Reviews (20)

chaotic story of one man's fight with sanity
this is one of the most intense films i've ever seen. it is more or less the same story as tetsuo: the iron man, but it goes much farther, and much more completely insane.it's definitely not a film for everbody, as many japanese films seem to have a hard time hitting home with western audiences. but if you enjoy eclectic, chaotic, and definitely too intense film, i'm sure you'll enjoy this manic trip through one man's evolution into mechinization.very visual in nature, and the sound is unbelievable. very truly one of the most effective and memorable films i've seen to date.

Cinematic masochism at its best!
What a crazy, crazy, crazy movie. Everything you think you've heard, everything you think you know about this movie is irrelevant if you haven't seen it. I think Shinya Tsukamoto is genuinely insane. Tetsuo II: Body Hammer is a nightmarish ride into hell and beyond, terrifying in its simplicity and intriguing in its complexity, and you absolutely will never, ever forget it. There's something hard to explain about this movie-- I'm kind of afraid of it, but nevertheless I feel like I have to watch it again and again and again. Watch it and you'll see what I mean. As for the DVD, it seems okay to me for a movie like this. It's a Japanese cult movie, so you can't really expect a pristine transfer, but what's there seems generally okay. I don't see the pixellation the other reviewers mention, and the movie is really dark and murky but I think that may have been what Tsukamoto wanted. As for the comment about the trailer looking better than the film, I really don't think it does. Parts of the trailer are in normal, full color, whereas most of the actual movie (including the exact same shots shown in full color in the trailer) was processed by its makers to make it appear in a somber shade of purplish blue. Other than that, it seems to be pretty much the same quality as the film itself. But I didn't see this film in theaters and I've never seen the VHS version, so I'm not much of an authority. But at any rate, Tetsuo II: Body Hammer will change your life. It will forever alter the way you think about movies and about yourself. Just go see it.

The NEW FLESH!
Pretentious film aficionados as well as Film junkies, snotty film students, lovers of blood, guts, and exploding cybernetic human hybrids will find this amazing. As well as social/cultural analysts. The film is too good for Hollywood's studio paid critics (i.e. Ebert and Un-Siskel). This film crosses into the post-modern ideology that suggests a possibility of humanity's acceptance of technology into their own bodies and flesh.

With current society relying on plastic surgery and physical augmentation this is a wake up to the broadcasted cable zombies of today!

TV is watching you, more than you watch it!

divowr@excite.com

honestly speaking.
Honestly, this has got to be one of the worst films I've ever seen. The storyline is garbage, picture is dark blue(so you really can't see it well), and it's just absolutely booooring. I was watching the whole time thinking "when will this crap end." I do not recommend this film to anyone except someone I hated. Some guy put this as #2 on his list of most disturbing movies. It's not shocking or scary at all. I wasted about an hour and a half of my life watching it. I really don't see how anyone could like this garbage.

Low Budget Science Fiction Horror Action Art Movie
Comparisons will obviously be made to David Lynch and Cronenberg, but if you like those directors and have a taste for low budget foreign horror movies then you will love Tetsuo II - Body Hammer.

Basically this is like a live action Magna cartoon and can be watched as a stand alone without seeing the original Tetsuo. Where the film scores in aces is with the editing and camerawork. Shinya Tsukamoto is held in great esteem by directors like Quetin Tarantino, who once asked if Tsukamoto would work on an American film with him. Tsukamoto responded by saying Yes - If he was allowed to nuke Hollywood.

The plot is crazy and revolves around a Tokyo businessman, Taniguchi, whose son is kidnapped by a cult of demented nazi-type body builders led by a villain who has the special power of being able to turn his body parts into mechanical firearms. Taniguchi discovers that he too has similar special powers and proceeds to try and wipeout the gang in a Superhero sort of way.

There is lots of arty nightmare sequences and action, although the film does loose its pace in parts. At its heart, Tetsuo II is a movie about a superhero with a grotesque gift. It is violent at times but the plot is actually coherent and the story is a lot of fun.

Considering the budget limitations the filmmakers have done well and Tetsuo has quite a cult following and it is easy to see why directors like Tarantino recommend it. So if you have a taste for low budget weirdness, then this movie is a must. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Tsukamoto can do better.Much better.
I like Shinya Tsukamoto.He's a great director (TOKYO FIST), a talented actor (ICHI THE KILLER) and an imaginative writer (TETSUO), but I didn't care for A SNAKE OF JUNE.It starts out alright with a repressed wife being blackmailed to act out her own sexual fantasies - example: walking around in public in a miniskirt with an active sex toy inside her.That part was interesting, but then it starts going on about her lame husband and I lost interest quick.

Nowhere near sexy enough or surreal enough to recommend.

surreal but not real surreal
I do not know if this director is related to Akira or not since the last name is same but the movie is very mediocore - but I was used to watching Passolini so this cannotr really hold my attention -
Rinko , the primary charaster has tried her best but direction fails her - photography could have been so much better considering this is black and white only. The scope of work is so much more in black and white frames -

finding the true self
Short-haired, bespectacled Rinko works at a suicide prevention hotline talking with individuals who have given up on life, but who are seeking help in order to find a reason why to keep on living. One day a pornographer calls her, and through her advice decides to keep on living. However, instead of just giving her his thanks, the man becomes completely obsessed with her, taking numerous pictures of Rinko during her most private moments. One day Rinko receives an envelope with the caption "Your Husband's Secret" which contains photographs of Rinko masturbating. Soon after being shocked by the photos, Rinko receives a phone call from the pornographer. Refusing to listen to his demands, Rinko tries to ignore the man, but envelopes of pictures continue to arrive in the mail, including a set which depicts Rinko, making herself a very short dress and putting on make up. Two things that her neat freak, middle-aged husband, Shigehiko, would never aprove of.

