Gokudo Daisenso is a zany, manga-like movie!

 

Sometimes, you just want to turn your brain off and enjoy an entertaining piece of media without having to think too deeply. Sure, it's good to have thought provoking entertainment, but it can also be draining having to ponder deep subjects and topics constantly. That's why it's important to just have dumb, fun movies and such that you can kick back, relax and enjoy. The topic of today's post is definitely in the turn your brain off and have fun category and it's from acclaimed director Takeshi Miike. Gokudo Daisenso has all the hallmarks of Miike-san's works. 

The plot of Gokudo Daisenso follows the loyal Yakuza lieutenant, Akira Kageyama. Kageyama's oyabun is Genyo Kamiura. Kamiura just so happens to be a vampire with enhanced strength, endurance and is hard to kill. The movie opens with an action scene involving Kamiura in which his strength is showcased. He dispatches a rival family whilst sustaining what should be fatal wounds. The wounded vampire snacks on an unfortunate lady to regain his vitality. It's after this opeing sequence that we first meet the movie's protagonist, Kageyama. Kageyama follows Kamiura until the oyabun is brutally murdered by a mysterious syndicate. Knowing that he's dying, Kamiura uses his last moments to turn Kageyama into a vampire, passing on his powers. The rest of the movie focuses on Kageyama using his new abilities in order to avenge his boss. Meanwhile, his presence alerts an entity that wants to destroy the world. 

Takeshi Miike is an acclaimed director and thus, the direction of the movie is solid. He gets some surprisingly solid performances out of the cast even with such bizarre material. Hajime Kanda has some great contributions to the production with his variety of different camera shots and angles. There's a neat blend of moving and static shots and some of the camerawork in the fight scenes is excellent. I did however find some of the early camera work in the office fight scene to be a little too shaky for my taste. 

The plot itself is ok for what it is. It's a revenge tale with the zany caveat of having vampires, kappas and frog creatures. It's not deep and that's just fine with me. The scenes of Kageyama coming to grips with his new found vampire hood were great though. I do think that there could have perhaps been more of a focus on the civilians being turned into vampires by Kageyama though. I just feel as though they rushed through them turning and could have shown the city changing gradually into a vampire infested Yakuza haven. 

The fight scenes are handled really well. That should come as no surprise with someone as skilled in martial arts as Yayan Ruhian involved. The very first fight scene is short and sweet with katana swinging brutality and a few bullets flying. There's also a vicious decapitation towards the beginning of the movie which could be seen as a Miike-san trademark. 

Yayn Ruhian's fight scenes are reminiscent of his previous work as the scenes are frenetic, violent and a joy to watch. With Ruhian's scenes, there's some glorious camerawork with various over the shoulder shots capturing the beauty of Ruhian's whirlwind Pencat Silat techniques. The final fight subverts expectations in a fun way as the two enemies clash fists in an honourable duel whilst both are matching stances. It's a punch off and a war of attrition which is shot like it's art. 

My favourite fight scene might be the one involving Kageyama and the frog monster. The frog monster's motions were very Jeet Kune Do like and reminded me of Bruce Lee! It's an epic showdown which feels like it could be the finale with just how strong the antagonist is and I love the reveal as the frog costume comes off!

As far as performances are concerned, Hayato Ichihara did a splendid job portraying Akira Kageyama. The role required a lot of physicality and Ichihara-san definitely dealt with the fight scenes with gusto. He also managed to deliver the serious acting chops needed to play the role straight when surrounded by wackiness. 

Riko Narumi was more than just a pretty face as the unfortunate Kyoko as she had a strong feminine presence and conveyed the right amount of emotion in her scenes with Ichihara-san. 

I've become a big fan of Kiyohiko Shibusawa and he doesn't disappoint here. He's fabulous in the role of Yakuza lieutenant, Aratetsu. He has some funny moments and a cool redemption towards the end. Sho Aoyagi put some heart and soul into his performance as low ranking Yakuza member, Angus. I especially enjoyed his work in the later half of the movie. 

Overall, I don't think that Gokudo Daisenso is Takeshi Miike's best work, but it is a fun, zany spectacle to behold. If you're looking for something to watch that you don't have to engage your brain with, then Gokudo Daisenso may be right for you. If you enjoy some martial arts and Yakuza drama then I recommend the movie to you, same with fan's of Miike-san who haven't yet seen it.