Customer Reviews

Sukiyaki Western Django

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

First Look Pictures has done this film and viewers a disservice. Aside from cutting 23 minutes from the original theatrical release, thereby making the narrative chopped and damaging the more fluid presentation of the original film, they have also overly saturated the color and brightness of the film during the reminiscent episodes, as well as some of the segments concerning the "Reds." I will applaud them for providing better clarity in the sound reproduction for dialogue, but ultimately would recommend avoiding this blu-ray transfer (as well as their regular DVD, due to similar editing)in favor of the original theatrical release, which is available through various vendors: RedSun DVD; DVD Asian; or YesAsia. Alternatively, try to track down an Asian blu-ray that presents the original run-time and that also offers a better quality transfer than First Look.

Takashi Miike is the very definition of a visionary filmmaker. To call him the most prolific director on the planet might be the understatement of the decade. The man churns out film after film with staggering variety, endless creativity, and a lot of style while never failing to smash every boundary of taste and genre. He's conquered the heights of truly disturbing horror, redefined disgusting, shown us horrific violence, that love is torture, and spoofed the superhero genre as well while making as many as nine films in a single year. No joke. So having crossed every line possible, what's left? Why not bring a katana to a gunfight and see what happens? "Sukiyaki Western Django" is to the western film genre what Kill Bill was to the martial-arts genre: a love letter in cinematic form from across the Pacific Ocean. And sure enough, Miike-sensei brought Quentin Tarantino along for the ride. Tighten your bootstraps, this one's a doozy.

I am not a fan of western films, but Asian cult cinema: hell yes. I would qualify this film as an absolute must-see for either/or and I imagine there is no shortage of western references and homages that flew over my head due to my inexperience with the genre. The title is an amusing Japanese play on the "spaghetti western" nickname coupled with the name of a classic example of the genre itself. Why this is relevant doesn't reveal itself until the last scene so I won't spoil it. The movie is almost schizophrenic (as is it's town sheriff) in it's mish-mash of styles. Some scenes overflow with bright colors and classic Japanese imagery, other times the shots are yellowish with muted colors like a classic western and feature those sorts of settings. One character has a holstered gun on one hip and a sheathed katana on the other. One gang dresses in bright red -including some dyed emo-style hair- and the other in pure white. All of the weapons are old-school, but there are modern bits like facial piercings as well. At one point, Tarantino hints at the origin of his character's son's name (Akira) by declaring himself "an anime otaku at heart" to which the other character responds with a baffled "what!?". Absolutely brilliant and uncalled for. Exactly the kind of oddball moment one never expects, but Miike delivers anyway. The story is a convoluted one that demands you pay attention to it, but I had to rewatch several stretches because I was utterly distracted by the bizarre nature of the film itself. For example, the opening scene features Tarantino in front of an obviously painted background. Blood even splatters onto it when he shoots a guy. There is also a short-but-sweet animated flourish during one of his stories about a female gunfighter (Bloody Benton). How can you be expected to pay attention to the dialogue when this movie is continually throwing you these kinds of visual curve-balls? Not so much a complaint as an observation.

"Sukiyaki Western Django" is an almost entirely English (Engrish?) language film. While I do very much respect Miike's artistic decision to film the movie in the native language of the stories that inspired it, it does end up detracting from the quality. It is painfully obvious at times that the actors are unaware of just what they are saying as they attempt to act while pronouncing every word phonetically. This is not true for all of the actors, but it happens often enough to be a distraction. The big showdown is explosive enough to make John Woo envious. There is some very entertaining action, a recurring bit where a gunshot produces an explosion of feathers from off camera -which may or may not be an amusing homage to Woo himself-, some sex appeal (the image of Bloody Benton licking her sizzling gun barrel is staying with me for a while), some pretty dark humor, an entrancing and sensual dance sequence, and plenty more for film fanatics to sink their teeth into here. You will not be disappointed.

