Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen

I am big fan of Takeshi Kitano for years, even if he is directing or acting, "Ryuzo and Seven Henchmen" is his latest offering as director, and of course i wanted to see the newest movie of my favorite Japanese director. After two fantastic Yakuza movies "Outrage" and "Beyond Outrage", Takeshi is back to Comedy style, we must know that Takeshi is originally a comedian so it is nothing strange. I love his comedies, "Getting Any" was really funny movie to me, so really wanted to see this one. "Ryuzo and Seven Henchmen" have some funny and nice moments whitout a doubt, Tatsuya Fuji as main protagonist Ryuzo was the nicest moment in whole movie, he is just incredible in his role, even in some moments his acting remind me on legendary Toshiro Mifune, other Ryuzo henchmens were also okay but not on the level of acting like Tatsuya Fuji. There were some really funny moments in this movie, but generally this is the one of the weakest Takeshi's movies, but if you are a fan of his cinema and Japanese cinema in general, i suggest to watch this one.

My grade: 5.5/10

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.

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.

This could have been fun and I wanted to like it. The basic idea definitely had potential for comedy. But it was wasted. There are some semi-humorous scenes in this movie but ultimately it's just lukewarm throughout and the plot is very incoherent, so I quickly lost interest.

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.