5 out of 5

Director: Takashi Miike

This was one of the first Miike movies I saw after Audition, Ichi, and Gozu, and it was probably my biggest disappointment… because I was expecting Audition, Ichi, or Gozu. After becoming more familiar with the tropes of Japanese cinema, as well as Miikes full breadth of work and his themes, Ive come to really dig the mixed bag that Full Metal represents, as well as how much fun it is in that Miike way. Full Metal Yakuza, as Tom Mes comments on the Arts Magic DVD commentary, would probably be described as Robocop with a gangster instead of a cop… but this is too easy and inaccurate. This is a yakuza movie, with the themes of betrayal and family and honor, given the upped ante of a bionic man, lending itself to some fun extremes and humor. Kensuke Hagane is a bumbling wannabe yakuza who is the butt of every joke… and is killed in the line of duty. Brought back by a kooky doctor as a mostly metal man, Hagane starts discovering there was more to his death than seemed, and begins rooting out some less honorable characters in the yakuza organization. While the low-budget effects / sound are notable, and played for comic effect in some scenes, Miike still makes great use of character and action, handling this with the same sort of magic hes applied to the majority of his films. Even in a movie with what couldve been a simple plot do we get some very fleshed out roles in the lead, and his brother, and the yakuza bosses. The camera work is similarly catching, bouncing between the wild antics of sword fights and some very still, quiet moments. This isnt necessarily the place to start with Miike, but this is still a great film, highlighting his ability to twist source material to his means without being distracting or misleading. A mixed bag, for sure, but one with many worthwhile surprises.