Tokyo Gore Police

AnubisVonMojo · October 04, 2008, 01:08:16 AM

Just got back from checking this out at the Two Boots indie theater in Manhattan. Missed my first chance to check it out a few months ago when the IFC theater had their Asian movie festival. Wow.

I haven't seen this much flagrant use of senseless guts and gore since the last time I watched Dead Alive! Working on a more detailed review, but here's the jist of TGP: In the future the Tokyo PD has been privatized and a new breed of genetically altered psychopath has shown up on the streets. These monsters are known as Engineers. They appear like any normal human, but when their bodies suffer excessive trauma (say, machine gun fire or a severed limb), the damaged area undergoes some radical evolution and develops any number of insane physical defense mechanisms like bio-mechanical blades, guns, and crocodile-like jaws!

In answer to the Engineers, the Tokyo PD has taken to training specialized "hunters" to fight the problem. The focus of the movie is an attractive young female hunter named Ruka (Audition's Eihi Shiina) who's trying to get to the mystery behind where the Engineers come from and why her police officer father was killed when she was just a kid.

The story's pretty shallow, the focus shifts a little too much for extended periods of time when it should probably put Ruka in the spotlight, and the ending - though featuring a moment or two of beautiful absurdity - didn't seem quite over-the-top enough compared to other parts of the flick. However, the special effects are a sight to behold, not so much because they're "realistic", but because they're almost entirely done with makeup and prosthetics rather than with computers. Sure, there are a few moments of cgi, but only when it's absolutely necessary. Otherwise, the gore flows freely, the laughs are plentiful (the fake commercials and Tokyo PD public service announcements especially), and the shock value is through the roof. If none of this sounds appealing to you though, then stay away. As for the rest, open your arms and bathe in the red!

(out of five)

Mofo Rising · October 04, 2008, 12:58:25 PM

Doesn't sound appealing? I was in after I heard "Tokyo Gore Police."

zombie no.one · October 06, 2008, 01:21:25 AM

Quote from: Mofo Rising on October 04, 2008, 12:58:25 PM
Doesn't sound appealing? I was in after I heard "Tokyo Gore Police."

and me

this film looks worth a watch. is it on dvd?

edit: guess not, if you only just saw the showing...

AnubisVonMojo · October 06, 2008, 05:44:27 AM

Quote from: depressed crack addict on October 06, 2008, 01:21:25 AM
Quote from: Mofo Rising on October 04, 2008, 12:58:25 PM
Doesn't sound appealing? I was in after I heard "Tokyo Gore Police."

and me

this film looks worth a watch. is it on dvd?

edit: guess not, if you only just saw the showing...

Though with Two Boots this isn't always the case (they premiered Feast 2 there Friday as well and that's hitting DVD tomorrow), sadly I can't find any confirmation of the TGP DVD having a set street date. I found mention that apparently Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock are supposed to be handling it, but when I went to the website I couldn't find anything about it. Normally I'd have "sources" to get me copies of these things too, but nobody's had anything available ANYWHERE. Hence my full review will have to be sans screen caps for the time being.

Andrew · October 06, 2008, 06:47:27 AM

Yep, this one is going on the "When is the DVD coming out?" list.

Torgo · October 06, 2008, 10:03:44 PM

Can't wait for this one. The special effects guy from Machine Girl directed this one.

I've heard that supposedly Media blasters/tokyo shock is planning on coming out with it completely uncut on DVD by Spring but I can't find any confirmation of that.

Cthulhu · October 07, 2008, 11:28:45 AM

Sounds awesome..I'll check this one out.

Lurple · October 07, 2008, 12:26:32 PM

Been waiting for this one for quite a while. I'm sorry I won't get a chance to see it in the theater.

Phaedrusz · November 23, 2009, 10:02:40 PM

The DVD is out and available on NF. I'm a huge fan of Japanese gore flicks (hardly a month goes by where I don't watch Ricky-Oh, Ichi or Machine Girl), and was waiting for this.

This is one of those movies that make you really ask, "What the hell is wrong with Japanese people?"

If you can stomach ridiculous stomach-churning gore, body parts flying across the screen, and weird violent fetishes with a chuckle, then you should definitely watch this; and then check yourself into the nearest psychiatric institution, you sick bastard.

Saucerman · November 24, 2009, 01:12:25 AM

I came very close to walking out of this one after the toothy blowjob scene.

Mofo Rising · November 24, 2009, 02:54:37 AM

Well, I'm not as adamantly against it as Phaedrusz, but I was very disappointed. There was less gore, and a lot more creepy S&M oriented material than I was expecting.

However, Phaedrusz does have the movie's number.

It was a lot less fun than I was expecting. Not the worst thing I could have ever seen, but much less than what I was hoping for.