Tokyo Tribe (Blu-ray / DVD)
Todd Rigney
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Starring Ryohei Suzuki, Young Dais, Nana Seino, Ryuta Sato, Shoko Nakagawa, Mika Kano, Kubozuka, Riki Takeuchi, Takuya Ishida, Shunsuke Daito, and Yui Ichikawa
Directed by Sion Sono
Distributed by XLrator
Even if you despise acclaimed filmmaker Sion Sono’s Tokyo Tribe with every freckle of misguided hatred that you can possibly muster, you can’t deny that the flick is easily one of the most unique Japanese motion pictures to arrive in quite some time. After all, it’s not every day that we encounter a flick that combines hyper-stylized action, zany science fiction, over-the-top camp, garish sets, and surprisingly catchy hip-hop music with an ease that suggests these elements were always destined to work together on the big screen. Not only did I have a ridiculous amount of fun with Tokyo Tribe, I suspect it will be a very long time before some of film’s tunes completely vacate my skull. And I don’t know Japanese.
I’ll be brutally honest: Sono’s kooky rap-oriented actioner won’t impress everyone, but that seems to be the case with the majority of his work. In fact, Tribe is bound to alienate folks who simply cannot stand to listen to hip-hop for even a split second. However, if you put your hatred for the genre on the proverbial shelf for around two hours, you’ll experience a mesmerizing movie unlike anything in recent memory. It’s visually rich, sonically appealing, and a ridiculous amount of fun. I can’t say that enough — this movie is crazy fun. As such, it’s definitely a bit lighter than most of Sono’s efforts.
Unfolding like a bizarro cross between West Side Story, The Warriors, Krush Groove, and Takashi Miike’s more flamboyant yakuza output, Tokyo Tribe presents its blood-soaked gangland tale almost entirely in verse. Although there are moments when the heroes and villains aren’t dropping serious rhymes, you’ll discover that most of the dialogue is essentially one rap lyric after another. At first, it’s a little hard to digest, but once you’ve made it through the flick’s delirious opening sequence, it becomes much easier to handle. Again, assuming that you can handle 120 minutes of Japanese hip-hop music. Unfortunately, this could be a deal breaker for a lot of prospective viewers, and it’s completely understandable. If I wasn’t a Sono fan, I would have probably rolled my eyes.
The story jumps around a bit (after all, it’s one of the ludicrous gangland tales filled with double crosses and what-not), but here’s the story in a nutshell: Set in a futuristic version of Tokyo that seems completely controlled by rhyme-dropping gangsters with a penchant for incredibly tight beats and lavish hip-hop clothing, one high-minded career criminal decides to join forces with the murderous and decidedly deranged Buppa (Riki Takeuchi) by igniting a war between the various tribes sprinkled across the city — think The Warriors with modern taste in fashion. The end result is an all-out rap-oriented war on the streets of Tokyo, which, given Sono’s penchant for hyper violence, delivers enough mind-melting action that should keep you satisfied for weeks.
Although Sono’s taste for bloodshed isn’t nearly as insatiable as Why Don’t You Play in Hell, Tokyo Tribe still manages to deliver enough of the red stuff to keep hardcore action junkies glued to the screen in-between the flick’s numerous hip-hop-infused showdowns and Riki Takeuchi’s desire to chew every bit of scenery he can get his hands on. Those familiar with the actor’s work know that he has a tendency to tilt his performances toward the extreme end of unbridled cinematic absurdity. Nothing in his filmography comes close to the level of insanity Takeuchi delivers in Tokyo Tribe. Forget Battle Royale II, Deadly Outlaw Rekka, or the Dead or Alive series — the guy is striving for new heights with his role. It’s both utterly hypnotic and tiring at the same time. It’s damn-near surreal.
If you’re a fan of Sion Sono’s work, I don’t have to sell you on Tokyo Tribe — you’re probably already on board. Fans of peculiar Japanese cinema will no doubt find plenty to love here, as the film offers an array of dazzling action set pieces, plenty of Sono-drenched violence, and Riki Takeuchi proving yet again that he’s one of the most underrated character actors working in Japan today. However, the rest of the world may not be ready for Tokyo Tribe’s inherent weirdness. It’s a difficult recommendation to make, particularly when it comes to the film’s musical nature. I want people to love Tribe, and I’ll gladly jump on a soap box anytime someone attempts to tear the film down. That said, I can understand if folks can’t get past the rap songs and the unchecked flamboyance to appreciate everything Sono and his talented cast and crew strived to create. If you can keep an open mind and allow the movie to work its magic, you’ll soon understand why Tokyo Tribe will never die.
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Film
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