Ichi The Killer

Reviewed by Drav3n

Format: Blu-ray

Release: Feb 23, 2010

Rated: Unrated

Runtime: 128 Minutes

"Takashi Miike has given modern cinema the adrenaline shot that it so desperately needed" - Eli Roth

The Movie:

As you can see from the box art, this is exactly the disc you want to bring home and watch on "family fun night." Ok, maybe not. But seriously, with box art like that, wouldn't that intrique you to pick it up and take a look at the back and see what it's about? I know I would be intrigued. Now also take into consideration I am a huge fan of foreign cinema and I do honestly believe that most Americans are missing out on some amazing movies that have been made all because of the fact that they don't want to have to watch a movie in another language and pay attention to subtitles.

This 2001 Japanese film is directed by Takashi Miike (Audition, One Missed Call) and is based on the manga of the same name. The movie focuses on Kakihara, the bleached-blonde sadomasochist with the glasgow smile, as he is on the search for, what he appears to believe, his kidnapped boss, who was actually murdered earlier on. And to get the answers he will do whatever it takes; even doing the most sadistic things imaginable.

It turns out that an old man, Jijii, is secretly arranging these events to turn yakuza groups against each other. Jijii has also taken this kid, Ichi, under his wing. Now Ichi is your stereotypical nerdy and cowardly kid that was probably the bully's number one choice in school, however, when he gets infuriated he becomes homicidal. You will learn alot about Ichi's messed up past.

Once Kakihara learns of Ichi and his ways, he becomes interested and wants to find him. This eventually leads to a showdown between the two, but with some plot twists to happen along the way that will leave viewers in shock. The end of the movie is the real strong point and leaves it to interpretation by the viewer.

I will be the first to admit that a movie like this will not be for everyone. Once you come to the opening sequence, I think that will be your make-it-or-break-it point. No spoilers, but the opening sequence involves a scene of violent rape and voyeuristic masturbation.

To say this movie is over-the-top is still not enough. There are plenty of scenes that will cause stomach churning. There is no shortage of shocking moments when watching this film. People that enjoy torture, gore and over-the-top violence will love this film! I'm not even sure how to classify this film besides using the word unique. Maybe fantasy violence? Again, this is based on a manga, and some of the death scenes are almost that of a live-action cartoon.

The film has seen its fair share of controversy. At the premiere of the movie they handed out barf bags because of the amount of violence and blood. Britain refused to release the film until it was cut. For Hong Kong, 15 minutes was cut. And surprisingly in the US, we actually got lucky and were given the uncut(unrated) treatment. This movie is what inspired Eli Roth with his movie, Hostel, and it also influenced Quentin Tarantino with certain scenes and aspects in his movie, Kill Bill (and once you watch this movie, you will easily see where he was inspired).

With a film like this, there is always something going on. Therefore, it's easy to start getting lost if you stop paying attention even for a few seconds. Critics have deemed this movie as "One of the most violent and gruesome movies of all-time." Don't believe it? Watch it and decide for yourself!

Presentation:

This film is presented in a really underwhelming 1080p transfer with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. This transfer is an improvement over the dvd, but not by much at all. The film does look clean, but overall the image is very soft and lacks depth and detail. There were very few scenes that stood out. Out of all the movies that I have seen on blu-ray, I wouldnt say this is the worst looking, that award goes to Van Wilder and The Girl Next Door, but sadly it is the worst looking one in my collection.

Audio:

The English and Japanese Dolby Digital Surround 5.1 tracks have been carried over along with the English and Japanese TrueHD 2.0. The one thing that bothered me with the audio on the dvd with the apparent increase in volume during the torture scenes, and that issue is still present on the TrueHD tracks as well. Atleast the audio is clear and the sound effects sound fantastic. Now I can't say the same for the English audio tracks because I can't justify watching a foreign film in a dubbed track. I prefer to listen to the way it's meant to br heard and I'll turn the subtitles on.

Bonus Material:

All of the bonus features that were originally included on the dvd's "Collector's Blood Bag" edition have been ported over to this release.

• Audio Commentary - Featuring director Takashi Miike and manga artist Hideo Yamamoto
• Interviews (480p) - There are six interviews conducted with producer Dai Miyazaki (18:35), actor Tadanobu Asano (6:12), actor Nao Omori (6:11), actor Sabu (5;21), actor Shinya Tsukamoto (5:18), and with both actors Sabu and Tsukamoto (22:00).
• Eli on Ichi (480p, Runtime 7:11) - A short featurette featuring horror film director Eli Roth. He talks about his first time seeing Ichi the Killer, how this was an influence for Roth making Hostel, Miike's cameo in Hostel, the opening sequence in this movie which he feels even tops the movie "Seven," and more. He even mentioned how he had his make-up person turn him into a zombie version of Kikihara for the premeire of Cabin Fever. Definitely worth checking out.
• "Memories of Ichi" The making of Ichi The Killer (480p, Runtime 48:53) - A nice long and informative look at the making of the movie. Shows how alot of the fight, stunts and death scenes were shot. Also nice to see that Miike tried to stay as true to the manga as much as he could. Very entertaining
• Ichi Gallery (480p, Runtime 2;17) - short feature that shows some of the production stills
• "The Cult of Ichi" (480p, Runtime 10:21) - Stephen Bissette (illustrator of Swamp Thing), Barbara Nedeljakova (actress in Hostel), Lucky McKee (director of May), Scott Spiegel (writer of Evil Dead 2), Jack Ketchum (author of The Girl Next Door) and others share their thoughts and feelings on the film.
• Theatrical Trailer (480p, Runtime 1:45)

Bottom Line:

Fans have been waiting for this blu-ray since it was announced for release in 2009. After a year of delays, it's finally arrived but it doesn't deliver as expected. Don't get me wrong, the movie is fantastic and I can't praise it enough, but the presentation isn't what we have come to expect with these HD transfers. The audio is still good, and the special features are well worth watching. If you already have this on dvd, there isn't a reason to upgrade. For first time buyers it will probably come down to the cost between the two versions, should they decide to pick this up.