The ace cop of a totalitarian police force and a drifting android play their parts in a post-apocalyptic society. They are destined to fight. Their encounter will change them forever.
What we have here is Miike going full-on Miike, letting his absurd vision overtake any attempt at a rational film. Some may appreciate that. For me, other than that funky saxophone player, I find it to be a waste of just about everyone's time. The film is rife with references to "Blade Runner", "The Matrix", "Brave New World" and others -- sometimes not so subtle. And although this is allegedly the 2300s, no attempt is made to make it look anything different from the year 2000. Which means, watching it in 2017, it already seems silly and dated.
Tom Mes sums up his thoughts on the movie by saying it is "too much of an in-joke and not enough of a fully developed film." Deferring to the master, I would have to agree. Miike pumped out many video releases over the years, and continues to do so. Because of his prolific activity, some of the movies come out half-baked. This is one of them. Really for the die-hard fan only.
Although Arrow Video had Tom Mes record commentary for all three "Black Society" films and the first "Dead or Alive", he mysteriously does not provide commentary on parts two and three of "Dead or Alive". In fact, the special features seem to be primarily focused on the first film, which is a bit of a shame (even if we can all agree it is the most iconic of the series).
What we have here is Miike going full-on Miike, letting his absurd vision overtake any attempt at a rational film. Some may appreciate that. For me, other than that funky saxophone player, I find it to be a waste of just about everyone's time. The film is rife with references to "Blade Runner", "The Matrix", "Brave New World" and others -- sometimes not so subtle. And although this is allegedly the 2300s, no attempt is made to make it look anything different from the year 2000. Which means, watching it in 2017, it already seems silly and dated.
Tom Mes sums up his thoughts on the movie by saying it is "too much of an in-joke and not enough of a fully developed film." Deferring to the master, I would have to agree. Miike pumped out many video releases over the years, and continues to do so. Because of his prolific activity, some of the movies come out half-baked. This is one of them. Really for the die-hard fan only.
Although Arrow Video had Tom Mes record commentary for all three "Black Society" films and the first "Dead or Alive", he mysteriously does not provide commentary on parts two and three of "Dead or Alive". In fact, the special features seem to be primarily focused on the first film, which is a bit of a shame (even if we can all agree it is the most iconic of the series).