The Fable is a brilliant live action adaptation of a great manga.

 

Another day, another live action manga adaptation to review. This time, I have no complaints as the movie featured in this particular post is such a fun time. I am pleased to report that it is a gem of a movie with or without some splendid source material to pull from. The Fable was based on the manga of the same name that was written and illustrated by Katsuhisa Minami. Interestingly enough, the production was rather swift as the manga was still ongoing when the movie released and ended several months later. 

The Fable is an elite contract killer who is so supremely skilled that he has become somewhat of an urban legend. We see him take on a deadly mission right at the start of the movie as he takes out a rival organisation for his boss. After discarding used parts of his gun, The Fable meets with his boss who has become troubled by his raising infamy amongst those in the criminal underworld and is ordered to lay low for a year in Osaka. His partner also heads to Osaka and they adopt the identity of brother and sister. Despite doing his utmost in order to blend in and start anew as an ordinary citizen, The Fable is forced into becoming involved in the criminal underworld of Osaka after a woman whom he has grown fond of, Misaki, is threatened by the local Yakuza. Complicating things even more is the fact that there are 2 other killers on the scene that are hunting The Fable with fandom like obsession. 

Ken Eguchi really impressed me with his dutiful direction. He successfully crafted an action-narrative that blends action, quirky light-hearted moments of comedy and vapid violence as well as hitting every single necessary beat in what is a thrilling watch. The movie moves at a very brisk pace and the fast cut editing definitely helps to keep it moving.

Credit must also go to Kazunari Takeda for some splendid cinematography. There's a wide variety of shots and techniques that truly make the movie a pleasure to watch on the screen. There's some great use of slow-mo and pov shots that enhance the comedic moments and some rather fluid movements that enhance the action. 

What's also extremely impressive is the tight script, adapted from the manga by screenwriter Watanabe Yusuke. The Fable is given enough time to shine as a character. His quirky nature and inability to function as a regular human is explained by a key flashback. The flashback shows us a glimpse of the protagonist's upsetting past with him being forced to survive alone in a forest as a young child. 

There's also the great dilemma we the audience are given in regard to the narrative involving the slimy Yakuza, Kojima. It's established pretty quickly that Kojima is not a good guy by any stretch of the imagination and he uses threats of violence to manipulate and blackmail Misaki. Thus, we become further engaged into the narrative as The Fable embarks on a mission to rescue Misaki without shedding blood. 

I've also got to commend the stunt team for the incredible action choreography. The final action sequence is insane and somehow managed to find convincing ways for The Fable to not kill a singular enemy whilst rescuing the damsel in distress. Sure it gets over the top at times and gets away from realism with the shootout between two killers, but it's pure unadulterated fun and that's what matters the most.

The soundtrack is pretty solid for the most part. I did groan when Lady Gaga started making my ears bleed during the credits however. I could see some people having an issue with a certain choice of music when it comes to a key fight scene as it does affect the tone. The song choice is a bit of a surprise, but the tonal shift actually made me smile as it made the scene a lot of fun and light-hearted in a good way. 

As far as performances are concerned, Junichi Okada delivers big time. He is sublime in a very difficult role that would be easy to mess up. He plays the composed, stoic, cold-blooded contract killer with supreme precision and nails it. It's a testament to his acting ability and range that he also pulls off the comedic, quirky and fun over-acting moments that contrast the composed nature of the character when on the job. I don't need to mention the fact that he excelled in the action as it is second nature to the man that has trained in Jeet Kune Do and Kali.

Kimura Fumino might divide people's opinions with her performance, but I found her adorable. She made a good foil to the much more serious Misaki and I enjoyed her drunken mood swings and the drinking games she partook in. Mizuki Yamamoto was pleasant as Misaki and hit all of the necessary emotional beats in a central role. 

Yuya Yagira was captivating as Kojima and expertly portrayed the twisted nature of the blackmailing wannabe pimp. Osamu Mukai had a very cool look, props to the wardrobe department as his attire and overall aesthetic was slick. His performance was on point and he seemed like a big threat. I also really enjoyed Soat Fukushi in the role of contract killer, Fudo. He had a great look, had a looming, threatening presence and excelled in the action scenes. 

Ken Yasuda was delightful in the difficult role of Yakuza captain Ebihara. He portrayed every emotion well, especially towards the very end of the movie as he makes a difficult decision for the sake of the family. 

Overall, The Fable is a magnificent action comedy that excels at being an entertaining ride from start to finish. It succeeds at being an adaptation and incorporates the type of zany humour that could only be found in manga in a clever way. It is an easy recommendation for fans of action comedies.