BLUE FIGHT is a really fun delinquent action movie.

 I've mentioned it previously, but I'll reiterate here: Takashi Miike is one of my personal favourite directors of all time. He's a man who helmed many, many classic and fantastic movies. Amongst them was the Crows Zero movies starring Shun Oguri from 2007 and 2009 respectively. When it was announced that Miike would be directing another action movie featuring delinquent leads, I was extremely excited. That movie would be BLUE FIGHT and would also feature GACKT, a man whom I'm a big fan of. 

The protagonists of the movie are two young delinquents. After getting sent to juvie, Ryoma meets the always fighting Ikuto and the two bond, becoming friends rather fast. Following a guest lecture from MMA fighter and Breaking Down host, Mikuru Asakura, the two decide to change the course of their lives. Aspiring to get on Breaking Down, they make plans to find a gym to train at, becoming skilled kickboxers. The problem with that? Once they're on the outside, all kinds of issues arise. First, in order to get a gym membership they have to earn money and to do that they work at a factory. Their moms worry whether they can actually reform and a gang of hoodlums start beefing with them as a couple recognise both Ikuto and Ryoma from the past. Also looming in the background are a deadly biker gang named Krishna. 

Right away, from the very first scene, Takashi Miike's dynamic usage of various different camera angles and the snappy cuts showcase his experience and skill in the director's chair. There are some very, very interesting choices made, including what appears to be some Dutch angles that really make what would otherwise be a bog-standard introduction to a major character anything but. 

There's also the trademark Miike humour on display throughout the movie. For instance, there's a scene in which a certain character comically gets a dart stuck right in the top of his head, which causes him to repeat the words he had just spoke and the dart stays in his head for the rest of the scene. There's another moment in which the sons ring their mothers at the exact same time and also speak in unison. Then you have the random person roaming around the auditions for Breaking Down in a mascot costume, a fun way to have a bit of humour and a neat cameo for a well-known actor and past Miike collaborator. 
 
The fight scenes are pretty darn solid for the most part. One of my personal favourites takes place within the confines of a kickboxing gym. It does a good job of showcasing just how outmatched a novice is against a pro with the pro spending the majority of the sparring session toying with him. Of course, with the novice being a main character, he somehow has the heart and willpower to land a hit on the pro that causes the latter to punish him for it. The gym also is the battleground for a smartly thought-out fight which sees a brilliant and effective strategy put to use as a couple of major characters face-off, with one letting his opponent tire himself out enough to drop his guard before making him pay the price. Conversely, there's an all-out war between the large psychotic biker gang, the hoodlums and more. It's fun chaos as the action is all over the place with a lot of fun moments. Everything is well-shot with the action easy to follow, which is expected when Miike is behind the camera. 

Admittedly, I had never truly seen Dahni Kinoshita in a major role prior to watching BLUE FIGHT. He didn't have many credits to his name, but that should change after a breakout performance as Ikuto Yagura. He convincingly portrays a rough around the edges young delinquent framed for a crime he didn't commit who lashes out at the unjust world through fighting. He's the emotional heart of the movie, the man who inspires everyone around him to be better and to do better. 

Kaname Yoshizawa also does a fine job in the other leading role as Ryoma Akai. He's not a leader like Ikuto, but he's a darn good second and devout follower. He's a flawed, reluctant individual who had been forced into wrong-doing via unfortunate circumstances, but throughout the movie showcases a willingness and a drive to change and become a better person. 

Mariko Shinoda looks pretty as Ikuto's mother, Haruka Yagura. That being said, she also proves to be incredibly intelligent as she outwits the juvenile officer and manages to get Ikuto released on parole. She's a very caring mother and a sullen wife, visiting a husband who's on trial for murder. 

There's fun roles for multitudes of frequent Miike collaborators, including Kyosuke Yabe, Wataru Ichinose, Nobuaki Kaneko, Susumu Terajima and even Takayuki Yamada. It's nice to see them all pop up as I appreciate a director who likes to work with talent more than once and build a rapport with them.  

Overall, BLUE FIGHT is a really fun viewing experience with Miike making the most of the just under 2 hour run-time. It's a tale of redemption for two guys making going down the wrong path in life