Casshern (2004)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Kazuaki Kiriya

Writers:

Kazuaki Kiriya (screenplay)
Dai Sato (writer)

Release Date:

24 April 2004 (Japan)

Genre:

Adventure | Action | Sci-Fi | Drama

Tagline:

Reincarnated with an invincible body to fight an iron devil. If Casshern does not do it, who will?

Plot:

Live-action sci-fi movie based on a 1973 Japanese animé of the same name (Shinzo Ningen Casshân). Theme song by Utada Hikaru.

Plot Keywords:

Mutant | Loss Of Eyesight | Blood Splatter | Dark Hero | Hunchback

Cast

Yusuke Iseya	...	Tetsuya Azuma / Casshern
Kumiko Aso	...	Luna Kozuki
Akira Terao	...	Dr. Kotaro Azuma
Kanako Higuchi	...	Midori Azuma
Fumiyo Kohinata	...	Dr. Kozuki
Hiroyuki Miyasako	...	Akubon
Mayumi Sada	...	Sagurê
Jun Kaname	...	Barashin
Hidetoshi Nishijima	...	Lieutenant Colonel Kamijo
Mitsuhiro Oikawa	...	Kaoru Naito
Susumu Terajima	...	Sakamoto
Mayu Tsuruta	...	Burai's wife
Ryô	...	San Ikegami
Tetsuji Tamayama	...	Sekiguchi
Yôko Moriguchi	...	Luna's mother

Also Known As:

Kasshân (Japan) (alternative transliteration)

Runtime:

141 min | USA:117 min (cut)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-15 | Italy:T | South Korea:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Japan

Company:

Casshern Film Partners

Trivia:

This is considered a "live-action anime" and borrows heavily from standard anime techniques including camera angles, action backgrounds (i.e. lines indicating movement), acting styles, and plot elements.

Quotes:

Kotaro Azuma-hakase: You have no idea what war is like.

Movie Connections:

References "Mahha GoGoGo" (1967)

Soundtrack:

Requiem

Fantastic, thoughtful, beautiful film

Easily one of the best movies I have ever seen.

I am disappointed and yet not surprised at the low score given to this movie. It's not a typical action flick, as the trailer may lead many to believe. It is about so many things and the weak point is that it takes up so much, it is slightly difficult to follow.

I can't even express all the themes and things that flow through this movie. It takes up questions such as: Why do we fight wars? What is ethical? What would you do for love? What does it mean to be a father, a son, lovers, a citizen of a nation, a national leader, human, alive? Visually the movie is just breathtaking. It's gorgeous. Kiriya is not afraid to do what he feels does justice to the scene. He was the one behind the camera, not a common place for the director, to get the shot exactly the way he wanted it. Quite scenes are thoughtful and even the fight scenes are purely intense. Fantastic.

The movie is based on a 70s anime which is quite different. But it is interesting to note the places where the movie pays homage to the original anime.

The English subtitles are quite good and quite accurate. There are a few parts that I would have translated it differently, but over all, the integrity of the film is totally intact.

I highly recommend this film for true lovers of sci-fi who are looking something that is more than mindless battle scenes.