Friday, September 3, 2010

The Dead Or Alive Trilogy Is Definitely Worth Viewing

By Ronald Erickson

You might not have heard of these movies. If you're thinking about the ones based on the Xbox and Playstation games, we're not talking about those, but rather the trilogy of bizarre action flicks by Japanese crazy-man director Takashi Miike. This trilogy of movie downloads offers just what you're looking for if you've gotten tired of the same old same old from American action flicks and you're ready for something a little different, and a little strange.

The first in the series, Dead or Alive, was focused on the idea of simply teaming up the cult legends Sho Aikawa and Riki Takeuchi, sort of the Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino of the cult Japanese film scene. So think of it like Japan's answer to Heat. Interestingly, the movie was meant to solve one of the main problems with that movie: The ending was kind of an anti-climax.

We won't spoil the ending of Dead or Alive, but let's just say that it's certainly not an anti-climax. The entire movie is a thrill ride, starting with a rock video style montage that gets you into the movie's world fast, and culminating in an ending that you will not believe.

The second in the trilogy offers a different sort of approach with the same crazy style. This one recasts the two leads as two new characters. Where the first had the two as rival cop and gangster, this one has them as a pair of hitmen who grew up together and who donate all of their money to fighting diseases in developing countries.

Interestingly, while the movie is very positive in its outlook and portrays its heroes in a positive light, the reality of violence is not simply glossed over. The first is a wild action movie, the second is a little more honest about the weight of violence on a person's heart.

The third film, Dead or Alive Final, goes in the science fiction direction, more specifically, cyberpunk, with replicants and evil dystopian governments. While it might not be the most exciting of the trilogy, it's worth seeing so you can check out how it ties the whole thing together in such a strange way.

If you like the Dead or Alive trilogy, you should also check out Deadly Outlaw Rekka, which feels like the fourth film in the series in spirit. It has the same sense of over the top craziness and stars Riki Takeuchi in the lead role.

The first movie's trailer proudly declares that Miike is the dog with rabies of the Japanese film world, and it's true, it's not just a clever tagline for the trailer. The guy makes something like five or six movies a year, and has made about one hundred since his debut some years ago. He is one of the most prolific directors out there, and while the quality varies, if only one in ten is any good, he's already one of the greats.

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