Customer Reviews

Tetsuo II: Body Hammer

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

this is one of the most intense films i've ever seen. it is more or less the same story as tetsuo: the iron man, but it goes much farther, and much more completely insane.it's definitely not a film for everbody, as many japanese films seem to have a hard time hitting home with western audiences. but if you enjoy eclectic, chaotic, and definitely too intense film, i'm sure you'll enjoy this manic trip through one man's evolution into mechinization.very visual in nature, and the sound is unbelievable. very truly one of the most effective and memorable films i've seen to date.

Comparisons will obviously be made to David Lynch and Cronenberg, but if you like those directors and have a taste for low budget foreign horror movies then you will love Tetsuo II - Body Hammer.

Basically this is like a live action Magna cartoon and can be watched as a stand alone without seeing the original Tetsuo. Where the film scores in aces is with the editing and camerawork. Shinya Tsukamoto is held in great esteem by directors like Quetin Tarantino, who once asked if Tsukamoto would work on an American film with him. Tsukamoto responded by saying Yes - If he was allowed to nuke Hollywood.

The plot is crazy and revolves around a Tokyo businessman, Taniguchi, whose son is kidnapped by a cult of demented nazi-type body builders led by a villain who has the special power of being able to turn his body parts into mechanical firearms. Taniguchi discovers that he too has similar special powers and proceeds to try and wipeout the gang in a Superhero sort of way.

There is lots of arty nightmare sequences and action, although the film does loose its pace in parts. At its heart, Tetsuo II is a movie about a superhero with a grotesque gift. It is violent at times but the plot is actually coherent and the story is a lot of fun.

Considering the budget limitations the filmmakers have done well and Tetsuo has quite a cult following and it is easy to see why directors like Tarantino recommend it. So if you have a taste for low budget weirdness, then this movie is a must.

What a crazy, crazy, crazy movie. Everything you think you've heard, everything you think you know about this movie is irrelevant if you haven't seen it. I think Shinya Tsukamoto is genuinely insane. Tetsuo II: Body Hammer is a nightmarish ride into hell and beyond, terrifying in its simplicity and intriguing in its complexity, and you absolutely will never, ever forget it. There's something hard to explain about this movie-- I'm kind of afraid of it, but nevertheless I feel like I have to watch it again and again and again. Watch it and you'll see what I mean. As for the DVD, it seems okay to me for a movie like this. It's a Japanese cult movie, so you can't really expect a pristine transfer, but what's there seems generally okay. I don't see the pixellation the other reviewers mention, and the movie is really dark and murky but I think that may have been what Tsukamoto wanted. As for the comment about the trailer looking better than the film, I really don't think it does. Parts of the trailer are in normal, full color, whereas most of the actual movie (including the exact same shots shown in full color in the trailer) was processed by its makers to make it appear in a somber shade of purplish blue. Other than that, it seems to be pretty much the same quality as the film itself. But I didn't see this film in theaters and I've never seen the VHS version, so I'm not much of an authority. But at any rate, Tetsuo II: Body Hammer will change your life. It will forever alter the way you think about movies and about yourself. Just go see it.

TETSUO II BODY HAMMER was to me, very similar to PI. It seemed to be more an exploration of textures and shapes than an attempt at linear storytelling. If you look at the reviews for the film PI you'll notice they contain similar complaints as the reviews for TETSUO II BODY HAMMER. Neither film was meant to be linear. This seems to have disappointed a great portion of the viewers. For them, the film is unfulfilling due to its apparent lack of coherence. When in fact, the point of the movie is exactly that, a study of disorientation created by technology and civilization. It is a psychological effect that the writer/director is aiming for. The viewer either will allow him that privilege or deny it to him. The viewer is always in control. There are psychological boundaries that the viewer will or will not allow himself to cross. This determines what mental "buttons" the viewer will allow the film to push.

I enjoyed the cleverness of some of the special effects, and of course the colors and textures. These are the kind of films that are created for a very specialized audience. Not everyone is going to consider them worthy of note but that's ok. Those who do, will enjoy watching them over and over, and delight in the psychological effect of the ride.

In case you're interested in other films that go for THAT psychological effect check out: PARIS FRANCE with Peter Outerbridge and Leslie Hope, A ZED AND TWO NOUGHTS, DROWNING BY NUMBERS, & PROSPERO'S BOOKS by Peter Greenaway, POISON by Todd Haynes, DR. STRANGELOVE by Stanley Kubrick.

Tetsuo II is the proto-type of a truly disappointing 2nd edition of a great movie. The original Ironman has such great visuals, great music, and hyperkinetic elements, it is a completely unique movie experience. Not one that necessarily makes a lot of sense from a story point-of-view, but even that adds to the experience.