Like the young boy in this story born of the union between red and white gang members and the beautiful two-toned roses his family tends to, this movie is neither here nor there. It is East-meets-West to the hilt. A perfect hybrid of offbeat Asian cinema and the traditional western. It is utterly entertaining to fans of either and should be considered mandatory viewing. Check out "Sukiyaki Western Django" if the premise appeals to you in any way and a good time will be had by all. Now off into the sunset I ride.

Recipe for Film: Begin with one female assassin/warrior (Kaori Moimoi) worthy of the Goddess Kali in her most destructive form and place her in an 1800's Asian/western setting (Asian western?). Then find a tall, mysterious actor (Hideyaki Ito) who can pull off a Clint Eastwood-like persona to play the new stranger in town and another actor (Masanobu Yoichi) in an adversarial role who looks like he just stepped out of an Anime drawing. Simmer slowly while adding a generous portion of Kurosawa nihilism for 121 minutes until the screen is red with blood and just about everyone's dead. Dinner..., I mean entertainment is served!

That in a nutshell is Takashi Miilke's 'Sukiyaki Western Django'. If you enjoy; surreal imagery, subtle (and not so subtle) parody, faux depth and lots of death and destruction this is the film for you. And if that's not enough to keep you entertained how about taking a look at the lovely Yoshino Kimura as the ill-fated Shizuka? This one is certainly worth your time and the price of a bag of popcorn.

SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO (2007) is Takashi Miike's spin on the Asian Western. While it may not be a wholly original idea, video games have experimented on this mixing of genres such as "Western Samurai", Eiichi Kudo's Fort of Death (1969) and the nearest attempt at an Asian western is Hong Kong's "Peace Hotel"; Miike's version is worth the buzz and the hype. The film exudes coolness and is surprisingly entertaining, it is a fitting tribute to Spaghetti westerns ("Sukiyaki" instead of "spaghetti") and chambara (samurai) period films. Also, a certain American director who loves Asian films makes an appearance as a cowboy who eats a pot of sukiyaki. That's right, Tarantino makes an appearance as a man named Pringo (a play on Pierrot and Ringo), this man certainly knows Miike's work and has repeatedly expressed that he is a fan of the acclaimed Japanese director.

Two opposing clans, the Genji and Heiki clans have taken control of a town called Nevada. Nope, this is a Japanese Nevada where the inhabitants' native tongue is English, they`re all Japanese folks with hybrid western-Asian outfits and Japanese monikers. A lone drifter (Hideyaki Ito), who is also very good with a gun, enters the town and is forced to pick a side. The stranger is so skilled that his joining an opposite clan would most likely tip the scales. The two rival gangs (eh, clans) are fighting over a legendary hidden chest of treasure and they have driven out almost all inhabitants except for a woman named Ruriko and the eccentric town sheriff.

Sniff some Kurosawa, inhale some Gosha with a whiff of Okamoto and take 2 tablespoons of Sergio Leone three times a day; and what you have a mixed genre-busting film which blends the grittiness and coolness of spaghetti westerns with the moodiness and atmosphere of chambara/jidai geki films that is the cure for boredom. The film is a push to remind the Italians of the eternal debt they owe to Japanese Samurai films. Put a dash of a Katana sword, a Gatling gun, a lot of dynamite, gunfights and characters that are outrageously cool and you have the perfect recipe for the epitome of Asian cult films with (maybe) mass-mainstream appeal. The films' main premise itself is YOJIMBO-like or "Fistful of Dollars" if you prefer.

The set designs are also quite curious and very creative. The architecture of the buildings are definitely hybrids of Japanese feudal design with the usual western style. Shakespeare's War of Flowers is taken as a code of Bushido (?). The costumes are anime-inspired in their own way with a strong touch of western cinema except for the main character. Legends and mysticism also play a small part in this genre-busting extravaganza. The film definitely crosses all boundaries and the film never limits itself. The action has a touch of hard-boiled cool with the usual bullet ballet and the film's proceedings have the Tarantino-like sly and twisted humor.

