Dead or Alive 2: Tôbôsha

Dead Or Alive 2 is a name only sequel to Takashi Miike's breakout Yakuza movie Dead Or Alive. Lead actors Show Aikawa and Riki Takeuchi made such a good impression together in the original that they just had to be brought back for another round, but here they play different characters in far different circumstances, in a movie that is very different from its predecessor. In fact, it's pretty different from any other movie I can think of, which is an accomplishment that Takashi Miike seems able to produce time and time again.

The DVD case tries to sell the movie as an ultra-violent gross out pic, which Takashi Miike is certainly capable of producing (and which DOA 1 was to a degree). In fact this is rather a misrepresentation. There are a few scenes of violence, and they are typically extreme, but they are few and far between, and really just serve as a backdrop for a fairly mannered and whimsical character driven drama.

Show Aikawa and Riki Takeuchi grew up together in an orphanage on a remote Japanese island, where they had good times and were the best of friends. But Show Aikawa is taken away to Osaka as a teen, and the boys do not see each other until many years later when they are both grown men. They meet up again on the island where they grew up, both on the run from the Yakuza. They chat, play games and contemplate what life has made of them.

DOA 2 has certain similarities with Takeshi Kitano's brilliant Sonatine, as gangsters are forced to take Time Out in an idyllic location and regress towards childhood. Miike makes the movie his own though, and the characters in particular stand out as unique and surprisingly likeable. The movie is usually billed as a comedy, and there are many very funny moments, but there's an underlying tenderness and melancholy behind it all too. It's a movie that definitely has the "heart" that Miike movies are sometimes (unjustly) accused of lacking.

Show Aikawa undoubtedly steals the show from co-star Riki Takeuchi this time around, being far more animated and interesting. Takeuchi is brilliantly deadpan and stoic, but that doesn't work as well for him in this movie as many of his others. Both actors make their characters believable and engage the audience in their fates well though. Look out for an absolutely brilliant cameo from director Shinya Tsukamoto too.

DOA 2 is another uniquely Miike movie, full of little moments and details that showcase that imagination and intellect which I dare say are unparalleled in modern cinema. It's a much less stylised movie than DOA 1, but probably more substantial, probably more rewatchable. A highly recommended movie.

Dead Or Alive 2 isn't the regular sequel one might expect it to be. Remember, we're dealing with Miike here-and-frankly, this is so weird that it's hard to really claim it to be a sequel at all. The two main characters from the first piece are being kept here and they both make a great performance here.

The story itself is being brought to life by two contract killers who happen to stumble on each other, who turn out to be friends from childhood. Miike ventures into a quite different visual plot, following both the actual Yakuza violence taking place in Tokyo whilst the story's two protagonists are residing on an island in the countryside where they were brought up. I guess I have to see it one more time to really make up my mind about things, but the first impression was neat, as always with Miike. The landscapes and views being exposed in this film is simply amazing and while the thrills of violence aren't numbering as much as in its prequel, there's a good weight put here to comedy and humor instead. Thumbs up. Can't wait to see the final in the trilogy.

Like pretty much every single film that i have seen by this director, this film is worth a watch. There have been times when i realise that i have a penchant for this kind of film and therefore possibly i can enjoy it more than most. Also i enjoy subtitles, and make an effort to understand what is going on..

You should ignore 'Dave Godin's' complaints about the film having UNSUBTLE SYMBOLISM and the characters being ROLE MODELS FOR ARMCHAIR NERDS. I think he is missing the whole point of this series of films and obviously has a sandy vagina - otherwise he wouldn't complain so avidly!

I wouldn't recommend watching this film if you haven't really seen any other stuff similar to it - it is not one of the best! (I say this having not seen it for quite a while) 'Gozu' is probably a better comedy and 'The Agitator' or 'Shinjuku Triad Society' are much better serious films.

Also before trying to rip to shreds Asian movies like this, Old Boy & others, i think you guys should take the initial decision NOT TO WATCH THE FILMS IN THE FIRST PLACE and stick to the films that you know you will like... Star Wars episode III is out 19/05/05 so pre-order your tickets and forget that Takashi Miike ever existed!

I saw the other comment on under this movie, and simply had to write something. How can you not love this movie? Once again Miike masterfully blends a multitude of genres and uncompromisingly challenges his viewer. Dead or Alive 2 is, at its core, a humanistic drama, which is definetely not what fans of the first one came to expect. Instead of choosing the easy way forward (not that there was an easy way left after the first one) and simply remaking the first movie, he has changed everything to the delight and surprise of the viewer. In the beginning it appears to be simply another Yakuza flick with no connection to the first one (except for Sho Aikawa and Riki Takeuchi), but quickly you realise that this is something completely different. It is a warm tale about childhood friendship, and since everything is seen through childrens eyes, the movie is filled with magic and wonderous moments, leaving you truly uplifted and touched to the bottom of your soul. Who would've thought?

10/10

Miike's fans are usually disappointed by this movie for it certainly lacks in violence and entertainment value. However it more than makes up in subtlety - it's nuanced to the point of lyricism. Who would expect that Miike can spin a tale of a quest for the lost innocence of childhood (soccer games in the rain, sharing bowls of noodles on the ferry, full turtle/lion costumes for a kindergarten play) and still sell it as a sequel to the yakuza audience? Yes, you could read it as cheesy and boring, but then again you could say the same about that other "angel" movie - 'Wings of Desire'. The two characters follow the 'given a second chance at life' path, blazing a trail of "benevolent" executions that add up to nothing. If 'DOA' is the incessant present (with its avalanche of impressions updated at a rate high above the processing limit), and 'DOA Final' is the ironic future of Malthusian power politics, then 'DOA2' is the trip in the past at an impossibly high cost.