Yatterman Live-Action Film Review

(Everyone is either excitable or bitching about the convention. I thought, hey why don't I shake things up and I don't know...DISCUSS THE FILM SHO FLEW INTO NEW YORK TO PROMOTE?! So film review that I was expected to write as Press is below. These are MY opinions. Also, I tried by darnedest to not spoil the film but I did comment on performance and the screenplay quite a bit. So read at your own discretion. Don't tell me I ruined the film for you because THIS is your warning.)

"A film that will blow your minds!" was the talk of New York City on February 6th as the world premiere of Director Takashi Miike's Yatterman took place in the Director's Guild Theater.

Starring Arashi's very own Sho Sakurai, this mecha-infused, high-tension spectacle of a film was jam packed with action- all tastefully executed in today's latest CGI effects.

We begin our story looking at a wide shot of the destroyed city of Tokyoko (spin on Tokyo) as seen in the movie trailer available on the official Yatterman movie website.

From here, we are introduced to the Doronbow Gang - members being the gluttonous Tonzra, the lecherous Boyacky, and the spoiled queen Doronjo. Their mission is to find all the pieces of the coveted Dokoro Stone (Skull Stone). Sound familiar? The same running plot line from the original anime was brought to the silver screen in style!

We are then introduced to our heroes - Yatterman! This is in fact their team name including Yatterman #1: Gan-chan. Full name Gan Takada, he is the heir of the Takada Toy Corporation. In the anime version, Gan-chan in some points was portrayed as being a bit lazy. This aspect isn't seen quite as much in the live-action version.

Next, Yatterman #2: Ai-chan. Full name Ai Kaminari, she is an electronics genius. Ai-chan's weapon of choice is nothing short of a lightning-generating rod - hence her highly appropriate last name "Kaminari" meaning lightning.

Furthermore, a new character was included in the original screenplay. Named Shoko, she is spotted by Yatterman within the "Pardon Our Dust" disaster of a city after the film's initial battle. Orphaned, Shoko is searching for her father and confides in Yatterman (more intensively Gan-chan who literally springs at the idea) to help find her lost father.

The film follows the three as well as the mechas Yatterwan and Omocchama. However, they are on the go with precious cargo and the Doronbow Gang aims to steal it at all costs.

Yatterman Live-Action Film Review,

By Destini Johnson of ArashiAroundAmerica.net

The Yatterman live-action brought tons of new elements to the world of Yatterman; however it managed to retain a small amount of the anime's original spunk.

The film-only storyline of Shoko searching for her father could be lost in between the huge battle scenes. However in the film's climax it all interestingly came to heed. I felt a lot more excited for the Love Triangle between Gan-chan and his (apparently) new power of heart slaying; and the opponents Doronjo and Ai-chan. The advancements of this separate plot line both kept me on edge and entertained.

The relationships between the mechas during battle were unmitigated as well -- especially the (now infamous) "love scene" between Yatterman's Yatterwan and Doronbow's...voluptuous Bridesmaidiot.

In the end, I could not come to entirely relate or feel sadness for Shoko's case, which was the main storyline. While it was indeed unfortunate, I wasn't entirely moved. This may have to do with its execution, which I felt was rushed. I felt I had a short length of time in which I had to learn of her story, emote to it, and cheer for the good guys. Of the plot lines, this felt the most under-developed in a sense for a film of its length.

Yatterman utilized a ton – A TON – of CGI effects. The film basically was filmed on a blue screen entirely. This was great because a new world was created and made the various changing environments a lot more interesting. A lot of the actions throughout the movie seemed purposely exaggerated but I enjoyed that because it reminded that I was watching an anime adaption.

If you were not a fan of Yatterman coming in to seeing the film, you may not know that by the climax of the episodes, the mecha battle is the main focus. The way the movie was arranged, it was like three different episodes were merged together - three intense battles between them all. This however may have been a hindrance in its production because those coming in to see a lot more human relationships come to blossom may have felt overwhelmed by all the mecha battles.

The filming style differed throughout the film and it kept you waiting to see how it’d shift next. From American comic book style line art, to Japanese anime styled clips, to legendary “Indiana Jones” aura soaked moments, it all really brought the movie to life.

As a fan and viewer of the 1970’s and 2008 remake of the anime, as-close-as-they-can-get styled execution of the characters was a huge concern of mine. In regards to the anime’s original characters, I felt that everyone was portrayed decently.

While one or two common elements of Gan-chan’s character were left out, I feel that Sakurai’s execution of Gan-chan as a spirited and driven individual (when he wants to be) were spot on. In a non-direct quote from the press conference, Director Miike stated that the film most likely would not have been produced had Sakurai not been available. He expressed that he felt that Sakurai was Gan-chan and for the most part, I could say that I agree with said statement.

While there was a strong sense of bias for Sakurai amongst the fans attending, Kyoko Fukuda’s performance of Doronjo was also received well, myself included. Reports about her enthusiasm in regards to playing Doronjo, including that she assisted in the design of her costume finally came to show itself in her portrayal. She was very much into her character and flawlessly pulled off Doronjo’s personality and mannerisms. She was a real delight to see within the film, as it gave it more authenticity. Her lackeys, Tonzra (played by Kendo Kobayashi) and Boyacky (played by Katsuhisa Namase) were fine just as well, and mainly focused on the emphasizing the characteristics they are best known for.

For the Yatterman anime fan: 2 out of 5 stars. I felt the film was not in essence Yatterman. I felt that even though Yatterman has dirty humor, it’s subtly was what made it famous. Within the film, it is literally thrown at you and is rather highly suggestive to boot. To add, the storyline seemed like one that you would see in filler episodes in Yatterman, not a main arc of the series and so it left some things to be desired.

For the Takashi Miike fan: 3 ½ out of 5 stars. This movie screams Miike in and out. Almost being compared to as the Tarantino of Japan, his sense of humor is slapped all over the film, making it an original, yet different spin on the themes of Miike’s previous films.

For the Sho Sakurai fan: 3 ½ out of 5 stars. Sakurai’s moments in the film were at times really hilarious, but in all honesty I felt like I was deprived of a lot of scenes to even feel a bias towards Sho. If you watched the film just as a Sakurai fan, you may have fully enjoyed it because there were some unforgettable scenes, including the scorpion scene. However, I think that even as a Sakurai fan, with things changed around a bit; the movie’s Watch Factor could be even higher.

My overall rating: 3 ½ out of 5 stars. All the factors above apply to me – I watched this film as a fan of all three of these and so while I enjoyed it, had a ton of good laughs, and was enamored by a childhood favorite being brought to life on screen, I still felt that it could have been executed better. Miike did imply during the Q&A following the premiere, “You have to ask yourself what’s more important – success or making films for the joy of it?” Miike filmed the movie with a lot of passion for the series, but the original screenplay also felt nothing like the series. I almost felt like I was in Miike’s head watching what he’d like to see happen in Yatterman – not anything that actually would happen. Overall, entertaining but lacked the authenticity I had hoped for.