Blu-ray Review: YAKUZA WEAPON (2011)

 
 
YAKUZA WEAPON
Directed by: Tak Sakaguchi & Yûdai Yamaguchi
Distributed by:  Well Go USA

 Well Go USA is putting out some of the best foreign films here in the U.S.    YAKUZA WEAPON is one they put out earlier in the year, but I just had a chance to watch last night.   I wished I would have watched it sooner.   I haven't enjoyed a film like YAKUZA WEAPON in a long time!   For those unfamiliar with the film, here is the full plot synopsis from the Well Go USA website:

  The team who brought you VERSUS have returned with another hard-edged battle royale featuring tough gangsters, deadly women and cybernetic penis implants! Ex-yakuza Shozo Iwaki (Tak Sakaguchi) engages in a titanic battle of revenge against double-crossing Kurawaki, the man who killed his father. After a building-leveling skirmish, Shozo wakes up with an M61 Vulcan cannon in place of his right arm, and a rocket launcher where his left leg used to be. Shozo quickly learns to love his weaponized frame, and prepares for a bloody rematch with Kurawaki, who has some mechanical improvements of his own.
  Co-directed by Yudai Yamaguchi and Tak Sakaguchi, creators of action-filled comedies like BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL, CROMARTIE HIGH SCHOOL and BE A MAN! SAMURAI SCHOOL, and based on an adult comic by Ken Ishikawa, (CUTIE HONEY, GETTERROBOT and more), YAKUZA WEAPON combines hard-boiled gangster action, manga-style comedy and splatterific special effects. Tough as nails, armed to the teeth, pissed-off and looking for a fight, YAKUZA WEAPON is coming to kick your ass!

Ok, let me start of saying on thing.  If you are a fan of Japanese cinema like TOKYO GORE POLICE, MUTANT GIRLS SQUAD, HELLDRIVER, etc., then you should absolutely love this film.  If you are not familiar with those types of films, YAKUZA WEAPON could be seen a very "dumb" movie.  You see, you have to set reality aside when you watch these films.  They are pretty realistic for the most part, but then there will be a crazy scene that just makes no sense.   It's part of the novelty of these types of films, and a part I thoroughly enjoy.

 Director Tak Sakaguchi plays the title role of the Yakuza Weapon named Shozo, and does a tremendous job.  He is cool and hell and can fight with the best of them.   The fight scenes in this film are incredible and in fact, there is one fight scene that I consider one of the finest ever recorded on film.   In this scene, Shozo is walking through a building, and down hallways, and up stairs trying to get to Kurawaki, all along he is having to fight Kurawaki's henchmen off, and just when you think he has defeated them all, their are more around the corner...they just keep coming.  The camera work during this extended fight scene is incredible.

 While more action/fighting than horror, there are plenty of horror elements all throughout the film, including a good bit of gore, including a man getting holes screwed through his face thanks to Shozo having shoes that have drill bits that come out of the bottom.  I told you those Japanese make some crazy movies!  And I haven't even mentioned the penis replacement nuclear bomb detonator!  You will just have to see that one for yourself! 

  YAKUZA WEAPON is available now on DVD and a DVD/Blu-ray combo pack. Both include the following special features:

*  "The Making-of Yakuza Weapon" Featurette
*  Tokyo Stage Greeting
*  Director's Discussion
*  Spinoff Film "Takuzo Weapon"
*  Trailers


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack