Movie Review: Crows Zero

Crows Zero

Japan, 2007

Genre: Gangster, High School

130 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1016290/

A prequel to the manga series by Hiroshi Takahashi, Takashi Miike directs the origins of Genji’s rise to power in the ultra-violent Suzuran All-Boys High School.

In the chaotic world of Takashi’s Suzuran, a student’s worth is proved by his fists and his gang. Our protagonist, Takiya Genji, transfers to the high school in hopes of conquering it, a feat his yakuza father was unable to do decades ago. Like other yakuza and criminal films, Miike touches on themes of friendship and loyalty, the bonds between men forged in battle, and the respect given to leaders who show their strength to their followers. While the writing is rather contrived in places (in particular the repeated use of a love interest as a convenient plot point), the actors open up the space and bring the audience into the story very well. While switching back and forth between adolescent humor and dramatic tension, the cast is guilty of hamming it up in places, but it mostly goes unnoticed.

The photography of the film isn’t particularly outstanding, although there are a few truly iconic scenes. Miike does manage to capture the epic atmosphere demanded by the story, and yet keeps the camera relatively grounded, gritty enough to embrace the visceral nature of the subject matter. This works against the audience in some of the action sequences, which can become confusing before identifying characteristics are clear to the viewer. Even at the end of the film, when we’re aware of who is beating up whom (generally given away by their outlandish hairstyles), faces and identities get lost in the shuffle. Although not usually vital to understanding the story by the end, enthusiasts of fights on film may have a hard time of enjoying these pieces.

The action itself is superb, and the cinematography doesn’t always do it justice. Bordering between brutal realism and cartoonish violence, the comic book roots are clearly evident. The choreography is simple and direct; expect lots of haymakers and straight knees to the midsection. With the addition of the flashy kick or pro-wrestling throw here and there, the result ends up looking very much like a manga about violent teenagers in a comic book scrap. While not particularly elegant or fantastic like the Hong Kong style of fight scenes, Crows Zero has its own rather pleasing aesthetic, thanks in part to very impressive editing and scoring. The climax of the film shifts moods dynamically, but it fits so well that it’s almost unnoticeable.

Having never read the Crows manga, I can’t say for certain how accurate an adaptation Miike produced. However, as a piece of film on its own merits, I can say that Crows Zero is a very fun movie for comic book violence.

Movie Review: Flash Point

Dou Fo Sin

“Flash Point” or “City With No Mercy”

Hong Kong, 2007

Genre: Crime Drama

88 minutes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0992911/

Donnie Yen returns as a hard-nosed cop, bent on taking down a dangerous gang of Vietnamese smugglers. With his partner undercover within their organization, the ties of friendship and loyalty are tested as the gang hunt down the mole.

Last week we looked at SPL, the first collaboration between director Wilson Yip and action star Donnie Yen. Originally intended to be a spin-off from SPL, Flash Point was later changed to be a stand-alone film due to copyright issues. With much of the same team working on this film, it would be easy to assume that it would live up to its predecessor. However, this is not the case. While the fight choreography and the action sequences definitely surpass the already high bar set by 2005’s SPL, the other elements that made the first film so great were sorely overlooked.

Yen plays a carbon copy of his character from SPL, a by-the-books investigator with unbelievably strong fighting skills. Whereas in the previous film he was an outsider taking over an established team, however, in Flash Point he’s already heading an investigation against a trio of Vietnamese brothers. The villains, like Sammo Hung’s character, also have a tragic backstory, as they try to assert themselves in the criminal underworld, all while taking care of their senile mother. This is where the film begins to fall apart. While acted fairly well in comparison to other fight films, Flash Point’s plot becomes overly complicated in its attempts to give every supporting character some element of tragedy. Contrived and melodramatic, it takes itself far too seriously as it progresses towards the action-packed climax. By the end of the movie, it becomes apparent that the characters are simply fighting for the sake of fighting, having lost any sense of reason or motivation. If this was a simpler film, this would have been fine, but as it was, the ending becomes clichéd and overdrawn.

It must be said, however, that the fights themselves are absolutely fantastic. Yen demonstrates every bit of his athleticism and agility in his action scenes, utilizing an even larger repertoire of martial arts styles than he did in SPL. The final scene between him and Collin Chou is lengthy and impressive, a full eight minutes of hard-hitting, gut-busting, and bone-breaking action. It is and rightly should be hailed as Donnie Yen’s finest choreography to date, using a cinematically beautiful combination of kung fu, kickboxing, and submission grappling. While the film as a whole probably won’t last as an exemplary piece of film-making, Flash Point is still worth picking up just for the chance to see a suplex in a kung fu movie.