La Submersion du Japon

I actually caught an ad for JAPAN SINKS in a Japanese magazine last year, and wondered what the heck it was until I saw the trailer for the film. It was then I remembered that I had seen the English translation of Sakyo Komatsu's novel some years back. I got it, and it was quite good, as well as chillingly realistic. It's enough to make the reader dread hearing any news about earthquakes in Japan.

Now, I've read the book, and seen this 2006 movie version (the first movie came out in 1973). And you know what? I thought the movie was quite good, even if there are major changes from novel to film (but that's understandable). The story is simple--a major tectonic shift will cause Japan to sink within a year. Massive earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis rock the country as frantic efforts are made to evacuate as many people as possible. One scientist has a plan that could stop the sinking of the country and save what's left of the landmass, but can it be implemented in time? I saw JAPAN SINKS at Otakon 2007, and while there were a couple of problems I had with it--it does run a bit too long, and a couple of the character moments were a little too sappy--I was nonetheless blown away. The sheer concept of an entire nation sinking into the sea was made terrifyingly real, and the effects were some of the best I've ever seen, rivaling anything that Hollywood has done. The film also plays no favorites with the main characters, with some not making it to the closing credits.

Frankly, I've been surprised by some of the negative comments made about this film. Difference of opinions, I guess. Personally, I enjoyed it. And I've read the original book.

Earlier this year (March 2011), Japan was hit by one of the biggest and most deadly earthquakes in living memory; this eerily prophetic film from 2006 portrays a similar event in its opening scenes, but takes things several stages further as it progresses, eventually depicting what might happen if the entire country were to be gradually dragged under the ocean as the result of shifting tectonic plates.

A big budget remake of the 1973 disaster movie Tidal Wave (based on the novel 'Japan Sinks' by Sakyo Komatsu), Sinking Of Japan unsurprisingly features catastrophic mayhem on a grand scale, all impressively rendered in state-of-the-art CGI. The devastation on display is quite simply jaw-dropping, with entire cities shaken to the ground, massive ships flipped around on turbulent seas like toys in a tub, and volcanoes spewing tons of lava and ash.

Sadly, the spectacular destruction of an entire civilisation only makes up a small percentage of the movie's massive 135 minute running time; the rest of the film consists of less than scintillating drama as a selection of characters go through predictable emotional turmoil as they face a very uncertain future (or no future at all!). All of this is pretty uninspired stuff, and matters don't get much better even as a few brave scientists devise a desperate plan to prevent their nation from completely disappearing off the face of the Earth.

Promoted as an 'epic blockbuster', I was under no illusions that this was a film that was likely to be something in the mould of a typical US disaster movie, rather than a serious attempt at in depth story telling and character development. However, much like a Roland Emerich film, any attempt to suspend the audiences belief is abandoned in favour of a too unlikely scenario, occasional cheap thrills and shallow, paper thin characterisations and cliché. All of which I could have coped with if the film were at least vaguely entertaining.

Like Armageddon, 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow the film takes a huge pinch of salt and throws it at a premise that has some potential basis in fact; in this case, the precarious location of Japan along the Pacific ring of fire, and the likelihood of apocalyptic disaster; (the like of which we have seen in all to great a reality in recent months). It adds an uninspiring dash of flat; clichéd characters; (you know the ones; male and female protagonists who are divorced but forced to reconcile; cute little orphan girl (Awww); chain smoking, maverick scientist and a bunch of old, stubborn politicians)and shoves in the S L O W cooker until every molecule of freshness, vitality and energy has been vaporised; along with your patience, attention span and desire to keep watching.

Before I knew what a disaster this disaster movie would turn out to be, I had prepared for a schlock movie that might numb the brain but would at least delight my senses with elaborate special effects and multiple scenes of mayhem and destruction.... I settled down to watch and within the first few minutes decided that I might end up with just the numb brain. How right I was.

A veritable movie by numbers, it became clear that this was an Asain movie that would abandon the usually carefully constructed plot lines and interesting, 3 dimensional characters that usually inhabit the world of Japanese Cinema, rather it would aim to emulate American cinema in practically every way possible. After a rambling introduction that serves as a geology lesson for infants, we are 'told' that a series of events are underway that would ultimately lead to the entire Japanese archipelago sinking within 40 years... within the next hour or so however these events begin to unravel with unbelievable speed; erupting volcanoes, tidal waves and earthquakes soon begin to plague the good citizens of Japan, with an over used satellite POV showing us the scale of the disaster. And so the movie continues, peppered with some extraneous and totally predictable romantic fluff with the male and female 'leads', and the chain smoking maverick scientist coming up with a plan to save the rapidly ailing country.

All these scenes are nothing more than long episodes of pointless exposition, the scriptwriters and director using their actors to explain each and every event to the audience... because apparently, we are too stupid to work it out for ourselves; (I could have watched the movie without subtitles and told you exactly what was happening). All this is very, very boring and only sparsely interspersed with some pretty impressive set pieces, which at least have the benefit of being more believable than the rest of what is happening. Sadly, the special effects sequences are far too few and far between, and serve only to jolt you from the frequent bouts of approaching slumber that you will doubtless succumb to as the film plods on with a pacing akin to a snail race. Unfortunately, whilst worthy, these effects cannot do anything to save the film, which crumbles pathetically with each erupting volcano and rumbling earthquake.

The ending; when it eventually comes, is woefully inevitable from very early on in the script, rendering the 'plot' (such as it is) redundant for much of the film. With dull characters, predictable and unoriginal script, and a running time of 135 minutes you'll be wishing that the place had sunk in the first 5 minutes of inserting your DVD.

This movie remines me on both Deep Impact and The Day After tomorrow with different plotlines that are happening and a disaster that are connected with each other. I found the movie to be just alright because the movie does try to have a lot of character development into it and the emotional parts throughout it. But I felt the movie is way too long with the movie mostly focus on explanation and drama that you see in any other disaster movies out there. It also kind of confusing to follow with the amount of stuff that happen in it and some of them isn't that interesting to watch. But the disaster scenes are pretty effective with the amount of danger that the characters are in and the destruction it cause to the countries. The CGI isn't that great, but I seen worst in other movies out there.

Doomsday: The Sinking of Japan is a passable movie that has some effective disaster scenes, but isn't that enjoyable to watch.

It's the best movie I've watched this year! Excellent detail and storyline (for a remake).

It presents to you a "what if" situation wherein the island of Japan could totally be wiped out of this earth. A thought-provoking, life and death situation and not to mention all life on earth (well in this particular Japan). It also presents a great and genius solution to this massive tragedy.

Horror, action, suspense, sci fi, documentary, love story and all the human interest story you can get you'll find everything here! But I also warn you that it is a real tearjerker! The casts, actors and all are all excellent, better than any Hollywood movie!

The thing is...this could really happen to anywhere on earth! Now let me ask you this after you've seen it..."what would you do if you are faced in this life and death situation"?