cwbellor Tokyo Tribe gives you extravagant and ambitious set pieces, a cast of hundreds with almost as many speaking parts and rap ...so ...so much ...rap. And therein lies the most glaring flaw of this film. No, there's nothing wrong with rap. There IS something wrong with a plot taking a backseat so that rap and posturing can be front and center again and again and again. And just when you think you might get some substantial dialogue... more rap. Mind you, the rap is good and there are some worthy artists being showcased here. Cyborg Kaori is one of the amusing highlights - she seems to be playing some kind of court jester for the cannibal gangster - but she is overshadowed. She's drowned out by characters like the blonde Mera, who could be subversive and cool, but end up being monotonous and predictable. I was completely ready to enjoy Tokyo Tribe. On Netflix, it appears to be a fun, action-filled homage to films like The Warriors. But I knew within the first ten minutes that watching this was going to be a test of patience. In a way, it's the perfect Japanese film. It's a sensory overload of colors and images and the wandering camera is reminiscent of a tourist who can't decide what to pay attention to. It reflects little of Japanese reality - gangs are born out of economic hardship and strife. The strife in contemporary Tokyo is existential, not economic. But this film is knowingly fantasy and while it's easy to roll your eyes at middle class kids trying to be thugs, you can't actually accuse the film of being dishonest. For the first half hour, you feel like you're viewing an introductory segment. If you're half an hour into the film and you're still not sure who the protagonist is, you're watching an incredibly flawed movie. An hour into this story, you'll find yourself hungry for something of substance. Instead, you have to endure more stylized over-the-top performances and yet more introductions of new characters. It's a lot of time wasted on creative tangents, when that time could have been dedicated to the central characters. It's not hard to be emotionally invested in characters like Kai. But it takes almost forty minutes for him to be front and center. By that time, half the people watching this would have been completely justified in tuning into something else.

sol- Even more offbeat and outlandish than 'Why Don't You Play in Hell?', this follow-up feature from Sion Sono is a rap musical about feuding gangs, set in contemporary Japan. While unquestionably a bizarre mesh of genres, the project works magnificently thanks to the energy and imagination that Sono brings to every frame. The sets and costumes are a wonder to behold with heavy doses of neon lights, human statue furniture, walls made of red balloons... there is even a gun with a mobile phone built into it and a van with chandeliers attached to the side mirrors! The minimal special effects and spirited choreography are pretty good too and while the violence is nowhere near as brutal or memorable as in 'Play in Hell', it is an experience all the same. Attempting to nut out of finer details of the plot is a little tricky here. There are a heap of key characters, very few of whom are developed in any depth, and side plots including a missing daughter and a mystical quest delivered via hologram crop up without ever being properly resolved. Never to mind, what can be deciphered here is enticing on its own and the film includes some neat messages too regarding how easy it is to pitch gangs against one another and the very petty reasons that some men have for starting (turf or other) wars. There is a fair bit of dark comedy in the mix too and the overall movie is so outrageous and willfully uncanny that its entertainment value is hard to deny as long as one is prepared to forgo the tropes of traditional narratives and indulge in something a little more 'out there'.

Hellmant 'TOKYO TRIBE': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)A martial arts/action/comedy/musical flick, spoken almost entirely in rap verse! The film has been described (by it's marketing campaign) as "The world's first battle rap musical", and it's based on the popular Manga series, 'Tokyo Tribe2', by Santa Inoue. It was written and directed by Sion Sono (who's probably most well known for helming 2013's 'WHY DON'T YOU PLAY IN HELL?') and it stars Ryohei Suzuki, Young Dais, Riki Takeuchi, Shota Sometani, Ryuta Sato and Akihiro Kitamura. The movie tells the story of a futuristic Japan, divided into territorial gangs; until one gang leader breaks the truce. It's one of the craziest, and most bizarrely original films, I've seen all year!Sometime, in the not too distant future, Japan is divided into separate street gangs; each representing a different faction, collectively known as the 'Tokyo Tribes'. The leader of one tribe, Mera (Suzuki), decides to break the peace, and join forces with another ruthless gang leader, Buppa (Takeuchi). Together they wage war on another tribe, and cause an 'all out war'. Blood fills the streets; as everyone turns to brutal violence, and continuous rapping.The movie is really weird, and definitely not for everyone, but I like 'weird'; and I found myself really enjoying it. The film took a little while for me to get into, at first it's pretty jarring; but once I was 'hooked', I was completely involved and thoroughly entertained! The action is brutally violent, and many scenes are pretty twisted and sadistic; but it's also filled with catchy hip- hop music, and beautifully choreographed fight scenes. The performances are great, and the visuals are always interesting to look at. The film is sure to become a beloved cult classic, by many genre fans, while many others will hate it. You know you're witnessing 'great art', when people are completely divided!Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/41q3ZuWGdEE

tobita watano Japanese Rap - a musical oxymoron. Neither cool nor funny. Just plain awkward and embarrassing. I sat there for 120 minutes trying to figure out what in gods name Sono was trying to do with this flick. Rapping ridiculously stupid (I don't want to call it) lyrics and all those naked chicks whose IQ would add up to 10 just gave me goosebumps. He just can't be serious! This movie is a bad joke. I was basically cringing throughout the whole film and felt a strong need to shower afterwards. Sonos cinema has always been misogynistic and blunt but this simply goes too far. If you're a Sono fan you can risk a glimpse but don't expect a creative and facetious ride like his latest work Jigoku has been.