Product Description

Tough guy kiujiro is an unlikely candidate to take an 8-year-old boy on a quest to find the mother hes never met. The wandering duos adventure takes them on a madcap tour of the japanese countryside from the races to a gangster-infested carnival. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 06/24/2008 Starring: Takeshi Kitano Yusuke Sekiguchi Run time: 116 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: Takeshi Kitano

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31082 in DVD
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2000-12-12
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: Japanese
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 121 minutes

Amazon.com
When words like "sweet" pop up in a review of a Takeshi Kitano film, you want to check that billing again. But yes, this really is Beat Takeshi, the funkiest dead-eyed gangster in Japanese cinema, in a gooey road movie about a glum orphan and a bumbling would-be tough guy who becomes his droopy guardian angel. The shambling walk is the same, as is the blank expression that twists into a cockeyed smile, and the film erupts (albeit infrequently) into sadistic bouts of petty violence. Takeshi is something between a gruff teddy bear and a bully as the former criminal turned unlikely babysitter who, on a whim, decides to hit the road in search of the kid's long lost mother.

Whimsical adventures and silly games are punctuated by violent beatings: despite its moments of sweetness and offbeat humor, this is no family film. In one scene the downcast orphan struggles with a child molester who is trying to yank down his underwear before Takeshi rescues him. It's an uncomfortable scene that is inexplicably played for uneasy humor, the most extreme example of the film's ambiguous tone. Kitano never gets the film under control and the sweetness gets cloying at times, but he invests it with hilarious moments of bizarre, deadpan humor. Though hardly his best, this is without a doubt his strangest film to date, and that's saying something. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews

Kikujiro: An Epic of Japanese Cinema
After coming off two highly emotional, yet dark, yakuza movies, Kikujiro is a very welcome change from the typically hard-as-stone Beat Takeshi. With this film, you see the fun and gentle side that really is Takeshi Kitano but we rarely ever see through his movies. The sad tale of Masao, deserted by his mother for no logical reason, lives with his grandma and is hard-pressed to find any action alone during his summer vacation. With that, he sets off on a journey to find his mother and its only trouble from there on out.

Kikujiro is everything wrapped into one; comedy, drama, action; and it pulls off each emotion flawlessly. There isn't a dull moment and when its over, you'll be begging for more. Hands down one of Takeshi Kitano's best movies. If you really want to have a nice, good time with a movie, Kikujiro is your best bet.

The gloomy boy and the ex-thug
Takeshi "Beat" Kitano got his start as a comedian in Japan, before his movie transformation into the familiar deadeyed killer. "Kikujiro" shows that he has not forgotten his roots. Here, the two Takeshi's blend in the character of an ex-Yakuza, who may not have a heart of gold, but at least bronze. Together with the gloomiest boy in Japan, they head off in a traditional road movie full of bumbles and discoveries.
"Kikujiro" is an incredibly sweet and of-kilter film. Quirky, subtly humorous, at times intense and disturbing, at times charming and disarming, Takeshi guides the film across the winding course of its plot, encountering a host of equally odd characters and situations. A woman juggler and her boyfriend the human robot, the fat and skinny bikers and the hippy thief all join in the journey with our odd couple. With each additional cast member, the story takes another unexpected twist.

While a comedy, don't expect any gut-busting laughs. The humor is more bizarre and situational, the laughs are more smirks and good feelings. The pace is slow and patient, taking a long time to build the story and the characters.

The images are beautiful, and the director takes some chances with his camera work that all work out well. "Kikujiro" is daring in its own way, while remaining heartwarming and affectionate.

An excellent, highly recommended film.

Charming, sweet and odd
Don't remember how I put this on my Netflix list, but I always like watching Japanese films beyond the normal J-horror/yakuza/martial arts/anime realm, 'cause it gives you somewhat of a glimpse into everyday Japanese life. This isn't exactly normal, more of a very whimsical roadtrip movie with a very Wes Anderson kinda feel. It's about a very ill-behaved guy taking a very shy boy on a trip to see his mom, and that's essentially a thin framework for a very fluffy, episodic series of encounters with all sorts of eccentrics, sweet-natured bikers and surly hotel managers. I don't know what kind of message this sends for Japanese kids, though - if you set out on the road, you will most likely not meet nice guys who will camp out and play games, put on shows and dress in silly costumes to make you laugh. Still, it's charming nonetheless, especially as you watch this shy, quiet boy come out of his shell thanks to the company and attention of his new friends. Beautiful piano score by Joe Hisashi, who, if I'm not mistaken, also did the music for Spirited Away. 3.5/5.