Joker Game: Better spy movie than Daniel Craig's awful James Bond.

 I caught the nostalgia bug once again recently. Going through a whole plethora of movies from years past, I just so happened to stumble on an enjoyable spy movie from 2015. I still cannot believe that 2015 was a decade ago at the time of writing this post. Joker Game was a fun experience at the time and I always thought that it was a better spy movie than pretty much all of the pathetic attempts at 007 starring Daniel Craig at the time. It's almost as if the Japanese made a better James Bond than the British, as absurd as that sounds. Granted, I am extremely biased. Doubly so when Kazuya Kamenashi was involved. The movie was based upon the novels written by Koji Yanagi. 

In something of an alternate timeline, the world is on the brink of World War 2. Whilst undergoing a brutal training regime in the pouring rain, a certain soldier accidentally kills his superior officer in self-defence after having stuck up for his fellow soldier who was struggling. Sentenced to death, he prepares to face a firing squad. Just before the execution can be carried out however, Lieutenant Colonel Yuki appears and recruits the soldier to the special spy agency known as D Kikan. After training to become a spy, the soldier is given the identity of Jiro Kato and is tasked with retrieving confidential documents showcasing a newly designed bomb from the hands of American ambassador, Graham. Unfortunately, Kato is not alone in wanting to retrieve the 'Black Note' as the British Intelligence, The USSR and also the Japanese military are also racing to claim it. There's also a mysterious lady by the name of Rin within the proximity. 

Yu Irie was in the director's seat for Joker Game and I must say that he did a fantastic job. There's some rather glorious cinematography throughout the movie's runtime. A dynamic array of shot types, camera techniques and rather nifty editing were used in tandem to create a pleasant and engaging viewing experience. I particularly enjoyed the rather clever and inventive usage of sweeping shots that were used during the spy training montage towards the very beginning of the movie. The transitions were seamless and eye-catching. 

A shoutout must also be given to the soundtrack. It all felt very fitting for the spy genre and reminiscent of past Bond soundtracks. The opening theme for when the credits played sounded extremely Bond-like. Not a bad thing as Bond is more or less the benchmark for the entire genre. 

The action sequences were pretty fun, sometimes over-the-top, but when it's a spy movie, that's pretty much part and parcel. There was a really cool chase sequence which sees Kato swiftly changing clothes as the enemy is after him and he also makes great usage of his environment to slow them down. As for the actual fight sequences, the best of it both involves a certain henchman that is reminiscent again of the recurring Bond henchmen such as Jaws, but not quite to that level. A rather well designed bad guy who looks menacing squares off against the protagonist twice. Firstly, there's a neat sequence where they are both trying not to make noise so that they can steal the 'Black Note' from under the nose of Graham as he's hosting a gathering of some sort. The bad guy fights using an umbrella and the actual 'Black Note' is the focus as the two try to claim it. The payoff comes much later with the pair facing off once more, this time the henchmen having armed himself with swords. 

Kazuya Kamenashi carried the movie with his brilliant performance. He brought a quiet intensity blended with the certain charm needed for a likable spy protagonist. He had so much more charisma and suaveness than Daniel Craig has ever mustered in his entire career. Sorry Daniel. He also excelled, as always, in the sequences when his athleticism was called upon. I will always be fond of his fight scenes because he has the talent for them. He also managed to get through the scene requiring him to speak English pretty well. Credit also to the costume designer and that entire department, the suits for him looked super dapper and I'm jealous of him for getting to wear such fine threads. 

Yusuke Iseya didn't have too much screentime which is a shame for an actor of his calibre. Still, he brought gravitas to the material that he was given to work with and I very much enjoyed his character. Similar things can be said for Yoshinari Ozawa. 

I've seen negative things being said regarding Kyoko Fukada's performance as Rin, but I thought she was perfectly fine. She's no Haruka Ayase, but she did a decent job with what she was given to work with. 

Seeing the British Intelligence and spies being the bad guys was also a fun touch. They were easy to hate, but I also really enjoyed the designs for both the henchman and the main antagonist. 

I have struggled not to use the word fun too much in writing about this movie, but it is an adequate and accurate description. It doesn't take itself overly seriously, with some moments of silliness such as two characters seemingly rising from the dead due to the most absurd of spy gadgets as well as one for pure sequel bait, which I admittedly enjoyed despite how ludicrous it was. I would recommend Joker Game for those into spy movies, action movies, Kazuya Kamenashi fans and those who just want to have a good time with a movie that is over-the-top in parts.