GOEMON (2009)

(Directed by Kazuaki Kiriya)

"From the Zack Snyder of Japan! Or I guess Snyder would be the Kazuaki Kiriya of America..."- Signed by MartialHorror

Plot: A former-ninja-turned-thief finds himself caught up in a cold war between Lords when he steals a mysterious box.

Review:

“Goemon” was directed by Kazuaki Kiriya, who had previously made a name for himself with his overstylized “Casshern”. “Casshern” is a polarizing film, some labeling it as avant- garde art and others as an incomprehensible, boring, mess. I saw it as a little of both, but it took some time getting used too. 40 minutes into the movie, I had no idea what the hell was going on and I found the visual style to be overbearing. My mind was blown, but not necessarily in a good way. But as the film unfolded, I began to appreciate the strengths. I became attached to the human drama and the visuals become cooler and cooler. By the end of the movie, I liked it, but I still find the first half to be stuffy and unpleasant. So Kazuaki Kiriya showed the world he had talent, but lacked the experience to make a film that was easy on the eyes and easy to follow. That's what interested me about “Goemon”. Would he improve as a filmmaker? Yes. Yes, he has. He's yet to reach his full potential, but he's certainly going in the right direction.

It occurred to me eventually that “Goemon” was about the legend of Goemon...That should've been obvious, really, and it only struck me when I started noticing similarities between this the “Shinobi no Mono” series. Goemon (Yosuke Eguchi) is a master Thief-ninja who acts like a Robin Hood-esque crusader, stealing riches from the wealthy and giving them to the poor. When he steals a mysterious blue box, he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy between multiple lords. These events also reunite him with his former love (interest), Lady Chacha (Ryoko Hirosue) as well as his former friend/now rival Saizo (Takao Osawa). Shit's about to get real complicated. 

 

One thing I notice about Asian CGI-fest spectacles, whether they are good (like “Goemon”) or bad (like “The Storm Warriors”), is that every piece of the frame seems detailed to its fullest. There's always something happening in the background or foreground. The camera angles are designed to support the visuals and the editing seems like its part of them. This means that even when the CGI doesn't look very believable, it's executed with such enthusiasm and passion that it's hard to criticize. Yes, there will be a lot of bad moments, but they tend to be outweighed by the good moments. “Goemon” has a more more agreeable visual style than “Casshern”. It's full of vivid colors, which range from gorgeous to bleak, and Kazuaki Kiriya never really forces them down our throat. I like how the film often lets itself relax, allowing us to take in its beauty. It's stunningly hypnotic and I was constantly amazed with how cool various shot compositions looked.

Unfortunately, like “Casshern”, Kazuaki Kiriya still struggles with the action. There are moments where the action is just as slick as the rest of the movie, but it can't maintain that energy. The action is very 'anime-ish', using flashy editing and CGI with some choreography. This involves characters flickering from sight, a camera that never stops moving around or zooming in/out and people flying around. It does often look very smooth, but other times it becomes incomprehensible. Sometimes it becomes downright obnoxious. Certain fight scenes will have you unsure as to who is doing what, and this can be a distraction.

 

One thing I love about the director is that even though he's yet to fully succeed, he clearly cares about his characters. With a Hollywood production, CGI laden spectacles tend to borrow from the great book of cliches. You're main character is likely going to be a crummy Father whose son hates him for some vague reason. “Goemon” offers nothing new in characterization, but the characters have plenty of quirks that make them multi- dimensional (yes, a cliched term, I know). They all have strengths and weaknesses, and them being 'good' or 'bad' comes down to which side fills out the character more. Another thing I liked is that the plot flows more smoothly than in "Casshern". I knew who everyone was, who they were aligned with and what they were doing. A lot is going on, but I was never confused. Instead, I was completely interested in the films story as well as the films visuals, and I never thought they were at odds with each other. Sometimes, such as with 2008's "Speed Racer", I feel that the visuals distract from the story. But this film never struggled with that.

For 75% of the film, I was convinced I was watching a really good movie, if not a great one. But then the director began to indulge himself a bit too much. He pulls a “The Return of the King” in terms of how many fucking endings this movie needs to have. Seriously, I figured the climax was the boat war. Then I thought it was the castle battle. Then it just kept...going! Because of my growing restlessness, the visual style began to get on my nerves and the drama even more-so. There was just a bit too much style to the visuals, and the drama was reduced to constant scenes of people crying. The director just didn't want this movie to end, and what I liked about it began to become tiresome and old. This is where Kazuaki Kiriya needs improvement. He needs to figure out how far is too far, and “Goemon” went too far. The film didn't need to be over 2 hours, that's for sure.

 

So while “Goemon” ultimately did collapse on its own weight, it at least shows that Kazuaki Kiriya is getting better. He puts just as much effort into fleshing out the characters as he does with his high octane, hyperactive visual style. He took the strengths of “Casshern” and smoothed out the weaknesses. The plot flowed very well, the characters were interesting, and the visuals were stunning. The difference is “Casshern” started off overbearing but eventually found its own greatness. “Goemon” started off great, but eventually became overbearing. I'd still say though that it managed to be a good movie overall. 

Violence: I'm not sure its exact rating, but I'd say light R worthy. There are some splashes of blood.

Nudity: None, although there is the threat of child rape at one point.

Overall: “Goemon” isn't just a visual feast for the eyes, but it also has heart. In fact, it might have too much of both. So check it out, but keep the weaknesses in mind too.


3/4 Stars