2 out of 5

Directed by: Takashi Miike

No idea.  Coming towards the end of Miike’s video career and from the writer of a few of the director’s less inspired works (Hisao Maki, of Family, Silver…) from the start of his career, Waru sort of ambles between hilariously dumb moments and forehead-slapping “explain what we’re doing” moments, without much effort from the director or actors inbetween.  At times the laziness of the production culminates into something that seems aware of its dumbness, putting it on par with some of Miike’s other trashier, momentum-fueled efforts – the frequently failed assassination attempts, for example, provide some silly moments – but all of the moments in-between are lacking in the shot composition and under-the-surface thought that’s in most of his flicks.  And the chained up sex-slave girl just seems like a Why Not? inclusion, tossed in because someone has to have a sexual quirk in a Miike movie.

Why Not? feels like the overriding mentality behind Waru, which at times works as a kind of straight-faced joke.  But it undermines the rest of the story – which, by the way, is essentially about Juro Sarashina (Maki) and then Yoji Himuro (the great Sho Aikawa) protecting their Chiheido corporation from bad guys, who send hitman after hitman to kill Sarashina and Himuro – and the epilogue, setting up the quickie sequel, equally highlights how rushed this whole production feels…  And not the old Miike rush that seemed to push him to creativity, but rather, like, I’ve got some other things to work on now, Maki, but I’ll do you this favor.