Rating: 
Summary: You will be hungry for real ramen!
Review: It can be very difficult to describe this movie and what the premise or plot is. Oh, there is the central plot, make no mistake, but the entirity of the film is a flurry of sub-stories and vignettes that act like ingredients to the ever-present ramen (Japanese noodle soup) otherwise known as this brilliant gem out of Japan. The bottom line, the final product is a fancifal tale based around food and how our lives are encompassed by it, how we struggle with it, and most importantly how integral it is to human beings on the whole.Tampopo also is an homage film to a few genres depending on the scene. For example, Goro (an obvious samurai reference) drives into town on a truck... with cow horns on the top! He wears the cowboy hat constantly and those themes are as thick as the noodles he's seeking out. There is also a tribute to Chaplin/Keaton and the silent comedies with one of the vagabonds in his efforts to make a rice omelette. There are a few mob movie shots as well, including the semi-narrator or guide of the man in the white suit. Beyond celebrating these genres, though, as well as film itself, this really is a story about food. Tampopo is a widowed soup cook who can't really make soup. Ramen, one of the staple Japanese foods, is as varied and unique in stores throughout the town as there are chicken soup recipes in the US. She can't seem to make a good bowl, though, and Goro feeling bad for her, decides to stay on and help her out with the help of his sidekick Gun. Along the way, they pick up a colorful band of characters each with his own addition to the recipe and technique that helps Tampopo understand the importance of finding that perfect bowl of Ramen. Light-hearted, more than a bit hilarious, and full of twists and turns, Tampopo is definitely one of the best movies to come out of Japan. Aside from comedy or possibly drama, one would be hard-pressed to try to define this movie as the movie more defines itself and others like it. A life story for sure, definitely a good laugh, and a little eye-opening at times, too. Not for children, though, as there is some nudity and minor violence. Film buffs should already own this movie and anyone else who has a love of film or a desire for one of the most fun movies ever made, pick this one up. You will not be disappointed. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Warning
Review: This DVD is in my garbage. I bought it for a young person who is learning Japanese. There is some good stuff, humor, cooking, but the cruelty is such that I could not give it to her. The worst is the live, struggling small turtle being sliced straight down, all along the body, just behind the head in front of the shell. There are also some unpleasant sex scenes, including a man stimulating a young woman by placing a container of live fish to wiggle against her bare abdomen. What a disappointment!
Rating:
Summary: A gem in the tradition of movies about food
Review: After one rental viewing, I had to own this hysterical, absurd parody of Japanese food, culture, and the American Western. From the beginning scene when a well-dressed connoisseur of food and film introduces the film - and rules of film etiquette - to the segue into the real "movie" with Goro, our hero, complete with cowboy hat and riding in his tanker truck, cab decorated on top with a pair of bull horns, this film celebrates everything it purports to, including Japanese food and film. Goro decides to mentor Tampopo, the owner of a corner noodle stand in improving her apparently very sub-par soup. There ensues a montage of preparation and work-outs that could if been lifted straight from "Rocky." Excellent scene, as well in which a group of homeless people review various 4 star restaurant establishments based on their leftovers. Genius. A wider variety of cinematographic choices - close ups, approaching shots, and vaseline-lensed romance sequences - are almost characters in and of themselves, adding to the absurdity of Tampopo. The sometimes meandering quality of the film gives us a wonderful window into the role of food in EVERY aspect of Japanese life. The acting performances are solid. I can imagine the fun they had making "Tampopo". Some of the funniest parts of the film are the references to various hack devices from American Westerns. The absurdity of a showdown over a bowl of Ramen noodles is brilliant. I see funny new details everytime I view this film, and I plan to do so MANY more times.
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