Junk - Resident Zombie

Director Atsushi Muroga does it again... after having taken parts from "Reservoir Dogs", "Natural Born Killers", "The Getaway" and numerous other action/crime films to mix it all together for his gore loaded actioner "Score" (1995) about jewelry robbers versus criminal couple versus double crossing Yakuzas, he mixes Lucio Fulci's "Zombi 2" (aka "Zombie Flesh Eaters" etc.) with George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" and "Day of the Dead" and "Re-Animator", plus "Return of the Living Dead" 1 and 3, and, concerning the basic plot, his own "Score" (which means the film has also elements of the above mentioned American non-Zombie productions) to create a modern Zombie movie that looks like one that was made in the early 1980s: almost nostalgic.

That doesn't mean that the movie is totally unoriginal. It's the first of a recent "Zombie wave" from Japan, followed by the nonsensical "punk rock horror" movie "Wild Zero" and the best of the bunch, the stylishly but a bit too long "Versus". "Junk" delivers all a Zombie fan needs, although it's been all there before, and - at least concerning the ideas lifted from Fulci and Romero - it has been there better. But all the blood and guts, plus the relentless action Asian cinema is known for, make this film entertaining 83 minutes, best consumed with fellow Zombie freaks, enough beer (or else) and snacks.

Obviously Atsushi Muroga doesn't intend to reinvent well known genres or plots. But he wants to give the audience a good time with popcorn action and horror - and gore. And this he does very well. Rating: 6 out of 10.

I like Junk: sure, it's extremely derivative stuff (female super-zombie aside, of course), but it has absolutely no pretensions, delivering fans of your more traditional shuffling undead all the gut-munching, brain-blasting action that they could ask for.

The plot sees a gang of amateur jewel thieves (including sexy getaway driver Saki) bite off more than they can chew when they arrange their meeting with a Yakuza fence and his men at an abandoned factory: the derelict building is, in fact, a top secret army base where experiments in raising the dead have resulted in flesh-eating zombies, and it's not long before the criminals are fighting for their lives against hordes of mouldy walking cadavers.

This weak set up is simply an excuse for a series of violent gun-fights and bloody encounters with manky zombies, so it is easy to forgive the silly script, many glaring plot-holes and terrible acting (particularly from a handful of westerners, playing US Army dudes). Director Atsushi Muroga (who also directed jewellery-heist-gone-wrong action flick Score) wisely keeps the action flowing thick and fast, and ensures that gore-hounds are kept happy with plenty of splattery effects.

Eventually, things get very daft indeed, with the aforementioned super-zombie stealing the show in the film's finale: wearing thigh high kinky boots, this surprisingly sexy corpse runs rings around the surviving gang members, before being shot in the head. Unfortunately, this only makes matters worse: the she-zombie becomes even stronger (and, inexplicably, albino!), fighting on after having been completely cut in half!!!

Cool, crazy, and covered in blood, this undemanding undead actioner is recommended to those who want to switch off their brain and simply enjoy some gory mayhem.

After a robbery,a group of thieves meets up with the Yakuza at an old abandoned factory in order to exchange money and jewels.However unknown to them the factory was an old military facility which was working on reanimating the dead.And they succeeded,meaning the factory is loaded with bloodthirsty zombies."Junk" is slowly getting a minor cult following,because it has creepy,old-style zombies that are a combination of Romero/Fulci/O'Bannon's zombies.The gore is plentiful and the feel of the film is very reminiscent of the Italian gut-munchers of the late 1970/early 1980 period.The film doesn't take itself too seriously and is pretty silly at times.There is plenty of gory mayhem on display-lots of headshots,zombies biting parts of their victims and eating intestines etc."Junk" is extremely entertaining,so fans of Japanese horror or zombie cinema won't be disappointed.

Although severely outclassed by later films like "Wild Zero" and "Versus," "Junk" is still a worthwhile foray into the zombie genre, which seems to be getting a transfusion of much needed new blood over in Japan. The characters in this film are either selfish and unlikeable or simply cliche, which is the real drawback to the film. It prevents any sort of tension or emotional involvement. At the same time, there is a half-naked super zombie woman kicking people's heads off and breaking out some serious undead kungfu, so who can really complain? Decent gore, some good action, and a high energy level elevate the movie above the mundane script and characters, resulting in an above average time waster that delights in the end. If you're expecting the cuteness of "Wild Zero" or "Dead Alive," or the apocalyptic impact of "Dawn of the Dead," you're better off watching those movies. If you're looking for no-nonsense, gory, idiotic zombie fun with some gun toting Yakzua thrown in, this movie is aces.

Junk (2000) was one of the new wave zombie films to come from Japan during the turn of the century. Like the others it was made on the cheap but highly entertaining. This film's about an experiment gone awry (can't those scientists get anything right?). The gore level is very high and it features two very unlikely heroes and some hot Japanese ladies. Why can't they make zombie films like this in the United States instead of rubbish like Resident Evil (which parts of this movie were taken from). Junk (like Score) was partially shot in English. I love this movie and I know you will to.

Highly recommended

George A. Romero would be pleased.

Did I mention there were two hot Japanese ladies in the picture?