Tokyo Zombie (2007)
Review by the Film Fiend
I first discovered the talented Mr. Aikawa through Takashi Miike’s uber-bizarro yakuza flick Dead or Alive, and I’ve been hooked on the man’s work ever since. If forced to choose, Miike’s masterpiece Gozu is probably my favorite Aikawa film thus far. However, if Tokyo Zombie is any indication of what’s to come, Japanese filmmakers have merely scratched the surface of the Aikawa’s inherent greatness. Of course, if you doubt my words, your computer shall self-destruct within the hour. Sorry about that, but it’s out of my hands now.
Playing like a mix of Dumber & Dumber, Land of the Dead, and any number of those countless Van Damme tournament pictures, Sakichi Sato’s insanely hilarious adaptation of Yusaku Hanakuma’s manga will surely pull you into Aikawa’s fanbase if you’re not already a hardcore card-carrying member. But to say that Sho is the only reason to watch this film would be selling it short. Filled with Miike-esque humor, Jujitsu madness, and a conclusion that’s as goofy as anything you’ve ever seen, Tokyo Zombie could be one the greatest Jujitsu/zombie apocalypse movies in the history of cinema.
After getting busted for goofing off at work, lovable morons Fujio (the always enjoyable Tadanobu Asano) and Mitsuo (Aikawa) are forced to murder their high-strung boss Ujimoto, whose abusive nature is threatening his wimpy employees’ well-being. Like everyone else in Tokyo with a body to stash, they take his rotting corpse to Black Fuji, a mountainous black mound of garbage the people of this sprawling city use to dispose of their undesirables. Though some use it to ditch unwanted household appliances and dirty magazines, most use it to hide the bodies the recently deceased.
Unfortunately, the toxic combination of solid waste and human flesh has reached its boiling point, causing the dead to rise from their shallow graves. It doesn’t take long for these Tokyo zombies to infest the country, sending our bumbling buddies on a road trip to Russia. Why Russia, you ask? Because Russia is manly, of course! Their extended holiday is abruptly interrupted by a band of flesh-eating shuffle-butts, and the duo soon find themselves in a gated community run by the rich and powered by the poor, where zombie tournament fights are held to alleviate the stress of these money-hungry moguls. If Land of the Dead had a sense of humor, you’d have Tokyo Zombie in a nutshell.
I’m purposely leaving a ton of stuff out of my snazzy little synopsis. A large part of Tokyo Zombie’s charm is seeing how these zany events unfold and what, exactly, is lurking around the next corner. Without giving too much away, I will say that the film is divided into two distinct halves, each with their own unique style and sense of humor. The first is your standard road trip fare, while the second half is devoted to the zombie tournament fights, as well as Fujio’s relationship with an angry young woman and their mute daughter.
Director Sakichi Sato — who also penned Miike’s Ichi the Killer and its prequel, as well as the mind-numbingly bizarre Gozu — manages to balance all of the on-screen insanity by making Fujio and Mitsuo both comical and heartfelt. Their relationship is not unlike Harry and Lloyd of Dumb & Dumber fame: you can tell from the get-go that both men have a deep kinship that stretches beyond the basic student-teacher dynamic. It’s almost a brotherly love, one that supersedes all idiotic behavior and thoughtless ribbing. Had their friendship not been as warm and well-defined as it appears in the film, I don’t think I would have been nearly as engaged and enthralled. You genuinely want to know where they’re headed next, and that element alone will keep you watching.
Sporting a bald wig and a maniacal gleam in his eyes, Sho Aikawa literally steals every scene he’s in. Whether it’s directing his student in the ways of Jujitsu or battling an endless army of mindless zombies, Sho is truly at the top of his game. You can tell when the guy is on auto-pilot and when he genuinely cares about the project he’s working on. Blood Heat — or Muscle Heat, depending on your preference — is a good example of Aikawa going through the motions. Here, he’s just as nutty and outrageous as he was in Gozu, which I consider to be his best performance to-date. When the guy turns on the heat, the guy turns on THE HEAT. Ya dig?
Tadanobu Asano does a fine job, as well, especially during those particularly goofy tournament scenes. Fujio’s devotion to his craft and his mentor are unshakable, and Asano does a fine job of bringing those elements to life with a performance that’s suitably understated and well-fined. The film is also backed by a strong supporting cast, though none of them really stick around for very long. No, this is purely Aikawa and Asano’s show. That’s fine by me.
Like Shaun of the Dead, Tokyo Zombie uses a stereotypical zombie invasion as a backdrop for greater things. At its heart, the film is about friendship, about perseverance, told with deft comedic timing. It’s never slow, never dull, and it never mistreats the its characters. Aikawa and Asano are perfect together, and I hope the movie does well enough to spawn the sequel promised by its very odd conclusion. In the meantime, I’ll be more than happy to revisit Tokyo Zombie every so often in the comfort of my own home. It’s not high-art, dear readers, but it doesn’t want to be. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to take a trip to Black Fuji.
I’ve heard the latest issue of Hard Bastard is still out there.
Available from Amazon
Popularity: 2% [?]
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