Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (2009) User Reviews

For Die-Hard fans only

[TheEnigmaticRonin · 6/10 · 4 December 2010]

Similar to the first two movies, Bullet Man is an alternate retelling of the same story. (avoiding spoilers) The protagonist is alienated in the big city, and "something" triggers a mechanical mutation which results into a physical transformation. Plotwise its what you'd expect in a Tetsuo-film.

Bullet Man is certainly among Tsukamoto's most experimental films, but in a completely different way, due to its casting decisions, and the bold choice of shooting the dialog entirely in English(with few exceptions), unlike Takashi Miike's Sukiyaki Western Django, the dialog in this movie is in fact comprehensible. Its very obvious that Tsukamoto was aiming for a broader audience, but it didn't work quite as well.

I must admit that I was skeptical to Bossick in the lead role, but he is actually very well casted, his character is different from Taguchi, but still similar, he is a bit more stable, but furious at the same time.

Akiko Monou as Bossick's wife on the other hand doesn't work that well, its a dull performance mostly because of her dialog being in English. The chemistry between the two leads isn't present either, but this gets better as the film progresses, and then there is good old Shinya Tsukamoto as " The Guy " you'd be disappointed that he doesn't reprise his role as the metal fetishist, but he still play a pretty bad-ass character, and its a great performance.

The digital look of the film is not working in its favor at all, yet there are lots of trademark shots from the previous films, like the close ups of machinery etc, and Chu Ishikawa's industrial theme, are all present, and its shot in the same frenetic manner, but the gritty, and raw 16mm look is absent.

The Bullet Man, seems more like an American remake of the first film, it has this mainstream feel to it, and doesn't rely that much on symbolism and metaphors, like the first two films. Another big letdown is, this time there is no mutated counterpart for protagonist to fight, instead we have a bunch of army guys.

I would still recommend this to all Tsukamoto fans. It's different, and not among his best, but that doesn't necessarily mean that its bad. Check it out. 6/10

"Welcome to the newest chapter in the history of iron!"

[Al_The_Strange · 4/10 · 25 July 2013]

Tetsuo: The Iron Man - A film so manic, hyper, weird, and stylish, it represented the epitome of an experimental film. David Lynch would have gouged his eyes out.

Tetsuo II: Body Hammer - A sequel so intense and crazy, it took the strange visions of the first film and spat them out at the viewer in a refreshing barrage of insanity.

The third Tetsuo film, The Bullet Man, is pretty much more of the same. You can certainly expect the film to break out in hyperactive bombardments of flashing rapid-fire images. You can certainly expect the main character to mutate into a metal monster and wreak some havoc (and this time, he spits bullets!). You can certainly expect this to be weird and crazy.

However, this Tetsuo film is notably different, and not in a way that's refreshing or necessarily good. In between the manic freak-out scenes, the film slows down drastically, trying its best to weave in some semblance of an actual story with actual characters and actual reasons behind the madness. With the terrible dialogue, short runtime, and overall freakiness of the film, I really don't think this story works as well as it wants to. The film really wants to give a compelling vengeance story (the exact same type that went into the last two films), it really wants to give us emotional characters, and it wants to give us some kind of background to the "Tetsuo Project" and its connection to the characters. In the end though, it comes off as being too short and underdeveloped for its own good.

The experience of the film overall is pretty agitating. Granted, the other Tetsuo films are agitating as hell, but The Bullet Man seems to be a grade worse. Nearly every scene is shot with a camera that never sits still. Given the other issues listed above, I was rather apathetic about the film overall. I actually value the other two films for their remarkable styles and visions, even though they are pretty hyperactive in their own right, but this third film never felt like it brought anything new to the table.

In addition to being really hyper and annoying, the film is rather drab-looking, with lots of dark lighting and gray settings. Photography is among the worst I have ever seen, and the editing is crazy. I was personally appalled by the acting and writing; most of the dialogue is terrible, with very stupid lines and absurd delivery. On the plus side, the sets, props, and costumes are pretty decent, and it's especially cool to see that the filmmakers preferred to use practical effects rather than cheap CGI. Music consists of lots of airy noises and metallic banging, further adding to the annoying experience.

As much as I value the first two Tetsuo movies, I couldn't bring myself to enjoy The Bullet Man as much as I wanted to. I halfway wonder if Shin'ya Tsukamoto is purposefully trying to make the most annoying movie possible. Established Tetsuo fans will probably enjoy The Bullet Man, but casual viewers will probably want to keep their distance. I personally recommend the first film, if at all interested.

