Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen

The tattoos always give it away, whether they belong to someone young or old. They are a signifier for a Yakuza member like a Tommy Gun is for a mafioso. Elderly Ryuzo bears the ink and was once a powerful gangster with a vicious crew at his command. Now in his eighties, he is conned by younger criminals who utilize modern methods to dupe him. Gathering together some of his old compatriots, he forms a geriatric gang to take down the hoodlums and take control of the town; restoring his sense of worth and honor to his family name.

Takeshi Kitano's seventeenth movie, 'Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen' is an entertaining, funny crime comedy (à la Martin Brest's 'Going in Style') that should please anyone familiar with his work. The story goes to some pretty wild places but is consistently and genuinely funny. There is also heart and soul in the film, and the theme of aging- of getting ready to face the dying of the light- is navigated in a mature, steady manner that will resonate with many.

The film features a powerful central performance from Tatsuya Fuji that is reminiscent of Toshiro Mifune's best work. As Ryuzo, Fuji is like a volcano on the verge of eruption, simmering with indignance at the disrespectful world around him. Yet, he is also sympathetic, a man of honor from a time when rascals were gentlemen and thugs had codes of ethics. Fuji, dignified and intense, is perfect for the role and plays it masterfully.

His motley, elderly crew are an unpredictable, strange bunch- the stand outs being Masaomi Kondo and Toru Shinagawa. Masaomi is Ryuzo's right hand man, and his performance echoes Susumu Terajima's in Kitano's 'Brother.' Both give subtle, dedicated and loving performances as men whose only concern in life is the welfare of their Aniki (brother, superior). Shinagawa, as a pistol-toting Steve McQueen fanatic, is hilarious and a real highlight of the film. Both men deserved more screen time (as did Kitano himself, in an all-too brief appearance as a detective from Ryuzo's glory days).

Unfortunately, since Ryuzo is such a terrific, believable creation and his gang so entertaining, the villains and lesser characters come across as very one-dimensional- forgettable even. This is most notable with Masanobu Katsumura, who plays Ryuzo's son. There's nothing wrong with his performance, it's just the character is a bland wet-blanket; there's nothing interesting he can do with the role. The story also loses steam in the latter half, getting a little overly frenetic; but besides that it's a rollicking good time at the cinema.

There seems to be an odd trend among reviewers on this website (most of whom appear to be Japanese, oddly enough) to diss Kitano and dub those who aren't Japanese and enjoy his films pompous and naïve. At least one reviewer claims that his films have no substance, and that this one in particular is a creative travesty. Whether they have actually watched any of Kitano's films or not, I don't know, but I fear they haven't because the accusations just don't hold water.

Is this Kitano's best work? No, of course not. But to suggest it's a bad film- and that those of us outside of Japan who enjoy his films are all pretentious, guileless suckers- is pure nonsense and lazy criticism. This film is funny, sometimes profound and always very entertaining. Fukasaku had his 'Battles Without Honor and Humanity': with 'Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen', Kitano has brought us a battle of honor and hilarity.

It shows lives of gangs who had retired. The theme was serious. It looks hard for conventional gangs to live in the current society because their rule isn't gonna fly anymore. The more clear the society becomes, the more unnecessary the dirty force and the connections are. It reminded me the beginning of 'God father.' If scams try to target seniors of retired gangs, they must be beat up by gangs in return! It showed us funnily that an eye for an eye. But, on the other hand I found the lost things like the duties and humanity. A clean society that there're no gray area created many evil spilits don't have their own philosophies and reasons.

This movie is a 100% guaranteed Kitano style. The satire and comedy contained in this movie, is absolutely hilarious, although at points you aren't entirely sure where this is heading, or why there are some unnecessary scenes that didn't quite fit the set pace. I too would strongly recommend to ignore the poor IMDb ratings for this movie. You shouldn't even pay any attention to it, as the score is so obviously faked (42% of 1??! - yeah, right!) it makes me feel ill to think that there are people who would do that sort of thing. Regardless of that sad attempt to manipulate ratings, this is one of the best comedies by Takeshi Kitano. The seemingly western take on a very much Japanese thing, is actually a refreshing one. What some may miss about the inventiveness in this film, is the simple fact that not every one is, (or will ever be) able to understand one of the most difficult forms of comedy, satire. It seems that Kitano is purposely making fun of his own "serious" Yakuza -movies, with incredibly light touch, that makes everything seem so effortless in this movie. The idea of old, retired men "getting at it" one more time is very often used cliché in movies, need I remind of such movies as "The Bucket List", "The Unforgiven" and of course "Seven Samurai". However it must be kept in mind that Kitano's entire style doesn't appeal to everyone, nor will it never be understood by all. It's also absolute poppycock for someone to say that if you like this movie, or think it's good because you are "asianophilic caucasian" or just because it is by Kitano. I would recommend this movie to anyone, unreserved. It has it's low points, but one thing still makes me smile: The movie is stunningly funny, in the most hilarious way!. Well done Beat Takeshi!

What happened with the action movies today? Look here, you have it all. It is fast. It is fun. It has a memorable tune to accompany the action. It has remarkable characters, who by no means are deep or Shakespere type guys, they are just cool. It has one-liners. It has a smoking-hot looking girl. A little bit of nudity here and there. Couple of funny lines can be heard. Very colorful villain and his goons. It has that feeling of adventure. It is a quintessential action movie. For that reason it is so predictable and clichéd, but here, is it really a downfall? Can we get more of these, please? I am sick of a bloody messes and greedy mood in todays action movies. Can you take it a little easier, Kitano? Or is it a thing of the past, meaning that will never get this style back again? Yes, sure. Not recommended at all......

Surprisingly slow moving. The main characters don't form a Yakuza to get revenge, they form it simply because they miss the Yakuza life. Thus the movie is more about men hanging out more than the lifestyle, which I found to be a better plot than actually having an established plot.

I found the cast to be overacting, as most Japanese comedies do. It was almost too much for me.

Slapstick with a few Boke-Tsukkomi scenes (Back and forth bantering) are repetitive, few laugh out loud hilarious scenes but an enjoyable watch if you can get past the first half of the movie.