When I first got Big Man Japan I really didn't know what to expect. The artwork on the cover was certainly appealing, and at the same time hilarious, so I was excited to see what it was all about. And nearly 100 minutes later, I was ready to watch it again!
This surreal and hilarious film from writer, director & star Hitoshi Matsumoto, is just fantastic. It was such a different take on the Japanese kaiju flicks, shot as a mockumentary, but played in a very serious way. So much so, that it can often come across quite sad at times as we follow Daisato, an eccentric middle-aged man who lives with his cat (well, its really not his) in a rundown house in Tokyo. As the film crew follow him around, we learn that Dai is quite a depressed man, dressing oddly and rarely smiling, a man who barely flinches when a brick comes through his window because he's so used to it. Void of any social life, Dai pays visits to his sick grandfather who is in a care-home, suffering from dementia, and is allowed to connect with his wife and daughter only twice a year. He does pay for company mind you, as he visits bars and geisha girls, drinking heavily to forget his problems. You can't help but feel sorry for him as he waits around for his next call to work - a job that is mainly what makes Dai the man he is today...
Dai is Big Man Japan, an unpopular superhero who is basically a second-rate protector to the city. As he only heads to battle half-heartedly, Dai ends up causing even more destruction than the enemy. While his collection of photos, old film footage and memorabilia at home show how respected he, and others like him, were many moons ago, interviews with the general public now say otherwise. His wage for protecting the people from monsters is pitiful considering, but he continues to do what he does to survive.
As a mockumentary, Big man Japan is fantastically done. It captures many believable scenes of Dai's life, and only until the monsters come about, do you forget that its just entertainment. But its not all doom and gloom. Big man Japan is so well written that you can't help but laugh out loud. From the image of Dai standing in a giant pair of briefs, hoisted up on 2 flagpoles, to the dark comedy that surrounds his life - there is definitely plenty to laugh about. And of course, there's the actual monsters. Portrayed in an animated fashion, they are all well designed and hilarious in their own way, with one in particular having the head of Rik Takeuchi (from Battle Royale 2 and Full Metal Yakuza), on top of one giant frog-like leg who likes to hop around Tokyo, slipping on cars and using a Ferris wheel . Others range from giant penis monsters to elasticated, bendy beings; each proving to be a problem when the Big Man comes after them, and each getting weirder than the one before!
As our hero discusses his life, he gets slapped with advertising, taunted by the public, beaten by monsters, and then there's that dementia-suffering grandpa who likes to zap himself to get big and cause a scene around the city. As Dai explains, there used to be a lot of people like him, but since monsters don't come out that often any more, there was no need for them all any more...
Big Man Japan is a unique experience. With many hilarious comedy scenes - whether its the witty dialogue and comic situations, or the Big Man running away from a battle in a huff because he got beaten, you can't help but find yourself engrossed in Dai's story. He's an odd little man, perfectly portrayed by the wonderful Hitoshi Matsumoto. It can often be a very deep film, with some social commentary on Japanese culture, heavy on irony, and depicting an almost genius quality of Matsumoto's creativity!
You'll probably never experience anything ever like it, and may even need a couple of viewings just to get it, but Big Man Japan is most certainly worth the watch. The final 20 minutes is just completely bonkers, but absolutely brilliant!!
Overall: Touching, hilarious, and wonderfully written, Big Man Japan is something else and an experience you'll never forget...
This surreal and hilarious film from writer, director & star Hitoshi Matsumoto, is just fantastic. It was such a different take on the Japanese kaiju flicks, shot as a mockumentary, but played in a very serious way. So much so, that it can often come across quite sad at times as we follow Daisato, an eccentric middle-aged man who lives with his cat (well, its really not his) in a rundown house in Tokyo. As the film crew follow him around, we learn that Dai is quite a depressed man, dressing oddly and rarely smiling, a man who barely flinches when a brick comes through his window because he's so used to it. Void of any social life, Dai pays visits to his sick grandfather who is in a care-home, suffering from dementia, and is allowed to connect with his wife and daughter only twice a year. He does pay for company mind you, as he visits bars and geisha girls, drinking heavily to forget his problems. You can't help but feel sorry for him as he waits around for his next call to work - a job that is mainly what makes Dai the man he is today...
Dai is Big Man Japan, an unpopular superhero who is basically a second-rate protector to the city. As he only heads to battle half-heartedly, Dai ends up causing even more destruction than the enemy. While his collection of photos, old film footage and memorabilia at home show how respected he, and others like him, were many moons ago, interviews with the general public now say otherwise. His wage for protecting the people from monsters is pitiful considering, but he continues to do what he does to survive.
As a mockumentary, Big man Japan is fantastically done. It captures many believable scenes of Dai's life, and only until the monsters come about, do you forget that its just entertainment. But its not all doom and gloom. Big man Japan is so well written that you can't help but laugh out loud. From the image of Dai standing in a giant pair of briefs, hoisted up on 2 flagpoles, to the dark comedy that surrounds his life - there is definitely plenty to laugh about. And of course, there's the actual monsters. Portrayed in an animated fashion, they are all well designed and hilarious in their own way, with one in particular having the head of Rik Takeuchi (from Battle Royale 2 and Full Metal Yakuza), on top of one giant frog-like leg who likes to hop around Tokyo, slipping on cars and using a Ferris wheel . Others range from giant penis monsters to elasticated, bendy beings; each proving to be a problem when the Big Man comes after them, and each getting weirder than the one before!
As our hero discusses his life, he gets slapped with advertising, taunted by the public, beaten by monsters, and then there's that dementia-suffering grandpa who likes to zap himself to get big and cause a scene around the city. As Dai explains, there used to be a lot of people like him, but since monsters don't come out that often any more, there was no need for them all any more...
Big Man Japan is a unique experience. With many hilarious comedy scenes - whether its the witty dialogue and comic situations, or the Big Man running away from a battle in a huff because he got beaten, you can't help but find yourself engrossed in Dai's story. He's an odd little man, perfectly portrayed by the wonderful Hitoshi Matsumoto. It can often be a very deep film, with some social commentary on Japanese culture, heavy on irony, and depicting an almost genius quality of Matsumoto's creativity!
You'll probably never experience anything ever like it, and may even need a couple of viewings just to get it, but Big Man Japan is most certainly worth the watch. The final 20 minutes is just completely bonkers, but absolutely brilliant!!
Overall: Touching, hilarious, and wonderfully written, Big Man Japan is something else and an experience you'll never forget...