But for some reason, Shinya Tsukamoto decided to tone down all the visual and music elements, and gives us a story in Body Hammer that is more straightforward. Is this a Tetsuo he thought might be more watchable by the standard movie goer? Big mistake!! The disappointment really sets in with the visuals: Ironman showed completely unique, detailed, and laboriously wacky visuals. Body Hammer looks like an Asian not-ready-for-class-B movie. The color is poor, and the special effects stink. The music is not up to Ironman's, either.

The story does come together toward the end, and this is the only redeeming part of this movie. It is worth seeing only in making Tetsuo (Ironman) another new experience to watch again by filling in some holes in that story.

I will not go into detail about the film itself - other people have done that. Instead I am going to discuss the EXTREEMLY POOR job MANGA ENT. has done in bringing it to DVD. I recently bought the Japanese DVD of TETSUO 2 and it has got audio commentary by the director, a making-of-documentary and a photo gallery. None of the above are on this DVD which is a shame because TETSUO is cult cinema and a special edition treatment (especially a subtitled audio commentary track a la WINGS OF HONNEAMISE) would have been most welcome. The only good thing I can say about this disc is that MANGA at least offers the original Japanese version with subtitles as opposed to their DVD of the two DEVILMAN OVAs which you have to watch dubbed or not at all (the latter is recommended).

Essentially, 'Bodyhammer' is the original 'Tetsuo', but with added commercial appeal. It's filmed in colour (black, white, *and* purple), and explains a lot of the action with a plot, one which unfortunately seems to be borrowed from a million-and-one other Anime films. Still, as with the original, the style is the important thing, and '2' has it in bucketloads. Pushing the boundaries of pre-Cat III censorship to the limits, although you never see anything particularly disturbing, the excellent grindcore soundtrack and furious visuals make you think that you are witnessing a hell on not-quite-earth. Ultimately, it's rather like hard-core pornography - extreme, relentless, and numbing, so that by the end you're actually quite bored. It's a heck of a ride, though.

After watching this movie, I was more or less at a loss for words. I thought it was horrible, yet so intense that it left a "want to see it again" mark in your brain. It definitely is not for everybody, and people who expect a Futuristic/Cyberpunk genre when looking for movies should completely avoid this. On the other hand, fans of Japanese Anime and just trippy movies in general should not miss a chance at grabbing a copy. I personally liked and disliked it at the same time because I expected a whole different movie, but was still taken in by the originality, presentation, and just sickness of the visuals and plot. I'll keep it safe and give it a neutral score...

Tetsuo II is the proto-type of a truly disappointing follow-on to a great movie. The original Tetsuo, also known as the Ironman, has such great visuals, great music, and hyperkinetic elements, it is a completely unique movie experience. Not one that necessarily makes a lot of sense from a story point-of-view, but even that adds to the experience.

But for some reason, Shinya Tsukamoto decided to tone down all the visual and music elements, and gives us a story in Tetsuo II, Body Hammer, that is more straightforward. Perhaps he thought this might be more watchable Tetsuo for the standard movie goer? Big mistake!! The disappointment really sets in with the visuals: Ironman showed completely unique, detailed, and laboriously wacky visuals. Body Hammer looks like an Asian not-ready-for-class-B movie. The color is poor, and the special effects stink. The music is not up to Ironman's, either.

The story does come together toward the end, and this is the only redeeming part of Tetsuo II. It is worth seeing only in making the original Tetsuo (Ironman) a new experience to watch again by filling in some holes in that story.

I don't understand people saying Tetsuo II is a letdown after the original. The original is great, a masterwork to be sure, but I think the sequel is nearly on par with it. Clearly, Tsukamoto started working in a different direction with the sequel. It's not even really a sequel in the traditional sense so much as it vaguely echoes certain themes of the original (edification and deliverance through body modification, liberation through pain - all the stuff Tsukamoto loves).

I think people may feel it doesn't match up to the original because it has such a strong emphasis on flashy editing techniques, as opposed to the flesh/steel zoomorphic collision, something Tsukamoto sometimes gets a little carried away with ("Bullet Ballet" being the extreme example of this) however, there isn't anyone who manipulates film in the same way. This guy is a true genius of the cinema. A total original. No one works in the same general ballpark as him.

The basic plot is fairly thin and vague (another recurring Tsukamoto issue), it involves a mother and father whose son is kidnapped by a bunch of grotesque bodybuilding skinheads. The plot is incidental. With Tsukamoto you simply put the movie in and hold on, letting it wash over you. Not everything makes sense logically, but emotionally it rings true.

Anyway, I loved this as I love all of this guy's films. He is one of the greats and (selfish as I am) I hope he is never DISCOVERED by all the little fanboys, as Takashi Miike was. When directors get discovered their work seems to spin off and become diluted (not that Miike has become totally diluted, but you know what I mean)