Hideyaki Ito (Uzimaru 2) plays the stranger and the man definitely can pull off the essentials of a mysterious drifter. Kaori Moimoi (Love and Honor) plays a mysterious woman named Ruriko who is the mother of the deceased Akira who was also the husband of sexy Shizuka, played by Yoshino Kimura. This actress exudes raw sex appeal and has the characteristics of an ice-cold femme fatale. The camera work is excellent, Miike assisted by cinematographer Toyomichi Kurita is very impressive. The movements are fluid, facial expressions have a solidarity and the music itself calls a lot of attention.

It is a little weird that Miike would shoot this film with the performers speaking English since I've read that the man grew up watching dubbed Italian films, and disliked it. The delivery in dialogue is somewhat wanting and Miike is a master of movement as displayed in "Izo" and "Dead or Alive". I wanted to watch the film with subtitles and I found myself rewinding a few times to hear the dialogue again just so I won't miss any of the wonderful visuals. Most of the cast mumble almost phonetically and it was obvious that only Yoshino Kimura is the only one really skilled with the English language. The dialogue may hamper the film a little but believe me, not by much.

The plot itself may be a little too simple and offers not too much for the imagination. Much of the character development occurs in the form of storytelling and flashbacks. The film does exercise more on style over substance but the film is a successful exercise in freedom and versatility. The stunning visuals and camera work surpasses its spirit that some viewers may find the film a bit passive and is too commercially superficial. However, the nice and VERY cool touches in the screenplay hides its shortcomings. The legend of "Bloody Benten" (a woman who can give Lady Snowblood a run for her money), the mystery of Pringo, the duel between a six-shooter and a katana sword, the tale of a young boy and the unknown drifter adds a lot of quality to the film with pure popcorn entertainment. Fans of Asian cinema and Western movies will be busy enjoying the sequences and undoubtedly look for references from other cult films. If you've seen the other genre-breaking film "Versus", you may have an idea of what you're in for. The film has more style than substance, but it is an excellent display of Takashi Miike's more mainstream goals. The film has the crowd-pleasing appeal but will undeniably develop a cult following.

"Sukiyaki Western Django" is a successful blend and fusion of genres that delivers pure enjoyable entertainment, despite the bad English delivery. Takashi Miike has pulled it off again...and forgiven for the "Great Yokai War". (Zebraman anyone?)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! [4+ stars]

Note: The film is known is also known as "My Life as McMug" in Malaysia. Make certain you see the film with English Subs because while the dialogue is in English, it's a bit hard to make it out. I believe it may have been done intentionally.
The U.S. release will feature multiple covers (including steel/tin book covers, I double-dipped on the Bloody Benten cover) and will carry terrific English subtitles.
However, the GENEON region-2 Dvd I have from Japan clocks in at 120 minutes, the U.S. release has been edited to 98 minutes. While the U.S. release is a little more faster-paced, the uncut edition does have more Character development, Extended action sequences and has a better fleshed-out story.

SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO (2007) is Takashi Miike's spin on the Asian Western. While it may not be a wholly original idea, video games have experimented on this mixing of genres such as "Western Samurai", Eiichi Kudo's Fort of Death (1969) and the nearest attempt at an Asian western is Hong Kong's "Peace Hotel"; Miike's version is worth the buzz and the hype. The film exudes coolness and is surprisingly entertaining, it is a fitting tribute to Spaghetti westerns ("Sukiyaki" instead of "spaghetti") and chambara (samurai) period films. Also, a certain American director who loves Asian films makes an appearance as a cowboy who eats a pot of sukiyaki. That's right, Tarantino makes an appearance as a man named Pringo (a play on Pierrot and Ringo), this man certainly knows Miike's work and has repeatedly expressed that he is a fan of the acclaimed Japanese director.

