue. The first volume works hard to set up an array of mysteries that pretty much indicate there aren’t one or … (read more)

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Ergo Proxy (2006)

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Posted on September 25, 2007 by Deni

Themes highlighting and questioning identity – and by associated extremes, reality itself – are hardly rare in anime but rarely has any series attempted to take the identity crisis to the levels that Manglobe production Ergo Proxy manages. And probably, that sounds like a criticism. Well, it is, and it isn’t.

Ergo Proxy is its own paradox: an obscure and demanding story in some respects, more puzzle than entertainment. Yet it’s also inarguably engaging; a love story, a journey, part … (read more)

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Lupin the Third: Castle Of Cagliostro (1979)

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Posted on September 23, 2007 by James

Before commencing a period of activity that – from Nausicaa to the present – has so far given us a dozen or so of the greatest animated movies we’re ever likely to see, Hayao Miyazaki and his future Studio Ghibli colleagues completed this second animated feature in the Lupin III franchise.

A thrills and spills adventure movie with a touch of romance, dash of intrigue and liberal spread of action, Castle of Cagliostro stands as great an achievement in a … (read more)

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