Bunraku (2010)

Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

old well known story. fight scenes. basic virtues as honor, courage and sacrifice. two cultures. pop art inspiration. memories about "Kill Bill". and few good Romanian actors in small roles. maybe, the last detail is the motif to see, for me, as more than a decent film. because, in essence, it is an embroidery of imagination and a kind of popular philosophy. nothing bad . and , not ignoring Woody Harrelson and Ron Pearlman, the reasonable job of Josh Hartnett and Gackt Camui, it could be an interesting proposition. not real credible but a good visual delight. and this is a good motif to see it.

BUNRAKU is one of those hyper-fantasy action flicks that looks like a comic book, a la 300 and SIN CITY. The story takes place in some colourful fantasy world where everyone seems to be an expert in the martial arts and has some legend or other connected to them. As the tale progresses the story lines gradually coalesce with the heroes teaming up to battle the big bads at the climax.According to the director, his intent was to make a film that looks and feels like SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, with the twist that the dances are replaced by fights. To this end, BUNRAKU is a success. There's a lot of action here, and while none of the fighters are amazing, the choreography is crisp and fluid. The fights look good, at the very least. They reminded me of the famous tea house battle in KILL BILL: VOLUME 1.The producers have also assembled a decent cast for this one, and I appreciate the casting of a Japanese guy in the lead role (even though he's a singer, Gackt looks the part all right). I'm no fan of Josh Hartnett but he's at the very least passable, while Woody Harrelsen brings plenty of charm as the third person in the story. Thankfully Demi Moore's screen time is kept to a minimum, but Ron Perlman and Kevin McKidd make a good tag team as the bad guys. BUNRAKU isn't a perfect film - it's not something I would be tempted to watch again - but at least it looks and feels fresh and invigorating, which is more than can be said for most modern American productions.

After sitting through endless thralls of Hollywood blockbusters, it's nice to see something a little different. To credit the naysayers, yes, the plot is a tad cliché, yes, action could have been better, but these hardly distract from the experience. The comic book style is amazing. To the stupid git who said "the sets of paper cut outs done by a four year old. That's not art," you're an idiot; of course it's art. If you think you can do better, make your own damn movie and present it to Steven Spielberg. But I digress. Great fight scenes, good blend of humor, and something very different from what we normally see. If at all a fan of comic books, superheros, or martial arts films, or just visually striking movies in general -- hell, lets throw Okami in there -- then you will love this movie. A-

The last movie I gave 7 out of ten was Sin City. This is even more abstract than the brilliant former but it is just as good a flick. The sets are obviously from a kind of West End show than a movie but it works. The plot is quite good and the acting is superb.I normally don't go for martial arts kind of flicks but this one blends Eastern Martial Arts with Western Plot so seamlessly that one barely notices.Overall a flick that is well worth a watch - But remember, disengage your brain, you reality and everything you have come to expect from films. This Genre is - Abstract. I love it.