Yakuza Apocalypse (2015)

Yakuza Apocalypse: Directed by Takashi Miike. With Hayato Ichihara, Riko Narumi, Shô Aoyagi, Kiyohiko Shibukawa. In the ruthless underground world of the yakuza, no one is more legendary than boss Kamiura. Rumored to be invincible, the truth is he is a vampire-a bloodsucking yakuza vampire boss! Among Kamiura’s gang is Kageyama, his most loyal underling. However, the others in the gang view Kageyama with disdain and ridicule him for his inability to get tattooed due to sensitive skin. One day, assassins aware of boss Kamiura’s secret arrive from abroad and deliver him an ultimatum: Return to the international syndicate he left years ago, or die. Kamiura refuses and, during a fierce battle with anime-otaku martial-arts expert Kyoken, is torn limb from limb. With his dying breath, Kamiura bites Kageyama, passing on his vampire powers to the unsuspecting yakuza. As he begins to awaken to his newfound abilities, Kageyama’s desire to avenge the murder of boss Kamiura sets him on a course for a violent confrontation with Kaeru-kun, the foreign syndicate’s mysterious and seemingly unstoppable leader!

“u0026quot;Yakuza Apocalypseu0026quot; is one of last yearu0026#39;s most flamboyant movies. It shouldnu0026#39;t come as a surprise that itu0026#39;s the most recent movie of famous Japanese director Takashi Miike, a diversified workaholic who shoots numerous movies each year and who has gained critical acclaim with psychological horror movies such as u0026quot;Auditionu0026quot; (1999), gangster movies like u0026quot;Familyu0026quot; (2001), experimental flicks like u0026quot;Gozuu0026quot; (2003), historically inspired action movies like u0026quot;Thirteen Assassinsu0026quot; (2010), courtroom dramas like u0026quot;Ace Attorneyu0026quot; (2012) and brutal revenge flicks like u0026quot;Shield of Strawu0026quot; (2013). Obviously, there is a lot of hit and miss in this directoru0026#39;s extensive filmography but I have adored most of his movies. No matter what genre Takshi Miike touches, his movies are often direct, intense and surprising and he has a very distinctive style that some people love and others despise. There are only few people who would describe Takashi Miike as an average director and his movies mostly get very positive ratings or extremely negative critics which is the reason why most of his movies still have balanced averages. u0026#39;u0026#39;Yakuza Apocalypseu0026#39;u0026#39; is definitely a controversial movie. Some people might get lost while watching this film while others will adore this movieu0026#39;s eclectic style.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s not easy to describe this unpredictable movie. Itu0026#39;s basically a mixture of a gangster movie with a supernatural horror film and an absurd fantasy parody. u0026quot;Yakuza Apocalypseu0026quot; works a lot with contrasts. It features a rape scene and a brutal assassination on one side but humorously exaggerated special effects and slapstick fight choreographies on the other. There are profound dialogues but there is also a lot of situation comedy. The mood of the film can switch from brutal to light-hearted, from emotional to superficial and from serious to ridiculous in a few minutes. Itu0026#39;s remarkable that the director still doesnu0026#39;t lose the filmu0026#39;s guide line and manages not only to tell an intriguing story but also to include some smartly hidden social criticism here and there by ridiculing conservative gangster codes.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;Yakuza Apocalypseu0026quot; tells the story of a disrespected young Yakuza who wants to avenge the death of his mentor who was assassinated by the mob of an international gangster syndicate. What makes this movie outstanding are the eclectic characters in this potpourri of genres. You will encounter a weird woman whose head is filled with a noisy liquid, a smart Asian gangster who looks and talks like William Shakespeare, an Indonesian martial arts expert, a hyperactive kappa goblin and a giant frog that wants to destroy the world. Expect the unexpected and you will get some very original entertainment.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn the end, even by Takashi Miikeu0026#39; standards, if he has any, this is one of his weirdest movies along with u0026quot;Gozuu0026quot; which is one of my favourite films of all times. This movie here is a little bit less atmospheric and the acting is only of an average quality. Still, this film offers multiple fireworks of creativity and has the potential to become a true cult movie in the future in the key of odd, recent North American films like u0026quot;The Interviewu0026quot; and u0026quot;Tusku0026quot;. This flick has so many incredible genre changes, hilarious details and weird characters that it can be watched a dozen times without getting boring because there will always be something new to rediscover. u0026quot;Yakuza Apocalypseu0026quot; offers many flamboyant scenes that should lead to controversial debates with your friends but you can also switch your brain off and enjoy this incredible fun ride on your own. If youu0026#39;re expecting a serious mainstream movie though, you will be disappointed and get the exact opposite. Those who arenu0026#39;t familiar with Takashi Miikeu0026#39;s works should maybe try out u0026quot;Gozuu0026quot; and other movies before approaching this pleasant oddball.”