The movie's shambling, matter-of-fact approach to pulpy material is funny, as is its steadfast avoidance of visual hype.
Big Man Japan (2009)
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Reviews Counted:30
Fresh:23
Rotten:7
Average Rating:6.4/10
Consensus: Hitoshi Matsumoto's indescribably odd mockumentary is undeniably inspired.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for sci-fi action and crude humor.
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:May 15, 2009 Limited
Synopsis: BIG MAN IN JAPAN is the latest in a burgeoning genre of films combining documentary aesthetics with fictional content, but it is by far the funniest and most creative of this group. The film... BIG MAN IN JAPAN is the latest in a burgeoning genre of films combining documentary aesthetics with fictional content, but it is by far the funniest and most creative of this group. The film depicts the everyday life of Daisatou, a man who periodically transforms into Dai-Nipponjin, a Godzilla-sized behemoth who fights off an odd mix of monsters who are constantly invading Japan. These battles are broadcast on television, and Daisatou generates additional revenue by sporting tattoos of various companies on his torso. But the market for mega-superheroes is bottoming out, and his show has been relegated to a late-late-night timeslot, causing the interviewer to comment, "Even the weather gets better ratings than you." It gets worse--everyone hates Dai-Nipponjin, claiming he causes more damage than he prevents, uses up too much electricity (needed to make his transformation), and disrupts their lives with noise and traffic jams. His wife has left him, not wanting their daughter to be forced to follow in his giant footsteps. His grandfather (and mega-sized predecessor) suffers from dementia from the massive amounts of electricity he ingested. But through it all, Daisatou does his patriotic duty by battling a memorable assortment of "baddies," including "Mean Look Baddie" and "Smelly Baddie." The film is filled with parodies of familiar documentary moments, such as the prolonged awkward silence that ensues when the subject does not want to answer a particular question, and the inevitable scene where the cameraman is told to turn off the camera but continues surreptitiously filming anyway. This intelligent cinematic satire is offset by the hilarious ceremonial logistics required for Daisatou to transform, and the outrageous computer-generated monsters he encounters. The climactic final confrontation between Dai-Nipponjin and his nemesis ranks among the funniest closing sequences of all time. [More]
Starring: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Riki Takeuchi, Ua, Ryunosuke Kamiki
Starring: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Riki Takeuchi, Ua, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Itsuji Itao
Director: Hitoshi Matsumoto
Director: Hitoshi Matsumoto
Screenwriter: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Mitsuyoshi Takasu
Producer: Akihiko Okamoto
Composer: Towa Tei
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
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Release:
Jul 28, 2009
DVD Features:
- Region [unknown]
- Keep Case
- Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1 - Japanese
- Subtitles - English, Spanish
Additional Release Material:
- Behind the Scenes
- Deleted Scenes
Audio Commentary:
- 1. Director's Commentary
Text/Photo Galleries:
Photo Galleries:
- 1. Photo Gallery
Reviews for Big Man Japan
Big Man Japanis built around a funny concept, vaguely akin to Hancock: its title character is a superhero who is a bit of a loser.Unfortunately, the concept is not enough to sustain entire the film.
The movie doesn't get truly weird until the Power Ranger-style superheroes show up, and the special effects get even more low-rent. Then it really takes off.
Big Man Japan shows a good mockumentary needs more than killer concept to make us howl.
Somewhere there is a stranger film than Big Man Japan, but it would be hard to find.
This inspired 2007 send-up of the atomic-monster genre gets a fair amount of comic mileage from Daisato (played by the director) being anything but a big man.
This is Matsumoto's first feature (he's a famously odd Japanese comedian), but it's a distinctively bizarre piece of work. Remember the name.
The film, written, directed and starring stand-up comic Hitoshi Matsumoto has, like most superheroes, a tragic flaw: It isn't funny.
If Christopher Guest made a Japanese monster movie, the end result might be Big Man Japan.
A cheesy B-movie that's initially refreshing, funny and a guilty pleasure, but eventually sinks into tedium while its comic energy and imagination concurrently diminish.
At nearly two hours, Big Man Japan is clever (in a sick sort of way) but overlong. It needs judicious editing -- more mockumentary, fewer superhero antics.
As in life, the nonmonster stuff goes on too long. But wait until the giant baby shows up.
It's as much fun as an old, popcorn-throwing kiddie matinee of Destroy All Monsters -- and far funnier intentionally than most superhero movies are accidentally.
Deflation--not delight--is the rule, and the key to enjoying the B-movie fights is to accept that even when Masaru wins, we're not meant to feel triumph.
The most impressive special effect here is Mr. Matsumotos hilariously restrained performance, a tour de force of comedic concision in a movie bloated by increasingly surreal developments.
The fight scenes, with their absurdist humor and various creatively designed and executed monsters, will earn the film a deserving cult.
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