VIDEO REVIEW: Terror of Mechagodzilla

VIDEO REVIEW: Gojira

i SPY ASIASPY: Ironfinger

Ironfinger
Director: Jun Fukuda
Year 1965
 
Ironfinger, AKA 100 Shot 100 Killed, is a fantastic Asiaspy entry that showcases all the fun things that make the Bond formula of spy flicks so entertaining while adding a bit of silliness to the proceedings that knock you for a loop. With a tongue-in-cheek attitude that graces every frame of this wildly stunning film, the proof is in the pudding that Toho productions could produce some insanely enjoyable features outside of the kaiju and sci-fi/horror realms. Ironfinger is a whimsical take on the James Bond aesthetic and you really can’t go wrong with this immensely fun outing and its cast of energetic characters.
 
The film follows an intriguing vacationer named Andrew Hoshino, who crosses paths and identities with a recently murdered Interpol agent and unexpectedly gets caught up in an espionage filled adventure that takes him through the crime ridden streets of Tokyo to the sandy covered beaches of the Philippines. Once Andrew takes on the mission, he finds himself pitted against two rival gangs who are vying for a shipment of firearms that an infamous arms dealer possesses, while at the same time dealing with a mysterious and beautiful explosives expert named Sawada Yumi, a goofy and comical police chief named Tezuka, and a cruel professional killer named Komori who loves to dowse his victims in a thick spray of acid. With action at every turn and danger around every bend, Andrew comes to find that being an Interpol agent is both perilous, but a whole hell of a lot of fun.

Akira Takarada plays the role of Andrew Hoshino, the ambiguous character that isn’t what he seems. The beautiful thing about this role is that you’re never really sure if Andrew is just a strange vacationer swept up in all of these espionage antics, or if he truly is an Interpol agent assigned to take down the bad guys. The uncertainty of the role is quite special and the fact that Andrew is so efficient at killing and escaping insurmountable odds leans heavily on him being an agent, but because of his wild portrayal of the character and his odd behavior, you really can’t peg him down on either side of the fence. Akira does a wonderful job with the role and his style and attitude is what makes the film so enjoyable to watch. His charisma shines in this movie and the playful way in which he showcases all of his agent character’s skill and panache is ridiculously hypnotic. If there is one thing that just works perfectly in this film and encapsulates the overall attitude and energy of the production, it would be Akira’s mesmerizing performance.
 
Filling up the rest of the cast is Mie Hama as the stunning explosives expert Sawada Yumi, whose allegiance is always hazy with intentions that hover mysteriously over the film. Mie looks amazing in this film and you can tell why she was chosen as a Bond girl a few years later for the entry You Only Live Twice. She has that femme fatale look and feel down to a science and she electrifies the frame whenever she comes onto the screen. She does an amazing job in this film and I only wish that I could hunt down her performance in Key of Keys, the original film that was created from Woody Allen’s dubbed masterpiece What’s Up, Tiger Lily?. Another memorable role in Ironfinger is performed by Ichiro Arishima as the bumbling chief of police, Detective Tezuka. He brings a great deal of physical comedy to the film that meshes exceptionally well with Akira Takarada’s more subtle comedically timed quips and overall smooth delivery. Another standout, yet painfully underused role, is Akihiko Hirata’s take on the professional killer Komori. Cruel to the last and specializing in using acid as his signature murder weapon, Akihiko does a great job in delivering a character that would fit right in with the long line of interesting Bond villains. It’s just too bad that he wasn’t used more intricately within the story.

I mentioned it earlier, but I can’t stress it enough, this film is loads of fun. From the ambiguous nature of the character of Andrew Hoshino, to the fast-paced and comical moments of the film, to the stylish look of the end product, Ironfinger is a cinematic gem that is as equally entertaining as it is enthralling. Without a doubt the movie delivers on all that you would expect from the trailer and the fun of it all is seeing it all play out. From double-crossings, impressive stunts, and hilarious character interactions, the film has it all. As a film from beginning to end, the atmosphere is energetic and quirky, providing a stage where wacky situations occur a mile a minute and do so with great aplomb.
 
Most of these crazy situations can be attributed to the cast of accomplished actors who really thrive with the eccentricities of their characters. As previously stated, Akira Takarada as Andrew Hoshino is wonderful and his cool and laid back style is hypnotizing to watch. There is a memorable scene during the closing moments of the film that has him gunning down a villain in a very interesting way. Instead of just blowing the guy away, Andrew decides to give the man a sporting chance by throwing a gun out onto the beach and allowing the doomed man a heads start. He agrees to not fire until the man has the gun in his possession and the build-up to this moment is exceptionally crafted, as this life or death situation takes place across this beautiful and idyllic location amidst the Philippines’ gorgeous coastline. Director Jun Fukuda captures the breathtaking splendor of the landscape and juxtaposes this against a rather brutal and savage execution, resulting in one of the most iconic moments of the film and a perfect end to a fantastically pleasurable movie.