2/5 (Experience: Annoying | Story: Very Poor | Film: Marginal)

not as good as the first

[bragaz · 6/10 · 13 September 2009]

If you know Tsukamoto's other films and you have already seen Tetsuo 1, at the vision of this one you will be unsatisfied. You will not recognize the original Tsukamoto storytelling, where you must evince everything about the story only by images, and not from an actor that speak and explain what happened since that scene of the movie. The good thing you can find in the first one or in the other movies by this author are that you must concentrate on the movie, on the images to be able to understand, and the images make you stay on your sit with your eyes open and your mind full operative. But this chapter of the Tetsuo saga is not that kind of film. It's more similar to an American movie than a Tsukamoto movie. I don't understand if it's Tsukamoto changing or it's only because this was an American co-production.

Maybe someone who don't know Tsukamoto will appreciate it for it's fine director's style or for the incomparable music, but it's better if you make a comparison with the first one, that will remain an absolute masterpiece, 20 years before, a lot of money less.

Still,this is a remake, with a lot of changes in the story, but not in the message the author wants to tell us!

Is this a joke?

[I_Ailurophile · 1/10 · 26 May 2021]

1989's 'Tetsuo: The iron man' is a uniquely disturbing horror classic. I haven't had a chance to see 'Tetsuo II,' but given an opportunity to watch 'Tetsuo: The bullet man,' how could I decline?

I should have declined.

The production value is higher, but the writing is simply terrible. It's as though 'The bullet man' is a parody of not just the "Tetsuo" concept, but of any film with a vaguely similar narrative bent. Even writer-director Shinya Tsukamoto's camerawork seems to wink at the audience, like he's saying "Heh heh, check this out." And Eric Bossick's performance is so pointedly over the top that I can't rightly think of an immediate comparison, except maybe Hammer horror films of the 60s and 70s.

As if to emphasize the point: protagonist Anthony's Hulk-like display of grief, after the pivotal moment that launches the plot, would be far more convincing if Bossick weren't just wildly flailing about in a splatter of water that instantly invokes 'Flashdance.' He's a maniac! Maniac! What a feeling!

I do like the conspiratorial aspect of the narrative, the manipulation at hand - even if it reeks of unnecessary, unseemly one-upmanship. The ending, though a bit curt in its simplicity, is fitting. But even these are squandered here, while characterizations, dialogue, particular details of the plot, and the build of specific sequences defy good sense. Even the effects, the makeup and prosthetics that illustrate Anthony's transformation, very quickly cross a line from "somewhat unsettling" to "obnoxious."

If there's anything to actually enjoy here, it's the industrial music that slowly builds throughout the film, reaching a crescendo at the climax. It lends definite atmosphere to 'The bullet man' - more than it makes use of, or deserves. The fact that Nine Inch Nails contribute a swell original song over the end credits is a great gift that's wasted on the bluster we just sat through to hear it, and still not enough to make these 71 minutes worthwhile.

This feature is a mark of shame ill-fitting the status of 1989's progenitor. So much so that I wonder if a passing line from the film's "antagonist" isn't actually a subtle admission from Tsukamoto of a realization he's gone too far: "This shot would be far too tacky."

I've found myself watching some really great movies recently, but also some regrettable clunkers. None of them compare to 'Tetsuo: The bullet man.' Two thumbs way down.

Tetsuo: The Bullet Man

[Scarecrow-88 · 6/10 · 10 July 2011]

