Customer Reviews

Kill Devil

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Kill Devil (Yuichi Onuma, 2006)

How impressive is it to have seen a movie that's not even listed on IMDB? The funny thing is, it's not all that hard to come across; Urban Vision Entertainment has done a pretty fine job with the U. S. DVD release. Unfortunately, that's the only good thing I'm going to say about this flick.

Tell me if this sounds familiar, Japanese horror fans: Shougo (Masked Raider Phi's Yoshika Kato) wakes up with no memory on a secluded island, where scientists track his movements as he forms alliances with a number of other kids who have lost their memories-- all of whom have to defend themselves against various other kids on the island, whose entire purpose for living is to kill them. (That's not an exaggeration; Onuma hauls out the good old XYY hypothesis and dresses it up in scientific-sounding language in interminable cutscenes that worked far better in Stacy: Attack of the Schoolgirl Zombies.) Yep, you've seen this one before. And in all honesty, it wasn't all that great the first time around, when it was called Battle Royale. The difference is that BR had a few characters you could identify with; the characters here exist for the sole purpose of advancing the plot or playing into Onuma's ludicrous "as you know, bob" scenes with the scientists.

Okay, I'll say one other good thing about this movie. If you actually sat through the whole thing, you have to watch the alternate ending. I can't seriously believe that anyone really ever thought "hey, let's end this movie with a dance routine," so I assume it was filmed later specifically as a DVD extra. I could, however, be wrong in this, as the credits go to great lengths to inform us that a number of the minor characters in this movie are members of the boy band Diamond Dogs, so who knows? And while the alternate ending will have you wondering what your perverted neighbor mixed into that bowl of chili you ate earlier in the evening, it's not worth sitting through ninety minutes of derivative schlock. *

In spite of the praise showered on this film by the reviewer above (who has two reviews posted on Amazon, both for Urban Vision products), this film is not at all the "non-stop blood bath" it purports to be. Kill Devil takes a premise designed for a pure B-movie exploitation flick, and attempts to turn it into a contemplative art movie. The result is a slow-moving disaster and a bore. One star for being a movie. A second star for mild humor value as children die without pain or terror, but long, sad looks of existential angst.

2004's Kill Onigokko (aka Kill Devil) is sort of a dud by Japanese horror movie standards. It's a stark and interesting story, made with a great deal of competence and style, but it lacked any substantial hook capable of truly drawing me into the story. Having said that, this may well have been partly by design; the foundation of the plot is a series of scientific experiments, and I certainly felt like an outside observer - albeit one with more compassion and humanity than the military and scientific minds overseeing the mission firsthand. There's an unearthly feeling about the whole situation - long periods of silence and delayed exposition (you aren't really given a clue as to what is going on until the twenty-five minute mark) and what I'm quite sure is a complete lack of background music over the course of the entire film (until the credits roll, anyway). It's a strange film - yet that strangeness makes it interesting.

A young man awakens on the beach of a deserted island to the irascible blaring of klaxons going off around him. With no memory of who he is, where he is, or how he got there, he begins exploring the grassy fields and forests that lie inland. He soon finds two other young men in the same situation, both of whom wear an identical bracelet to the one affixed to his own wrist. While their bracelets - and those of several other youths they eventually meet - bear a green light, there are others' whose bracelets feature red lights. There is a big difference, as those with red lights are intent on murdering anyone they come across.

We eventually learn that we are watching a case of science run amuck. In the film's near-future setting, scientists have determined that 99% of humans possessing a certain gene become murderers. A number of these "defective" young people have been brought here to this deserted island in order to be "rehabilitated". In reality, of course, they are the human guinea pigs in a sick scientific experiment which compels them to put their murderous instincts to use. There is a certain amount of blood and gore in this movie, but most of it comes after-the-fact of attacks we never witness firsthand. The average viewer is much more likely to be turned off by the film's odd pacing, as the scenes featuring action are sometimes rather abrupt and are often sandwiched between extended periods where characters walk around without much conversation for quite tedious amounts of time. The film doesn't really offer a hefty pay-off at the end, either (although the ending does fit the story quite well).

If you come to Kill Devil expecting a typical Asian horror experience, you're very likely to be disappointed, as this is an entirely different kind of movie. I found it interesting yet rather boring, and, as such, I just don't think this is a film that most viewers are going to be able to truly embrace.

There's apparently a wide division of opinion on KILL DEVIL. I think that's largely due to the kind of movie people are looking for when they sit down to watch it. If you're looking for blood-gore-splatter-ultra-violence action, the cinematic equivalent of flesh in a blender, then this is the wrong movie for you. Because what the conscientious viewer will get is a little philosophical introspection on the nature of violence and how well people can actually get along if they don't have a lot of baggage from the past weighing them down. The movie also takes a crack at the nature/nurture argument, and the old favorite "Who are the monsters here?" thing. If you're looking for a bloodbath (as several reviewers here appear to have been), this picture will be wasted on you. BUT - if you're willing to pay attention to characterization and don't mind seeing a variation on a cinematic theme, then there's a lot to enjoy here. And the alternate ending must be seen to be believed - when the trials and troubled of this life are behind you, you're free to dance, dance, dance! Great flick, check it out!

This film is the epitome of today's standard in Japanese horror, featuring a non-stop bloodbath set in the future filled with surprises around every corner. Stranded on an island a group of teenagers are confused as to why they have sent there and are unable to distinguish between friends and foes as everyone in the group is a potential killer. In this story you must kill to stay alive. The film is very comparable to Battle Royale in theme, however it stands on it's own as a sleek and heart pounding thriller. This film will develop a cult following once it catches on. I definitely recommend this film to any horror or Asian film lover. Urban Vision, once known for anime, is definitely on track to establish themselves as a leader in live-action Asian cinema with films like Kill Devil from there new sub-label AsiaVision. Those contacts overseas are definitely paying off for this independent label that continues to distinguish itself as the "David" among the "Goliaths". I hear that they plan to release the Japanese blockbuster "Azumi" this spring, I can't wait to see that one. I am definitely a fan of this new label, AsiaVision, great idea Urban Vision.

Ugh! That pretty much sums it up. With no story and no gore this movie has very little going for it. I picked it up because of a review I saw mentioning that the movie was inspired by Battle Royale. So, I decided to give it a try.

The only thing that made this movie bearable was the constant heckling my friends and I gave the movie as we watched it. I don't know what I would have done if I was by myself. Oh Wait! I know, I would have turned it off.

So in the end 1 star for being a movie and a second star for the dialog track that we supplied for the movie.

Oh, and one more thing if you do decide to get it and manage to get through the movie without shutting it off check out the alternate ending. None of us saw that coming and it had us rolling on the ground for an hour laughing.