Tokyo Fist

Rating:
Summary: Make sure you know who the creator is!
Review: Thinking this was "just" a Japanese movie, I found Tokyo Fist anything but. Its raw unsubtle imagery -- not to mention over-the-top boxing "makeup", made me quite happy that I was watching this on an empty stomach. Yet, despite the human imagery of violence and spiraling downward, the sterility and facelessness of Tokyo itself is quite powerful -- more frightening, since it's the only part of the movie that doesn't seem impossible. The film is primarily shot in alienating, washed out blues, with red the primary visual for contrasting, jarring, color scenes. Sensibility and plot take a firm back seat to evocation and statement. It's kinetic, low-budget, and relentless, yet not at all preachy or pretentious.

Rating:
Summary: What a BAD movie
Review: This was the most awful piece of crap i've ever had the misfortune to watch the story went nowhere the characters you could have cared less about the subtitling was horrible I mean white subtitles you couldn't even read them half the time and I think there was a plot but I have no idea what it was I just wish there was some way to get the hour and a half of my life back that I spent watching this movie. I usually like most movies and never turn off a movie no matter how bad it is but this movie I almost stoped it several times and stuck in something better (which would not have been hard to find) so in conclusion I HATED THIS MOVIE I mean when the characters have whole conversations and there's no subtitling telling you what there saying there's something wrong also the subtitling was full of mistakes. All in all a poor movie.

Rating:
Summary: What a BAD movie
Review: Tokyo Fist shows the development of Shinya Tsukamoto's directorial skills. While Tokyo Fist still contains the brilliant, over the top visuals of the Tetsuo series, they are used in more dramatic ways to help the audience feel what goes on in the boxing ring. This is simply the best boxing movie i've ever seen. Raging Bull has nothing on it. Definetly not recommended for those easily shocked as with all Tsukamoto movies, the camera shoves the grotesque in your face.

Rating:
Summary: Tsukamoto only gets better
Review: Tokyo Fist shows the development of Shinya Tsukamoto's directorial skills. While Tokyo Fist still contains the brilliant, over the top visuals of the Tetsuo series, they are used in more dramatic ways to help the audience feel what goes on in the boxing ring. This is simply the best boxing movie i've ever seen. Raging Bull has nothing on it. Definetly not recommended for those easily shocked as with all Tsukamoto movies, the camera shoves the grotesque in your face.

Rating:
Summary: It's not "Tetsuo", but good on its own merits
Review: Truthfully, I'm not sure what the other reviews are complaining about: "Tokyo Fist" is arguably more coherent than "Tetsuo", although it's hardly a finely tuned plot. Nor are the goings-on more extreme than in "Tetsuo." The tattoos and piercings are not "ritual"; in fact, they're pretty direct self-mutilation and alteration. I really don't understand why this is slapped with "Warning: Adult Content" labels, because frankly, the American cinema has seen much worse.
The "Fight Club" paralells people draw are also very misleading; first of all, the plots are nothing alike. This is more similar to "Tetsuo" than anything else. Second, this is in terms of direction simply a better film. It's obvious Tsukamoto sat down and thought hard about how exactly he wanted each shot to be presented, whereas David Fincher tried to assault the senses by NOT thinking. It's not as digestible to American audiences, but them's the breaks.
Tsukamoto's distinct directorial style (there's even a little stop-motion here) is better defined here, especially his use of color. His "video game" style is very much present here, and while it's not for everyone, if you're interested in being challenged, it's probably for you. It's also a good lead-in to "Tetsuo", although the same warning there applies here: if you haven't sampled of David Cronenberg, David Lynch and a few other "perverse" filmmakers, I'd step carefully.

Rating:
Summary: It's not "Tetsuo", but good on its own merits
Review: Truthfully, I'm not sure what the other reviews are complaining about: "Tokyo Fist" is arguably more coherent than "Tetsuo", although it's hardly a finely tuned plot. Nor are the goings-on more extreme than in "Tetsuo." The tattoos and piercings are not "ritual"; in fact, they're pretty direct self-mutilation and alteration. I really don't understand why this is slapped with "Warning: Adult Content" labels, because frankly, the American cinema has seen much worse.
The "Fight Club" paralells people draw are also very misleading; first of all, the plots are nothing alike. This is more similar to "Tetsuo" than anything else. Second, this is in terms of direction simply a better film. It's obvious Tsukamoto sat down and thought hard about how exactly he wanted each shot to be presented, whereas David Fincher tried to assault the senses by NOT thinking. It's not as digestible to American audiences, but them's the breaks.
Tsukamoto's distinct directorial style (there's even a little stop-motion here) is better defined here, especially his use of color. His "video game" style is very much present here, and while it's not for everyone, if you're interested in being challenged, it's probably for you. It's also a good lead-in to "Tetsuo", although the same warning there applies here: if you haven't sampled of David Cronenberg, David Lynch and a few other "perverse" filmmakers, I'd step carefully.