Tetsuo: The Bullet Man

OK it seems that Shinya Tsukamoto decided to update his series even more to modern times and also put himself in the movie again. I guess you could say this was a revamp of the first, but a different story. But here is the thing. When he made a classic, he was limited to what he could use making him use his brain. Using todays technology could sometimes screws up a great thing. I am not saying this is a bad film though. Some good things about it was the nice grim colors to give it a creepier feel and the story was not confusing. But becoming the bullet man in this film was way over the top and it got to the point where it was really crazy; then calm. Yes it ended calm which was strange. Eric Bossick was a pretty decent actor and the only one I really cared about. He would make an excellent superhero. In fact this was not so much horror as it was action. A couple bad things. The story was a bit over the top and the voices were really hard to understand at points. Other than that, it was a decent film.

1989's 'Tetsuo: The iron man' is a uniquely disturbing horror classic. I haven't had a chance to see 'Tetsuo II,' but given an opportunity to watch 'Tetsuo: The bullet man,' how could I decline?

I should have declined.

The production value is higher, but the writing is simply terrible. It's as though 'The bullet man' is a parody of not just the "Tetsuo" concept, but of any film with a vaguely similar narrative bent. Even writer-director Shinya Tsukamoto's camerawork seems to wink at the audience, like he's saying "Heh heh, check this out." And Eric Bossick's performance is so pointedly over the top that I can't rightly think of an immediate comparison, except maybe Hammer horror films of the 60s and 70s.

As if to emphasize the point: protagonist Anthony's Hulk-like display of grief, after the pivotal moment that launches the plot, would be far more convincing if Bossick weren't just wildly flailing about in a splatter of water that instantly invokes 'Flashdance.' He's a maniac! Maniac! What a feeling!

I do like the conspiratorial aspect of the narrative, the manipulation at hand - even if it reeks of unnecessary, unseemly one-upmanship. The ending, though a bit curt in its simplicity, is fitting. But even these are squandered here, while characterizations, dialogue, particular details of the plot, and the build of specific sequences defy good sense. Even the effects, the makeup and prosthetics that illustrate Anthony's transformation, very quickly cross a line from "somewhat unsettling" to "obnoxious."

If there's anything to actually enjoy here, it's the industrial music that slowly builds throughout the film, reaching a crescendo at the climax. It lends definite atmosphere to 'The bullet man' - more than it makes use of, or deserves. The fact that Nine Inch Nails contribute a swell original song over the end credits is a great gift that's wasted on the bluster we just sat through to hear it, and still not enough to make these 71 minutes worthwhile.

This feature is a mark of shame ill-fitting the status of 1989's progenitor. So much so that I wonder if a passing line from the film's "antagonist" isn't actually a subtle admission from Tsukamoto of a realization he's gone too far: "This shot would be far too tacky."

I've found myself watching some really great movies recently, but also some regrettable clunkers. None of them compare to 'Tetsuo: The bullet man.' Two thumbs way down.

On a positive note, this movie does not resort to using CGI or other crappy special effects. The costume did the job well enough for this movie.

Sound was one of my first issues with this film. The background "music" was mostly someone beating the hell out of a metal trash can or banging a pipe wrench against a jungle gym at the park. There was some metal rifts that were pretty loud. Then the dialog would come in and either I was suffering from deafness or the actors would whisper their lines.

I never have been a fan of shaky cam filming, but this goes way beyond shaky cam to earth quake cam. At no point can I remember any scene that didn't move and flash. If you are epileptic you may have a seizure prior to the credits. The noise, flashes, and bombarding images are just like some hardcore death metal videos.

It takes forever for the origins to be discovered and then the last 20 minutes of the film the "bad guy" -with poor motive- gives the Bullet Man just 60 seconds to kill him... some how 20 minutes = 60 seconds doesn't seem to fit.

Overall a poor movie, I have watched worse. Maybe it would be better as an anime or if I was a big fan of the creator of this film.

Shinya Tsukamoto's original Tetsuo: The Ironman is most certainly one of my formative cinematic experiences. I remember watching it for the first time one night with a friend in his parents' basement the summer after my freshman year at college. His dad had to get out of bed and yell at us to stop shouting. The film was just blowing us away, and we were very loud about how awesome and freaky it was. Tsukamoto had won a fan for life in me, and, indeed, I have very much liked every single piece of work he's produced that I've had the pleasure to see. The third Tetsuo movie is no exception. It's very much in the same style as the previous two films. Half-Japanese, half-white Eric Bossick plays the title character here. He's a mild-mannered office worker, until, that is, his eight-year old son is viciously run down by a car. When Bossick gets upset, he becomes a metallic, murderous monster. The story is pretty silly (Bossick has "android DNA" because his dad made it with a robot version of his mom), but it's all about the images, the violence, and the Lovecraftian horror. There is one major aspect that will detract from the film's value for some: it's in English. I'm guessing that Tsukamoto felt that this would give the film wider appeal, not only because it could be released in English speaking countries unsubtitled, but in other countries, too, where a good amount of people can understand English. That's a bad plan, though, as most fans of this type of stuff, especially in the United States, where the film still hasn't opened except for perhaps at some film festivals, much prefer the Japanese films they watch to be in Japanese. It's about authenticity. Or perhaps it's about the fact that most of the actors just aren't very good, which makes their dialogue come off rather poorly, or even laughably. And other actors, most notably Shinya Tsukamoto himself, who co-stars as the villain, has a sometimes incomprehensible accent. As for myself, it didn't bother me much at all. It comes off somewhat like the English dialogue in Takashi Miike's Sukiyaki Django Western, kind of weird and almost hypnotic.

I recently rented Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (2009) on Prime. The storyline follows a father who loses his son in a tragic accident. Shortly after the tragedy, he sees the driver from the accident that killed his son. This triggers an outrage inside him, causing a chemical reaction that transforms him into a metal killing machine out for revenge.

This film is written and directed by Shin'ya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo: The Iron Man) and stars Eric Bossick (Equals), Tomorô Taguchi (Tetsuo: The Iron Man), and Yutaka Mishima (Silence).

The opening credits and introduction always get me fired up for another Tetsuo movie. This film features elite cinematography and has a unique, artistic flair. The background soundtrack and sound effects are once again top-notch. This film introduces new weapons, body configurations, and an entirely new premise. I enjoyed the new movements and the gore; the kills are always cool, but at times the film feels too clean and polished. I also felt they could have done more with the main character. The conclusion was solid and a fitting ending to the trilogy.

In conclusion, this may be the weakest film in the Tetsuo trilogy, but it is unique and entertaining enough to make it worth a watch. I would score this a 6.5/10 and recommend seeing it once.