Two opposing clans, the Genji and Heiki clans have taken control of a town called Nevada. Nope, this is a Japanese Nevada where the inhabitants' native tongue is English, they`re all Japanese folks with hybrid western-Asian outfits and Japanese monikers. A lone drifter (Hideyaki Ito), who is also very good with a gun, enters the town and is forced to pick a side. The stranger is so skilled that his joining an opposite clan would most likely tip the scales. The two rival gangs (eh, clans) are fighting over a legendary hidden chest of treasure and they have driven out almost all inhabitants except for a woman named Ruriko and the eccentric town sheriff.

Sniff some Kurosawa, inhale some Gosha with a whiff of Okamoto and take 2 tablespoons of Sergio Leone three times a day; and what you have a mixed genre-busting film which blends the grittiness and coolness of spaghetti westerns with the moodiness and atmosphere of chambara/jidai geki films that is the cure for boredom. The film is a push to remind the Italians of the eternal debt they owe to Japanese Samurai films. Put a dash of a Katana sword, a Gatling gun, a lot of dynamite, gunfights and characters that are outrageously cool and you have the perfect recipe for the epitome of Asian cult films with (maybe) mass-mainstream appeal. The films' main premise itself is YOJIMBO-like or "Fistful of Dollars" if you prefer.

The set designs are also quite curious and very creative. The architecture of the buildings are definitely hybrids of Japanese feudal design with the usual western style. Shakespeare's War of Flowers is taken as a code of Bushido (?). The costumes are anime-inspired in their own way with a strong touch of western cinema except for the main character. Legends and mysticism also play a small part in this genre-busting extravaganza. The film definitely crosses all boundaries and the film never limits itself. The action has a touch of hard-boiled cool with the usual bullet ballet and the film's proceedings have the Tarantino-like sly and twisted humor.

Hideyaki Ito (Uzimaru 2) plays the stranger and the man definitely can pull off the essentials of a mysterious drifter. Kaori Moimoi (Love and Honor) plays a mysterious woman named Ruriko who is the mother of the deceased Akira who was also the husband of sexy Shizuka, played by Yoshino Kimura. This actress exudes raw sex appeal and has the characteristics of an ice-cold femme fatale. The camera work is excellent, Miike assisted by cinematographer Toyomichi Kurita is very impressive. The movements are fluid, facial expressions have a solidarity and the music itself calls a lot of attention.

It is a little weird that Miike would shoot this film with the performers speaking English since I've read that the man grew up watching dubbed Italian films, and disliked it. The delivery in dialogue is somewhat wanting and Miike is a master of movement as displayed in "Izo" and "Dead or Alive". I wanted to watch the film with subtitles and I found myself rewinding a few times to hear the dialogue again just so I won't miss any of the wonderful visuals. Most of the cast mumble almost phonetically and it was obvious that only Yoshino Kimura is the only one really skilled with the English language. The dialogue may hamper the film a little but believe me, not by much.

The plot itself may be a little too simple and offers not too much for the imagination. Much of the character development occurs in the form of storytelling and flashbacks. The film does exercise more on style over substance but the film is a successful exercise in freedom and versatility. The stunning visuals and camera work surpasses its spirit that some viewers may find the film a bit passive and is too commercially superficial. However, the nice and VERY cool touches in the screenplay hides its shortcomings. The legend of "Bloody Benten" (a woman who can give Lady Snowblood a run for her money), the mystery of Pringo, the duel between a six-shooter and a katana sword, the tale of a young boy and the unknown drifter adds a lot of quality to the film with pure popcorn entertainment. Fans of Asian cinema and Western movies will be busy enjoying the sequences and undoubtedly look for references from other cult films. If you've seen the other genre-breaking film "Versus", you may have an idea of what you're in for. The film has more style than substance, but it is an excellent display of Takashi Miike's more mainstream goals. The film has the crowd-pleasing appeal but will undeniably develop a cult following.