Anthony, a half-American/half-Japanese technological businessman in Tokyo, discovers after the cold-blooded murder of his son, when his anger towards the man responsible fuels a reaction he couldn't possibly have prepared for, that he has "android DNA" causing his body to slowly metamorphose into a machine. Director Shinya Tsukamoto also stars as the villain who runs over Anthony's son Tom with a car—what's his motivation? More story here—as Anthony learns a startling secret about his mother, attempts to console his grieving wife who wants revenge for the death of her child, and tries to keep from continuing to evolve into a metal monster—than one might expect from a Tetsuo film. Too bad Tsukamoto's camera work and editing is so chaotic and epileptic you can't see a damn thing, hoping to actually decipher what is essentially incomprehensible on screen. Lack of budget perhaps? Whatever the case, I found this to be a frustrating experience. Strong story on the power of love and family, however, did surprise me, I must say. Anthony reads of a scientific project on creating human androids, found in the notes of his father's underground office, which is where he learns the horrifying truth of what he actually is. Erick Bossick is Anthony, Akiko Monô is Anthony's wife, Yuriko, with Stephen Sarrazin as Anthony's father, Ride. Included in the film is a group assigned to eradicate Anthony and Yuriko so that the dangers of an android killing machine rampaging through the streets, a potential threat which might bring blame to those behind Ride's project, would be silenced. Too bad their mission doesn't succeed; in fact, it fails miserably. It seems that Tsukomoto's mysterious predator wants to encourage the anger of Anthony so that he will continue to lose control, ending in a climax possibly threatening global catastrophe. A loud industrial rock soundtrack accompanies the maddening presentation.

Ruined mostly by the shaky camera

[Freethinker_Atheist · 1/10 · 11 October 2013]

Unfortunately there is almost nothing good to say about this film.

The camera is so shaky that it's hard to recognize things in the picture. If watched on a big cinema screen, it would have made me vomit.

Dialogs are mostly pathetic and acting is very poor, many times over the top. At times it's even difficult to understand what they are saying, because of the strong (bad) accent.

Many scenes are tediously long, dark and the "music" is too loud.

I really tried to like this film, but I couldn't.

I think it's good, when directors try to be daring, but some seem to forget that they are not making a film for themselves, but they want it to be viewed by others. If so, maybe it's not wrong to try to make a film watchable (visually pleasant) as well.

Heavy Metal

[Vincent_B · 27 August 2011]

On a positive note, this movie does not resort to using CGI or other crappy special effects. The costume did the job well enough for this movie.

Sound was one of my first issues with this film. The background "music" was mostly someone beating the hell out of a metal trash can or banging a pipe wrench against a jungle gym at the park. There was some metal rifts that were pretty loud. Then the dialog would come in and either I was suffering from deafness or the actors would whisper their lines.

I never have been a fan of shaky cam filming, but this goes way beyond shaky cam to earth quake cam. At no point can I remember any scene that didn't move and flash. If you are epileptic you may have a seizure prior to the credits. The noise, flashes, and bombarding images are just like some hardcore death metal videos.

It takes forever for the origins to be discovered and then the last 20 minutes of the film the "bad guy" -with poor motive- gives the Bullet Man just 60 seconds to kill him... some how 20 minutes = 60 seconds doesn't seem to fit.

Overall a poor movie, I have watched worse. Maybe it would be better as an anime or if I was a big fan of the creator of this film.

Still as weird as ever.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 12 February 2011]

Man, I don't ever try to understand these 'Tetsuo' movies anymore and simply go along for the ride. And this surely is one intense and very visually orientated ride, that I overall really enjoyed.

Once more, the budget has significantly gone up, when you compare it to the previous 2 movies and of course the original first student film that got made by Shinya Tsukamoto, before he created his first full length movie of the series. And yes, I can definitely say that this is the best looking movie out of the series. It's still very dark but it's more stylized all. It's a movie with a great style and atmosphere over it.

Yes, it's also definitely a weird movie, in which lots is happening and stuff is being left mostly to the imagination, or rather said; an actual story is hard to find. Though I must admit that out of all the movies out of the series, this one is probably making the most sense with its story but that's not saying much really. But then again, people won't watch this movie expecting a clever or provoking story. They'll expect a visual and intense experience most likely, just like I did. When you do, "Tetsuo: The Bullet Man" is a movie that won't disappoint you.

And how awesome is it that the main character of this movie is the bullet man, who shoots dozens of bullets from his body, ever time he goes into Hulk-mode. It's truly something awesome, that got done quite well visually, with some nice effects and make-up.

You can also really definitely say that Shinya Tsukamoto keeps on improving as a director, though it might be argued that this is also thanks to the higher budgets he's receiving to work with.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

UTTER UTTER GARBAGE!!!

[LoneWGK · 1/10 · 28 May 2019]

No story, jumping all over the place. There is just no meat. One moment they talk in their house, then heave noise or music and shaky camera, screams and he is at work in bathroom with voice message. Makes no sense. Shaky camera, oh boy, what a disaster, based on this i could be a film maker and make a master piece. Its utter utter garbage. The sound and noise irritated me so much, they made the music so loud. I could not hear what they say. Then all of a sudden people try to kill him. Why? It just does not make sense. GARBAGE.

