Cutie Honey (2004)

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

As a rule, any film that relies on a glut of special effects and noisy action set-pieces to try and detract from the fact that its plot is either non-existent or virtually indecipherable will receive a critical mauling from me. However, Cutie Honey is an exception to this rule for two reasons: firstly, it is so absolutely, unashamedly, ridiculously over-the-top that it's almost impossible not to enjoy (despite the increasingly difficult to understand story); and secondly, its star, Eriko Sato, is incredibly gorgeous—call me shallow, but the inclusion of a great looking Japanese babe in a series of sexy outfits really helps me forget about trifling details such as a decent narrative.In this hyper-stylised manga-based movie from director Hideaki Anno, the stunning Eriko plays a super-powered android (equipped with nano-technology), who is capable of transforming her appearance at will. Keen to have this technology for herself, Sister Jill, leader of the evil Panther Claw organisation, sends her minions to kidnap top scientists, but eventually sets her sights on trapping Cutie Honey herself, whom she hopes to assimilate.Opening with an insane action-packed sequence in which our sexy heroine battles the nasty Golden Glaw and umpteen black-clad henchmen, the film immediately establishes its cartoonish day-glo style; the next hour-and-a-half is a mind-boggling display of visual inventiveness and cheap titillation—perfect entertainment for those who like their action demented and their women seriously tasty.Sato is excellent as Cutie Honey, perfectly capturing the innocence of her character whilst simultaneously turning up the heat by wearing a variety of revealing get-ups which include her superhero outfit (pink spandex with a strategically placed heart shaped hole to reveal her ample cleavage), a halter-neck/mini skirt combo, and, once or twice, just her underwear.The action, which starts out crazy and gets sillier as the film progresses, includes the initial encounter with Golden Claw, who is equipped with prehensile hair, an encounter with a scuttling vampiric creature (Cobalt Claw), and a battle atop the giant drill-shaped Panther Claw HQ (which emerges from beneath the Tokyo Tower) against Scarlet Claw and Black Claw (who inexplicably performs an impromptu song-and-dance number mid-fight).The ending is a bit of a damp squib (some incomprehensible rubbish in which Cutie nearly turns into a plant and love, once again, saves the day), but with so much fun preceding it, this movie still gets a very reasonable 7.5/10 from me, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

This film does not need any deep serious in depth analysis.....it is what it is....a weekend popcorn munching, cola swigging, sugary sweet sucking blast of power ranger silliness, glittery costumes, over the top posing villains and a sugary sweet, naive but extremely sexy heroine running around in underwear and skimpy costumes kicking the bad peoples behinds.....all as it should be. Cutie Honey really is a Cutie Honey and for this reason alone males will want watch this film and the females will be hitting them over the head with the nearest non lethal object to try to keep them more than six inches from the screen in case they go blind.............oh by the way.....did i forget to say i totally enjoyed the film. settle down and prepare for some action packed silliness from beginning to the end !! dryadcrow

I've always had a bit of a love/hate relationship with anime. Quick flashes of artwork reconciled within the plot lines of the larger work have always felt more intrusive than they have integral to the total story, but, as could any reader, there's always something in there worth appreciating. Whether it's the personal history of the lovable lead or the angry clutter of a villain bent on destroying life, some element always gels, fueling the vicarious excitement for as long as I'm willing to suspend disbelief.Then again … when the lead actress is an absolute knockout having the time of her life chewing scenery, slaying bad guys, and decked in spandex, who am I really kidding? The live-action (the term should be used loosely, as the film is full of heavy CGI sequences) adaptation of "Cutie Honey" feels like an idea that originated from anime but desperately desired to rise above the conventions of the literature. In this story, Honey – an ordinary office girl turned super-powerful android by magical uber-genius of her deceased scientist/father – is granted the chance of, well, her second lifetime: she can avenge dear ole dad's death by bringing an end to the notorious Panther Claw gang … but is she willing to risk the lives of her new-found friend, Detective Natsuko Aki (Mikako Ichikawa), in the process? Of course, androids have never been lovelier than this one embodied by Eriko Sato. As Honey, Eriko bears the weight of the film, delivering a performance of a visual marvel: her features strike an almost perfect balance between doe-eyed-anime-schoolgirl-cuteness and drop-dead-gorgeous-comic-book-heroine-beauty. She's perfectly cast, and it would appear that she knows it! She uses her feminine wiles and impish lunacy from start to finish with nothing short of total commitment. Such dedication should give even the most impotent Scrooge something to admire, if not a resurrection of male blood flow. Yes … she's … just … that … stunning. In her capable hands, what could have been a farce becomes a force to be reckoned with."Cutie Honey" is not without its flaws. The high-fashion, sparkly camp design works well most of the time, coupled with some terrific special effects work. Anime sequences – largely used for flashbacks and battlefield filler – are impressive, but these scenes don't offer much to differentiate themselves from straight anime pictures. Despite or to the advantage of the goofy feel-good banter, the actors all seem to enjoy themselves, as it's clear that no one is taking this stuff too seriously.At some points, I couldn't suppress the "What am I watching?" effect. Normally, a film like "Cutie Honey" is not my cup of tea … but, one scene later, I was drawn up into this goofy world once more, laughing at the campy villains or admiring what little fabric the costume designer refused to waste on Eriko's ordinary-girl-alter-ego outfits.Did I mention that Cutie is a real cutie? In the end, there's something wholesomely redeeming to watch a group of mismatched heroes take time out from saving the world to drink sake, let loose, and sing karaoke.

Cutey Honey is a fun adaptation of the animated series into a live-action feature. There's not much depth here; characters are pretty simple and the acting is nothing special. Eriko Sato's main job is to look great, and she does. I'm not complaining here, I'm just forewarning any viewers who might be looking for something that takes itself seriously. Cutey Honey does not.Well, it doesn't take itself seriously until the ending. The final showdown between the creepy Sister Jill and Honey features a awkwardly-toned message about love. It's a fine message but compared to free-wheeling silliness of the rest of the film, it feels very slow and uncomfortable. After all, this is a few minutes after a villain sings to Cutey Honey before a battle.Despite the "downer" ending, I still had a lot of fun watching Cutey Honey, and I would recommend it to others who are willing to relax and enjoy it as well.