View Larger Image |
Returner Actors: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Anne Suzuki, Goro Kishitani Director: Takashi Yamazaki Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Format: Color, Widescreen, Digital Video Transfer, Surround Sound, Subtitled, Digital Sound Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Running Time: 116 minutes Studio: Columbia Tristar Hom Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2004-09-07 Buy from Amazon |
 "Impressed!"WOW, I was pleasantly surprised after renting this! The sci-fi/Anime genra has always been original in asian cinema, no acception here. Homage is paid to films like ET, Terminator, Matrix, the Transformers and even Polterguist (anyone pick up the "they're here" line?) What this movie lacks in originality it makes up for in music, production, special effects and acting. (Yes I said acting!) There is a very strange pace to the whole movie, as any westerner that has ever watched a japanese film will notice, but it makes it all the more interesting. Overall a great movie that will give any hollywood production a run for it's money! Oh, and do yourself a favor and watch this movie in it's original japanese language with english subtitles on... it makes a BIG difference in the overall feel of the movie. Watch it twice, once with subtitles and once with english dubbing and you'll see the difference.  "One of the best foriegn films out there, with GOOD dubbing."There's not much to say that hasn't been already said about this movies action, plot, quiet moments, or special effects (namely, that they all kick ass,) so I'll just say this: the dubbing in this film, dispite what some say, is actually quite well done. Each character's voice matches his/her character nicely. Millie is young yet hardened by a life of war. Myamoto is tough and macho yet hides a sensetive side. The villain Mizoguchi is someone you'll love to hate. And the old woman, Shaw, is alot of fun. And finally, the story makes sense. It's not like some Asian action films I've seen that seem to be mostly just a bunch of action scenes thrown together, and for a movie about time travel it makes alot more sense than most of the ones I've seen. Check it out. "A Live Action Anime/ Sci-Fi Tribute"I admit that the majority of Japanese action movies I've seen have been a confusing mix of fight scenes without a lot of plot. Thankfully this movie defies the trend and though it has a fluffy plot, still remains enjoyable and is well made. Anne Suzuki is Milly, sent from the future to prevent an apocalypse from aliens. She is paired up with Miyimoto, a handsome young gunman who has a sweet side in addition to being dangerous with a weapon. Together they attempt to keep a crime lord from killing an alien and return it to its family. This movie is really a send up of just about every famous sci-fi movie in the past few decades, yet it still remains fresh and enjoyable. Miyimoto, played by the stunning Takeshi Kaneshiro, is really a live action anime character, tough attitude hiding a sweet heart, brightly colored hair streaks, and volatile temper included. He even has the perfect good looks of an anime male. Anne Suzuki is adorable and sweet as Milly. The CGI actually is pretty advanced and the aliens echo back to E.T. While it's not artistic work of art, it's a fun movie and enjoyable to watch. "Great Foreign Film"People say Returner copies ideas from other movies, but in this age of unoriginality (which movies is Hollywood remaking or making crappy sequels to this year?), the least that can be said is that it does a fine job of representing ideas from other movies. The title is original, though, it's one of those Japanese-made-up English words: RI-TAA-NAA. I think it's derived from the idea that Milly (Suzuki An) "returns" to the past, and is therefore The Returner (even though the posters make it look like Kaneshiro Takeshi's character is The Returner). I used to be one of those people who hates watching subtitles, but after watching dozens of Hong Kong films, I've gotten used to it, so I watched Returner first in the original Japanese, then in dubbed English. I must say that the English dub sucks. They tried TOO HARD to stretch English dialog over slow moments of Japanese lip movement, and the English voice acters didn't sound like they cared at all about the characters they played. (The leads sounded goofy and the old woman always sounded like she was on her death bed.) In short, Returner is a fun movie, and for the best viewing experence, you should watch it in the orignal Japanese. "Anime style movie with real actor to say the least"This is one cheesy sci-fi movie that is uncanny interesting and entertaining. My mind went numb and became observant when I watched such unorthodox screenwriting. Many other reviewers are comparing the "Returner" to the like of Americans' movies of the "Matrix" or "Terminator" which is somewhat only proportional true. Maybe the plot wasn't too original, time-traveling to save the past, but the style and flow fair more favorable to an Anime style. Japanese's' acting and culture is somewhat profoundly different from Western's culture. The acting in this movie even with the goofy storyline and characters' role was actually good and believable. You got the prototypical Japanese female star character, Anne in this case, that is reservedly spoken, seamlessly helplessly defenseless, but featuring some unique superpower. She possesses a time forcing mechanism. The typical male character, Takeshi, is a gung ho cowboy-like loner with mad combat skill. The Villains providing most of the cheesy factor were comically evil. The industrial and science lab scenes were fairly detail and enticing. The CG was pretty cool with a mechanical dragon alien that look like Sky Lynx. Even though the movie has a tint to it; the film quality was not great, a little grainy. Without analyzing too much and overlooking culture acting style, the "Returner" is an entertaining movie for the open-minded. I would not mine buying this movie when the price drops some, because it was interestingly different. |