Do not waste your time, i stopped at around 20min in.

Deja vu all over again...

[poe426 · 7/10 · 12 July 2011]

Perhaps Tsukamoto's simply grown weary of his own patented brand of hyperkinetic cinema verite; or maybe the idea well's simply run dry; whatever the reason, TETSUO: THE BULLET MAN is a far cry from the two films that preceded it in this trilogy. "Destroy all of our lazy peaceful dreams," Tsukamoto himself urges the Bullet Man, and it's his own filmmaking philosophy he's espousing. But, while we once again have the pounding of hammers on anvils, the fingernails screeching down chalkboards, and the man metamorphosizing into a heavy metal monstrosity, there's something definitely LACKING this time around. The TETSUO trilogy has lapsed into Formula. Like PROJECT ARMS or THE GUYVER or any one of a dozen other manga or anime man-into-machine tales, TETSUO has grown stale. Everything, from having a character brand himself with the heated barrel of a handgun to the white-out ending, he's used before. It's time to move on, storywise.

English dialogues was a BIG mistake

[owjan-45979 · 5/10 · 23 October 2020]

Why the hell ppl in a Japanese sci-fi horror movie talk english? That was a mistake and disappointment and as much as I am a huge fan of first tetsuo I didn't like the last one very much. There was a big gap between first and last and that's a shame.

More of the same, but it's still pretty damn awesome

[zetes · 9/10 · 3 April 2011]

Shinya Tsukamoto's original Tetsuo: The Ironman is most certainly one of my formative cinematic experiences. I remember watching it for the first time one night with a friend in his parents' basement the summer after my freshman year at college. His dad had to get out of bed and yell at us to stop shouting. The film was just blowing us away, and we were very loud about how awesome and freaky it was. Tsukamoto had won a fan for life in me, and, indeed, I have very much liked every single piece of work he's produced that I've had the pleasure to see. The third Tetsuo movie is no exception. It's very much in the same style as the previous two films. Half-Japanese, half-white Eric Bossick plays the title character here. He's a mild-mannered office worker, until, that is, his eight-year old son is viciously run down by a car. When Bossick gets upset, he becomes a metallic, murderous monster. The story is pretty silly (Bossick has "android DNA" because his dad made it with a robot version of his mom), but it's all about the images, the violence, and the Lovecraftian horror. There is one major aspect that will detract from the film's value for some: it's in English. I'm guessing that Tsukamoto felt that this would give the film wider appeal, not only because it could be released in English speaking countries unsubtitled, but in other countries, too, where a good amount of people can understand English. That's a bad plan, though, as most fans of this type of stuff, especially in the United States, where the film still hasn't opened except for perhaps at some film festivals, much prefer the Japanese films they watch to be in Japanese. It's about authenticity. Or perhaps it's about the fact that most of the actors just aren't very good, which makes their dialogue come off rather poorly, or even laughably. And other actors, most notably Shinya Tsukamoto himself, who co-stars as the villain, has a sometimes incomprehensible accent. As for myself, it didn't bother me much at all. It comes off somewhat like the English dialogue in Takashi Miike's Sukiyaki Django Western, kind of weird and almost hypnotic.

Couldn't Finish it

[HarrySmooth · 2/10 · 25 March 2021]

This movie HAD potential, but it just fell short! I couldn't watch much more than 30 mins of it due to the SUPER Shaky Camera Work! It was REALLY giving me Vertigo! Made me dizzy as hell! I dunno, it may have been a decent movie but I just couldn't watch it any longer , it was truly making me dizzy. Give it a try.... maybe you'll have better luck.

you probably have to be a fan to enjoy this.

[daveinfi · 3/10 · 17 January 2011]

I was recommended this movie from a friend as he loved it but I didn't I'm afraid, I can't really give a true review of this movie due to fact that I haven't seen any of the previous movies or any of tsukamoto's previous work, so I will not comment on the story itself but tell you the truth I watched it as I thought it was going to be an action flick with many body parts flying around but this wasn't the case and the camera work was very shaky and it was very difficult to know what was going on, If like me you have not seen any of tsukamoto's previous work don't waste your time, but if you really feel the need to watch it all I can suggest is watch the previous movies first to give you at least a certain incl-in of what is going on.