Determined to get back the pictures, Rinko listens to the pornographer's demands: to go out in public in her mini-skirt and purchase a dildo.

This of course is just the beginning of the film. The viewer gains a good glimpse of the personalities of both Rinko and Shigehiko through the prying eye of the pornographer.

The film is completely in black and white which makes the film seedier. There are some really surreal scenes, and a few surprises.
... Read more

Reviews (10)

Tsukamato fans beware
Being a survivor of both Tetsuo and Tetsuo 2 before watching this film, I felt I was ready for anything Tsukamato could ever think of throwing at his core audience. What I was unprepared for was gore in bucket loads and a plot even hazier than the aforementioned films. Although it seems to be the director's style to have a less than linear plot and even less editing to a movie, Tokyo Fist seems to me as a failed attempt at a boxing movie. Self-mutilation, childhood rivalry, and a self-destructive path covers the visuals of what could possibly be the sickest overseas movie I've seen in a while. The strange thing about this movie is that it had more than it's fair share of potential. With a little storyline twist here, a little less over acting there, and a little more realistic fights on the side would've made this a good buy. Unfortunately, Tsukamato's taste for the bizzare, intense, and sadistic visuals somewhat ruined this movie. So why didn't I just give this a one star instead of two? Simple, any movie that makes you wanna barf 90 percent of the time deserves an extra star for effort. Another demented movie(with no real point) from a really demented director(who seems to have some serious issues to deal with).

Make sure you know who the creator is!
Thinking this was "just" a Japanese movie, I found Tokyo Fist anything but. Its raw unsubtle imagery -- not to mention over-the-top boxing "makeup", made me quite happy that I was watching this on an empty stomach. Yet, despite the human imagery of violence and spiraling downward, the sterility and facelessness of Tokyo itself is quite powerful -- more frightening, since it's the only part of the movie that doesn't seem impossible. The film is primarily shot in alienating, washed out blues, with red the primary visual for contrasting, jarring, color scenes. Sensibility and plot take a firm back seat to evocation and statement. It's kinetic, low-budget, and relentless, yet not at all preachy or pretentious.

Not comparable to Fight Club
I just want to mention that although this movie is extremely good it is compared to Fight Club far too much. Everyone says it's the Japanese Fight Club, but the only similarity is that there happens to be some fighting in both movies. You might as well compare the next Van Damme movie to Fight Club. But if you are a fan of Japanese films you won't be disappointed. It might not be as wicked as The Iron Man or Visitor Q, but it's still really good.

It's not "Tetsuo", but good on its own merits
Truthfully, I'm not sure what the other reviews are complaining about: "Tokyo Fist" is arguably more coherent than "Tetsuo", although it's hardly a finely tuned plot. Nor are the goings-on more extreme than in "Tetsuo." The tattoos and piercings are not "ritual"; in fact, they're pretty direct self-mutilation and alteration. I really don't understand why this is slapped with "Warning: Adult Content" labels, because frankly, the American cinema has seen much worse.
The "Fight Club" paralells people draw are also very misleading; first of all, the plots are nothing alike. This is more similar to "Tetsuo" than anything else. Second, this is in terms of direction simply a better film. It's obvious Tsukamoto sat down and thought hard about how exactly he wanted each shot to be presented, whereas David Fincher tried to assault the senses by NOT thinking. It's not as digestible to American audiences, but them's the breaks.
Tsukamoto's distinct directorial style (there's even a little stop-motion here) is better defined here, especially his use of color. His "video game" style is very much present here, and while it's not for everyone, if you're interested in being challenged, it's probably for you. It's also a good lead-in to "Tetsuo", although the same warning there applies here: if you haven't sampled of David Cronenberg, David Lynch and a few other "perverse" filmmakers, I'd step carefully.

IT AIN'T ROCKY!
Remember Fight Club with Brad Pitt? This is the Japanese version. A little grittier, less witty, and arguably more viceral, it evidently seeks to show what people are like behind the polite facade of everyday life. A small time salesmans' sterile life is interupted by the reunion of an old high school aquaintance who's now a professional boxer. When the boxer puts the moves on the salesmans fiancee, the salesman does an Edward Norton and becomes a pugilist. No doubt the arthouse crowd might like this film, but for those who live in the real world, don't expect a movie on fighting; it's about frustration and loosing control when emotions run amok. While not unwatchable, it's not exactly something you run out and buy afterwards, even if you like really abstract movies. ... Read more

Description

Fueled by cyberpunk sensuality and wrought iron perversion, "Iron Man" starts with a bizarre merging of flesh and metal and accelerates into a hyper-hallucinatory state where springs, wires and solder erupt fountain-like from a man's body. ... Read more