Disc Reviews

Tokyo Tribe Review

• 23rd Jun 2015

A gangsta-rap-manga-West-Side-Story opera would be the best way to describe this nauseated and violent film bogged down in its own excesses. Based off a manga comic series and directed by Sion Sono, this is a highly stylised film that becomes too much within the first 10 minutes.

It is set in a stylised, futuristic and almost post-apocalyptic Tokyo in which gangs fight gangs for supremacy, where street walkers are aplenty and the landscape is awash with neon tower blocks, markets and nightclubs. Even the violence is stylised with some very obvious CGI and non-too impressive choreographed fights (others are impressive though). One of the most ruthless rulers of the Bukuro district is the depraved Lord Buppa who lives in his golden fiefdom palace with women on hand, business leaders for lunch in which kills for pleasure and quite happily wiles away his days masturbating in front of an audience. He is protected by his bleach haired psychotic son, Nkoi. They capture young innocents and beat and kill them with the swipe of a samurai sword until one, a schoolgirl called Sunmi takes on the gang using some impressive martial arts. Sunmi and her friends are later rescued by a peace loving but now turned to violence gang.

The film is told almost entirely in rap verse, but the same song rapping wears out its welcome very quickly as does the film. Steeped in a certain amount of Japanese symbolism and ultra-violence this film is not an enjoyable experience but for those who like their violence full of bling-bling it does the trick. From a director in his 50s, he certainly seems to be someone down with the kids but ultimately it is a not so satisfying mis-adventure.

Chris Hick