Action Horror

[chelano · 5/10 · 20 September 2011]

OK it seems that Shinya Tsukamoto decided to update his series even more to modern times and also put himself in the movie again. I guess you could say this was a revamp of the first, but a different story. But here is the thing. When he made a classic, he was limited to what he could use making him use his brain. Using todays technology could sometimes screws up a great thing. I am not saying this is a bad film though. Some good things about it was the nice grim colors to give it a creepier feel and the story was not confusing. But becoming the bullet man in this film was way over the top and it got to the point where it was really crazy; then calm. Yes it ended calm which was strange. Eric Bossick was a pretty decent actor and the only one I really cared about. He would make an excellent superhero. In fact this was not so much horror as it was action. A couple bad things. The story was a bit over the top and the voices were really hard to understand at points. Other than that, it was a decent film.

That shaky cam

[RuriGokou · 2/10 · 15 June 2019]

This movie is one of those movies that is so bad it's good, I guess? I couldn't watch what was going on for too long because the actual shaky camera and rapidly moving images made me dizzy.

The imagery and mood is interesting, but I have no idea what the characters are saying half the time. I had to rely on reading the Japanese subtitles. The audio is WAY too low for the voices. Maybe to hide their bad accents?

One of the strangest films I've seen for sure.

Someone is chasing the camera man...

[jbfisherkingdotcom · 4/10 · 4 July 2011]

I always wondered what happened to those who were at "The Blair Witch Project", they worked as the camera crew in this movie. The action/fight scenes in this movie is too shaky for something to register on screen as if the camera man is being chased by the Blair Witch.

I never heard of the director before but may have a very promising career. The accent of the Japanese actors in this film is in a way difficult to understand at times.

I totally agree with the two other reviewers that says "you probably have to be a fan to enjoy this" and "For Die-Hard fans only". The story is weird and confusing at times but still in a way entertaining.

Overall, the movie is watchable.

A Refined Tetsuo

[masercot · 8/10 · 17 February 2013]

This was not a bad movie. It didn't have the experimental look of the first Tetsuo flick; however, that's been done. This one was kinder and gentler than the first... although still rough and disturbing. It reminded me of a Nine Inch Nails music video (Closer)... only much longer and with a mostly Japanese cast...

The movie is about a man who, due to a genetic experiment with his mother, sprouted metal parts and guns when angered. It was kind of like the Incredible Hulk if that movie had been directed by David Lynch. There is more self discovery than in the first Tetsuo... more dialog as well. The acting is mediocre, but the images are definitely powerful.

If Francis Bacon made a movie with Rob Zombie, this is what it would look like...

Pop culture meets Yakuza

[TomSunhaus · 3/10 · 22 September 2022]

Starts with man sleeping with son. Then man talks to father about how the father's lack of sex since mother has died. Meanwhile boy is alone & neglected. Then son gets run over in a hit & run. Man becomes vengeance madman. It looks like a police officer shoots the protagonist. This all the beginning of the movie, initiating a transformation.

I mention all this because I am not sure whether the filmmaker intended to show that it was the protagonist's fault (neglecting the son) that the boy was out in the street not caring about traffic. I also do not know if the audience appreciates the incompetence of the protagonist. It seems to be a Point of View film in which people keep trying to explain to the deranged protagonist that he is making these terrible mistakes: the father was no help because he is grieving over his lost wife.

If I felt the film maker's intent was there & the audience understood the intent, then I would grade the film higher. Reading the other reviews gives me no indication of awareness, which consigns this film to another Mad Max movie of violence.

Who'd have thought?

[King-Grim · 8/10 · 12 February 2011]

After two decades of moving further and further away cyberpunk and into a much more contemplative style, a return to his earlier themes and style – and in English! - struck me as a rather mercenary move by Tsukamoto when I first heard about it, and as the first film is so important to me (being what opened my eyes to cinema beyond Hollywood, and remaining in my all time top 20 to this day) I approached this with slight trepidation. Fortunately, this is very much a Tetsuo movie through and through, largely uncompromised by commercial thoughts, and as frenetic, fast paced and blistering as ever. The basic plot – a man mutates into metal after a traumatic incident – remains, but the movie still throws up fresh and unexpected ideas throughout. The decision to have it in English does lead to the occasional stilted feeling in the dialogue, but this is a minor point. Overall, while nowhere near the heights of the first film, it's comfortably about equal to Tetsuo II: Body Hammer, which is far more than I expected.