Ironfinger encapsulates everything that I love in the genre of 60’s spy cinema and that’s sly wit, ridiculous action, diverse characters, and memorable moments. The movie is packed to the gills with these elements and it’s showcased in such a visually pleasing manor that you’d be hard-pressed in not finding a good time in this flick. With its tendency towards the bizarre and the over the top nature of its cinematic world, Ironfinger has no trouble keeping the attention of the audience glued to the screen.
 
It also doesn’t hurt that the film has a cast that fits perfectly within the confines of the story as they jump out to entertain us at every turn. Akira Takarada, Mie Hama, and Ichiro Arishima do a wonderful job in melding with this wacky world that director Jun Fukuda has set up and their interactions between each other are priceless in their deliveries. Akira Takarada especially runs with the role of Andrew Hoshino and gives a performance that is simply madcap crazy and enjoyable to the last. Of the number of Asiaspy films that I’ve come across, Ironfinger is definitely the best of the bunch and if you’re looking for a staple of the genre, then I suggest you hunt down this little known gem. It’s absolutely amazing! Ironfinger is…..

Gee, I love the hat mister. Where'd you get it from?

It's not lady like to fart in an automobile!

So I've got guns... big whoop.

Get the hell out from under my chair asshole!

Is it hot in here or is it just Mie?

You fiend! Just let me put on some pants!

Now let's talk about how I get my pants back on.

Absolutely no farting in my car mister.

Check out my hat, it's super awesome!

That's not a hat..... This is a HAT!

The next person to let a stink-nugget out in my car is getting bitch-slapped.

Not the best hiding place Yumi, but I'll give you an A for effort.

Raise your hands, raise your hands if your sure!

Real mature Tezuka!

Ok you've got us, but I have to admit those pants are exquisite.

Congratulations Andrew! You win the gold medal!

Nothing like hunting a guy to get your blood pumping.

Good... Bad... I'm the guy with the gun.

See you suckers later. I'm gonna get laid.

REVIEW: Terror of Mechagodzilla

Terror of Mechagodzilla
Director: Ishiro Honda
Year 1975
 
Terror of Mechagodzilla is a battle royal extravaganza that showcases a trio of giant monsters ravaging the landscape, all in the name of fun. This destructive entry in the lengthy Godzilla series is directed by the father of the genre, Ishiro Honda. Bringing that mythical and larger than life aspect of the creature Godzilla, Ishiro multiples the formula by three, adding two more monstrous creations that usher in a monumental battle that really does amp up the trademark chaos of the series. With a multitude of memorable fights, interesting characters, and enough destruction to satisfy any disaster film connoisseur, Terror of Mechagodzilla brings the pain to the audience and proves once again how much of a badass both Godzilla and his creator, Ishiro Honda, really is. Let’s get it on!
 
The film centers on a diabolical plot by a race of aliens, who through the use of a traitorous Earth scientist and his cyborg daughter, are able to control and unleash the terrible destructive power of two monstrous creatures, Titanosaurus and Mechagodzilla. Their plan is simple, to level Tokyo and then rebuild their own version of the metropolis in their image. The only problem is Godzilla is not too keen on rival monsters stepping in on his turf, so he takes on the two behemoths at once, igniting a devastating battle across the streets of Tokyo, which in the end, leaves the city crippled and scarred. Sounds like a damn good time, so lets get down to business.

As usual for a Godzilla film, the movie follows a number of people over the course of the monster’s destructive romp, but in the case of Terror of Mechagodzilla, the number of people involved is astronomical in size and variance. The standouts are Akihiko Hirata who plays the role of Dr. Shinzo Mafune, Tomoko Ai who portrays Shinzo’s daughter Katsura Mafune, Katsuhiko Sasaki who plays the heroic and love struck biologist Akira Ichinose, and the alien leader named Mugal, played by Goro Mutsumi. Each of these characters has an individual story arc that sets them apart from the rest of the pack, but it’s the father/daughter relationship between the characters of Dr. Shinzo and Katsura Mafune that really brings something interesting to the story.
 