"Sukiyaki Western Django" is a successful blend and fusion of genres that delivers pure enjoyable entertainment, despite the bad English delivery. Takashi Miike has pulled it off again...and forgiven for the "Great Yokai War". (Zebraman anyone?)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! [4+ stars]

Note: The film is known is also known as "My Life as McMug" in Malaysia. Make certain you see the film with English Subs because while the dialogue is in English, it's a bit hard to make it out. I believe it may have been done intentionally.
The U.S. release will feature multiple covers (including tin covers) and will carry terrific English subtitles.
However, the GENEON region-2 Dvd I have from Japan clocks in at 120 minutes, the U.S. release has been edited to 98 minutes. While the U.S. release is a little more faster-paced, the uncut edition does have more Character development and has a better fleshed-out story.

First of all I should tell you that I haven't seen the US version yet so I'm not sure which scenes were cut and I'm afraid to find out.

Secondly to give you a frame of reference I'll tell you five of my favorite movies (in random order): 1. Matrix 2. Last Of The Mohicans 3. Chungking Express 4. Edward Scissorhands 5. In The Mood For Love

Now I'll tell you why I absolutely loved this movie. For me it was a formula that was bound to be good: 3 parts Western, 2 parts Samurai, 1 part Quentin Terentino. This isn't a movie that you watch for the wonderful story or technical achievement - for me this movie is to cinema what poetry is to literature. Miike wasn't interested in the rules or the details, just to get the feeling across, which I think he did flawlessly.

It's primarily an over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek parody of Spaghetti Westerns that had me rolling with laughter (quote: "are you gonna strike at me with that blade... or whistle dixie?"). It is especially funny because it just sounds so ludicrous with the Japanese accents. But it also has adrenaline-pumping action, and even slips into some very deep and heavy emotions - this movie really got under my skin!

After watching it several times, what has stuck out most vividly in my mind is how unique and refreshing this movie is. Even though the basic plot of the movie has been done at least twice before (Yojimbo, Last Man Standing), I've never seen another movie that is anything like it - and I've seen A LOT of movies.

If you are a fan of westerns, samurai or just movies in general I think you will really like this movie and if you are dying to know what the Japanese version is like you can get it from HKflix.com for a good price.

I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It took me several sittings to get through it the first time. Then I thought maybe I wasn't being fair to it so when some friends were over this past weekend we watched it together (all of them Miike fans too). The group consensus was that while we appreciated what he was trying to do with this, it just wasn't for us. I always find a bit of humor in most Miike films, no matter how sick. This just felt more like a Kung Fu Hustle type of deal, which isn't a bad thing but isn't my bag. The drama was also just a little overwrought in places. I couldn't really deal with the bad dialogue either, I'm not sure if that is supposed to be an homage to Sergio Leone filsm or what, but it was really distracting. We had to go back more than a few times to catch what characters were saying, and finally just gave up and put subtitles on. I'm not sorry I saw it, it's just not what I was hoping it would be.

If you like your films cut up this is an ok movie but feels incomplete. It feels incomplete because around 20 minutes is left out. They don't put it in extras, just assume no one will notice. Maybe the high ratings here are people who don't know it's one sixth cut. Fortunately the top review in the steelbook edition mentions it. Just passing it to all here.

This film is a homage to the spaghetti westerns of the 1960s with a couple twists. It mixes up and reverses many of the behind the scenes cultural exchanges behind the 1960s westerns. Therefore we get Japanese characters doing an Italian-style story set in a town in the American west. The twists make it more interesting than the average homage work, but its still not much more than a repetition that can't escape the constraints of the original work. For a better take on the genre, see the australian film "the proposition".

Tarantino being in the film is a real negative. So is the overly cute title. And firstlook studios does its usual bad job in terms of the Blu-Ray cut. I really wanted to like this more but I can't.

Never heard of it until now, but just finished watching and it was good cheesy action but it kept me entertained for about the last 2 hours and well worth it.