Rating: 
Summary: a powerful movie that took a few tries
Review: It's hard for me not to think of movies like Boiling Point and Violent Cop while watching this. Takeshi (Beat) Kitano made quite a switch from Takeshi's Castle to the heavy drama of these movies, but perhaps it was too heavy at first. Violent Cop is, in the end, an unrealized movie that doesn't really manage to control its range of emotional tension, violence and humanity. Boiling Point does better, but perhaps is a little too bleak (this from a guy who loves violent movies). In Fireworks, though, Kitano gets it all right. The violence is stark, Kitano is a bubbling, quiet and stoic while really letting you know what's on his mind, and this film, believe it or not, is bursting with hope--though it's never really acknowledged by the characters themselves.
Rating: 
Summary: Masterpiece ruined by atrocious transfer
Review: It is imperative that you avoid this disastrous release. Takeshi Kitano's masterpiece is completely ruined by an appaling transfer. The sound and extras are good but the transfer wrecks what would otherwise be a fine DVD release. Again, I urge you to avoid this disgusting release.
Rating: 
Summary: beautiful film, flawed subtitles
Review: Most of the other viewer reviews say exactly what I would like to say about this film - that it is uncompromising in it's beauty. Alternately brooding, slow, but with occasional outbursts of violence and motion, the images in this film have stayed with me for a very long time. Very Minor Spoiler Warning: My only objection to this DVD is in the subtitles. I studied a little Japanese in high school, just basics, but the last line of the film is "gomen nasai," which means "sorry," not "Thank you for everything," as the subtitles show. Why did the translator feel it necessary to put something other than what the character had said? That little, "I'm sorry," was one of the most poignant statements of the entire film. I really hope that Criterion will pick this film up - otherwise, I hope that in the future, New Yorker will stop trying to rewrite the world's masterpieces as they come into America. I think that we're smart enough to take the real.
Rating:
Summary: fleeting...
Review: I have now watched this film twice in the last two days. The first time I watched it i thought the film was okay but nothing great. However, i also thought that I was missing something when I watched this film, so i decided to watch it again to give it and myself a second chance, and let me say that I am really glad I did. One thing that I do not like is how the film is advertised. It is made out to be something like Charles Bronson films. While there is a great deal of violence it is very comicesque or mangaesque violence with great amounts of blood splattering all over the place. However, the films true beauty is the character Nishi. He is the violent man, he is the one who emptied his gun into a dead man, but he also shows great care and love for his wife. It is quite moving. also the movie is worth seeing just for the junkman and his assistant.
Rating:
Summary: The movie is a masterpiece, but avoid the DVD
Review: The movie is a masterpiece worth 5+ stars, one of Kitano's best works. But I was totally dissapointed when I so that the subtitles where burned over the film, as a movie lover I consider this outrageous, the film beautifull cinematography is totally ruined by them. The quality of the DVD is not up to the level of the movie. I can't belive that to this date there are companies creating dvds with subtitles burned over a movie. Please wait and see if Criterion Collection eventually releases "Hanna Bi", they do respect movie lovers. The artwork is lousy, I don't know why they changed Kitano's beautifull artwork which is the original to the japanese release.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning Beauty Full of Pain and Sorrows
Review: After loosing a son, detective Nishi (Takeshi Kitano) faces more grave pain by learning that his wife is terminally ill and his best friend has just been wheel chair bound by a bullet. He is also running out of money, which he needs in order to help a widow of a partner who got shot in an arrest. Meanwhile, his friend is suicidal and he knows that he has talked about being a painter, but cannot afford starting a new hobby. Therefore, he borrows some money from the Yakuza who want their money back eventually. Many problems begin to accumulate and Nishi becomes more desperate for a solution. Fireworks is a stunningly beautiful film full of pain and sorrows of a poor policeman that will entangle the audience.
Rating:
Summary: Fireworks all WET - no bang for your buck!
Review: I had high hopes for this film, thinking that it would be in the vein of Pulp Fiction, the Unforgiven, or Resevoir Dogs. Unfortunately it is excruciatingly S-L-O-W & boring, with no apparent moral or justification. Time-shifting is employed in a non-intuative and distracting manner. "Beat" Kitano doesn't say more than 100 words in the entire "movie." As mentioned in other reviews, he "TICS" more than he "TALKS" employing an annoying (was it supposed to be symbolic ??) facial tic. Beat is no Clint Eastwood, or even Charles Bronson. Wooden facial expressions do not an actor make; tics are not technique. When you think that it just can't get any worse, childish artwork is displayed onscreen over and over - must be that inscrutable symbolism again. Obviously an economical production, it is hard to understand why this film is appreciated, even in Japan. It makes me wonder if all the rave reviews for this stinker were written by friends & family (or stock holders) Note that none of the reviewers are "Big Names." If you're still really curious, save your money & RENT this turkey before you buy! There are many better Asian films than this. Look for anything by John Woo, Anh Hung Tran or Jet Li. For true subtle acting see "Shower," "The King of Masks," or "Scent of Green Papaya"
Rating:
Summary: Do NOT read A viewer from Provo, UT's 12/6 Review! SPOILER!
Review: Amazon's description is quite accurate. This movie is rather "artsy" and there is hidden meaning and depth, thus you will garner more meaning from subsequent viewings. This is always nice when purchasing, rather than renting a movie. I hope that THIS review has helped you!
Rating: 
Summary: This movie is WAY TOO SLOW.
Review: I love stylized movies with stylized violence. This movie is just too slow (you have to have a lot of patience).
Rating: 
Summary: Kind of a mixed bag this DVD
Review: First off, the movie is great. Its presented uncut and in the Original Language here. The DVD even offers some nice Extras. But in the technical department this DVD is really weak. The transfer isnt anamorphic, its just 1:1.85 letterboxed. The subtitles, which the cover describes as enhanced, are only hardsubs, so you cant turn them off.
Then the picture blurs quite a lot on motion and of course the transfer is interlaced...
Despite that, the picture is ok, enough details and good colors, a bit too dark though.
But the biggest joke on this DVD is the Dolby Digital 5.1 Track.
Well, the track has 5 channels, but you can hear all the stuff from every channel. So even the voices are coming out of each speaker (even the surround ones). This was a real let down for me, since the DD 5.1 track was the reason for me to buy the US DVD and not the french or japanese one (which only have DD 2.0).
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