With this dynamic pairing of characters, we are provided an unusual look into a sympathetic villain’s inner workings and turmoil. After being ridiculed and ostracized over his work on the theory of the Titanosaur’s existence, Dr. Shinzo became obsessed with proving his findings, which eventually led him to despise the human race and form an alliance with the alien race that is at present time aiming to take over Tokyo. What makes this allegiance so intricately complicated is that it includes Shinzo’s daughter Katsura. Katsura can telepathically link to the Titanosaur and control its every movement whenever her father commands her too, but that’s not the interesting part. The interesting part is that she is a cyborg. Katsura, once the flesh and blood daughter of Dr. Shinzo, has an unfortunate accident while working in her father’s lab which causes her to be struck dead after a malfunction goes haywire. Seizing the opportunity to sink their claws into the doctor, the alien race swoops in to bring Katsura to life, only in robotic form. From that point on, Shinzo is destined to be under the control of the aliens and this is what makes his story and Katsura’s so compelling and memorable. They’re two heavy hitters that represent the villainous group of the film, but you come to find that they are more complex and complicated than first revealed. The inclusion of this inventive back-story is an added bonus for the depth of these two characters, and both Akihiko Hirata and Tomoko Ai do a great job with the material they’re given.

Now on to the destruction! There’s really no way to write a review on a Godzilla movie without covering the monstrous creatures that show up or the mass amount of mayhem that they inflict on the beautifully rendered landscape, so let’s get right down to it. With the decision to go with three main monsters instead of two, the filmmakers raise the stakes for reckless bedlam by two-fold, and in the process, they raise the viewers’ anticipation for unadulterated chaos by a huge margin. Luckily they have the skill to back these perceptions up, because we bare witness to buildings exploding in a blink of an eye and earthly tremors that literally shake the ground, as we’re presented with a group of colossal giants colliding with each other in violent and entertaining fashion. These chaotic scenes make the anticipated wait for their inevitable confrontation, well worth it, and most of the destruction is the best the series has ever looked. The visual effects are stupendously crafted and the execution is right up there in top notch levels, proudly representing the Toho name. Entire city blocks splinter from cacophony fused blasts that genuinely get the blood boiling from its visceral impact when flashed upon the screen. The overall destruction seems magnified to reflect the number of combatants involved and I absolutely loved the insanity of it all. Once again, Ishiro Honda along with the film crew and Toho have created a masterfully and artistically created world with its destructible miniatures and no holds barred ingenuity.
 
The creature designs are also rather marvelous, as we’re reacquainted with the now evolved visual look of Godzilla and Mechagodzilla, and shown the unique appearance of the interesting, yet somewhat silly, Titanosaurus. Each monster is designed in the traditional Godzilla-world style and each have an array of weaponry in their arsenal that is unique to them. My favorite weapon of choice would be the missiles used by Mechagodzilla that literally level entire city blocks in a blasé of glory. There is one moment in this film that is just so outrageous and overwhelmingly explosive, that you almost question if the filmmakers have gone too far with the destructive nature of these beasts, but in the end it’s all in good fun and entertaining as hell to see play out. The marvelously designed creatures are a hoot, bordering that fine line between hokey and awe-inspiring. Like all Kaiju films, Terror of Mechagodzilla is a wild ride filled with monsters, mayhem and destruction. Who could ask for anything more?

Terror of Mechagodzilla is a thrill a minute Godzilla entry that even when not bombarding the viewer with epic vistas of giant battling monsters, is still an outstandingly enthralling experience to be remembered. With a star studded cast and enough wild concepts to shake a stick at, the move really does go above and beyond the usual constructs for these kinds of films and pushes the limit whenever possible.
 
Like all Toho produced Godzilla films, this entry is extremely well crafted, showcasing the amazing work that the company can do with miniatures and practical effects. The explosions and mayhem is spectacular to see flash across the screen and the look and feel of the monsters are at their distinguishing best. If you’ve seen your fair share of Kaiju films, then you know what to expect in this entry in the Godzilla series. It has the same quality and respect to the genre as the ones before it, yet it’s amped to the tenth degree. Terror of Mechagodzilla is a blast and it’s definitely……

What the shit are you looking at?

Cheers to the perfect couple.

Hi everybody!

Where can I get a kick ass helmet like that?

Those shades just scream.... I'm grumpy, but cool.

Looks like they're getting ready for an intense game of RISK.

There goes the neighborhood.

That's awesome..... what is it?

Run kids! RUN!

Holy Shit! Holy Shit! Holy Shit!

On guard... I'll let you try my Godzilla style.

Say cheese!

It's ok kids. Grandpa's just having a little heart attack, that's all.

Godzilla the action hero.

That's one way to get a-head.

Not the titty twister laser! NOOOOO! You bastard!

You'll never catch me and my silly hat. NEVER!

PARTY PEOPLE!