Dangan Runner

This director makes films which never cease to amuse, entertain, or make me think long after first viewing. Dangan Runner (Non-Stop) is where it all started.

The story is simple. Sabu's characters are interesting in the fact that they are far from perfect and deal with everyday problems which lead to events of grand proportion. Tomorowo Taguchi (Yasuda) is great as our main character (I wouldn't go so far as to call him a hero which is great in this case) who totally puts a spin on the term packing heat (I never caught this till watching this a 2nd time; an ode to Sabu's subtle humor). Rather than relying on long dialogue, the story is a blast to watch as they reveal the characters' situations and how they get caught up in this dilemma. Diamond Yukai is good as the rocking, hazed out Aizawa. The music plays a great role in Dangan Runner as it establishes moods at a breakneck pace. Shin'ichi Tsutsumi makes his Sabu debut and it's apparent why the director chose to work with him in later films. Tsutsumi has this screen presence where he successfully conveys what his character is going through without saying much dialogue. Plus, the image of him sprinting with a blade in hand carries quite an impact. Right from the get go, you can tell Takeda means business even if he's going through yakuza troubles of his own. Ren Osugi is great in his brief, yet vital role as he gives Takeda some helpful insight. Look for Sabu himself (it's very tough not to miss him!). Oh, the actress who plays Midori is a dead ringer for Maggie Cheung, isn't she??

The cinematography in Dangan Runner is fantastic. There are really great shots of modern city life ranging from busy streets, narrow alleyways, construction zones, and pachinko parlors. One awesome shot is on the bridge just right after sunset resulting literally in a purple hazed sky. I noticed one theme in the film is looking into one's self and reaching that point of self realization, coming to realize where you are now, how you got there, and deciding what to do next. The characters here are furiously looking for the answer for each of them and it's through the journey that they find it. Being an avid runner, I can relate with the benefits of running, how it helps with forgetting everyday problems, reflecting on what's on your mind, and at the end, I come out with a great clear headed feeling. Like I mentioned, Sabu makes very thought provoking films.

This is one of the movies that get better every time you see them. It's packed with so many original and unconventional ideas that you always find a new detail. As in Sabu's subsequent movies (I didn't see "Unlucky monkey" yet, but the other ones are as great) failure, chance and humanism play great roles. The cutting and Montage is inventive and artistic, without the movie being an "art" picture, but a highly entertaining one. When comparing it to "Run, Lola, Run" you have to keep in mind that "Dangan Ranna" was made some years before and was shown on German TV as early as 1997...so it's more probable that it served as inspiration for Tom Tykwer's movie, and not the other way around. Complementary to the other reviews I have to add that I like the acting and the ending very much. This movie is a lot of fun in many ways, and it manages to deliver a message without being annoying or pretentious.

This film is listed as a comedy, but it's not the "laugh out loud" type. In fact, there is some pretty serious subject matter involving a bank robbery, heroin addiction and the Japanese mafia. It's comparable to "Run Lola Run" in that yes, there is a lot of running! But it also shares "Lola's" non-linear story line. Some people may find this confusing. It's also similar in some respects to "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" as you learn (eventually) that all the characters introduced are connected in some way.

It helps to have some knowledge of the Asian culture (even if you learned it through Jackie Chan movies). The Asian's emphasis on honor and saving face is a key driving force for these characters. The relationship between the yakuza/mafia guys and their boss/master is laughable to an American sensibility. The motivations these guys have to run all over town in a marathon chase would never work in this country.

If you can be patient and wait it out, the plot will fall into place. If you don't like movies you have to figure out, or if you get lost during flashbacks, you probably won't enjoy this one. Don't expect a knee-slapper, but there are a few good chuckles (some probably unintended) and interesting plot twists.

P.S. If shaky hand-held camera work a la "Blair Witch" makes you queasy, beware!

Full of verve and energy yet little happens. Well, one thing doesn't happen, two things do and a chase ensues. One guy chases another and another chases him around the backstreets of Tokyo. A salaryman, a rock star drug addict and a yakuza member spend virtually the entire film chasing. There is some backstory provided and the whole makes a little more sense by the end. One difficulty for non Japanese is that this is clearly intended as a comedy but doesn't quite make. There is a scene, for instance where the three pass a pretty girl bending down in the street and they are distracted. In a Benny Hill sense with the appropriate cartoon music and only a hint of sexy visuals, there is probably a joke, whereas here the content is too prurient for us sensitive souls to find it amusing. The whole is worth a watch and in particular for those quickly disappearing little streets, here I understand mainly those behind Nakano Broadway.

This movie was a weak, weak attempt to implement a possibly clever idea. The story is pointless, the characters are two dimensional stereotypes with unbelievable motivations and the jokes are just plain lame. Although I did actually laugh once, it was at the main character's horrible acting. For a story, some guys run around and then some other guys shoot each other and there's some gratuitous nudity, exploited in a pitiful attempt to retain the male viewer's attention (Any female viewer would surely not even be watching at this point as the average female iq is about 3 points higher than the male iq, giving the female just enough intelligence to not rent this waste of celluloid in the first place). The director lists himself simply as "Sabu" which is perfectly understandable: If I had made this movie, I wouldn't want my last name on it either.