Product Details

• Actors: Juri Ueno, Yű Aoi, Ryo Iwamatsu, Eri Fuse, Jun Kaname
• Directors: Satoshi Miki
• Producers: Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers ( Kame wa igai to hayaku oyogu ) ( Turtles Swim Faster Than E, Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers, Kame wa igai to hayaku oyogu, Turtles Swim Faster Than Expected
• Format: Import, PAL, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 2 (Read more about DVD formats.)
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: third window films
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B002A6C3T8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #497,484 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada: LANGUAGES: Japanese ( Dolby Surround ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN, SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: Suzume Katakura is an ordinary housewife. Her husband has been sent overseas on business, and although he phones her regularly, he is more concerned with the heath and welfare of his pet turtle. The days pass monotonously; it is though no one pays her any attention, not even her husband. The ordinariness of her life is interrupted one day when she spots a flyer in a stairway advertising for spies. Intrigued, Suzume phones the number. Three days later she is instructed to go to a run down apartment. She is greeted by a man and woman, he is unemployed, she is a shopping mall announcer. They claim to be working for a foreign state, and just like Suzume they are ordinary people with ordinary lives. The couple persuade Suzume to become a secret agent too. They virtually force 5 million yen onto Suzume, and so begins her life as a spy! ...Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers ( Kame wa igai to hayaku oyogu ) ( Turtles Swim Faster Than Expected )

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars a premise without a story, September 12, 2011

By 

J. A. Eyon "Little Raven" (Seattle - USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers ( Kame wa igai to hayaku oyogu ) ( Turtles Swim Faster Than Expected ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ] (DVD)

the premise was promising - a young japanese wife - living a lonely mundane existence while her husband works overseas - and feeling unloved cuz when he calls - he only asks if she's been feeding his pet turtle - then she find the little postage stamp sized ad inviting her to become a spy

she joins without asking which country is paying - and she's instructed to remain inconspicuous - so she continues her mundane existence - but now with a sense of purpose - and a pile of money in her refrigerator

sadly - the writing failed to find the story elements to bring this to life - there's a poop joke in the middle of the film which seems to illustrate how desperate the writers were for substance

i dont think this is an issue of humor not working across culturals - the film wasn't well received in Japan either

Ueno Juri is fine as the young wife - the other actors manage to not over mug while mugging - the visuals are nice if a little heavy handed with the green-red-yellow palatte

i can only recommend this if you want to see all Ueno Juri films - oh - Yű Aoi has a supporting role