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MOVIE REVIEW . Tokyo Eleven (aka: Tokyo 10+1)

You know, it’s always a shame to see a fun flick torn apart because of superficial reasons. “The film looks ugly because it was shot on DV. I hate DV. The film wasn’t serious. It looked cheap. The acting wasn’t Shakespeare. The people were too pretty. Others were too ugly”… and on and on and on. It’s even worse when those reasons cited by viewers are purposefully chosen by the filmmaker, and integral to their telling of a tale or conveying a specific mood. It’s happened before with Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, where certain detractors called the film bad because it wasn’t pretty enough. Those of you who have seen it (and I can’t imagine many of you have not) know that the choice of DV over film helped ground the horror of the picture in a very tangible reality, as well as create some ultra frenetic action shots due to the way that consumer grade DV cameras “snatch” at fast motion. Boyle’s choice to go “cheap and ugly” actually increased the power of the film. Sadly, even after that film, the superficial hate rages on. The latest film I’ve come across that has been undeservedly subject to this: Tokyo Eleven (aka: Tokyo 10 + 1), a gonzo action comedy from Higuchinski (Uzumaki).

The basic story of Tokyo Eleven focuses on eleven strangers from various criminal backgrounds assembled in a warehouse and forced to compete in a death-foot-race to the mansion of a wealthy businessman. The winner gains a hefty sum of money, an expunging of his or her criminal record, and the simple right to live. But this is no straightforward death match. Along their race to the finish the 11 will have to face heavily armed henchmen (looking like a cross between those featured in Lupin and Cutie Honey), as well as the nefarious tactics of less ethical participants.

As you can probably tell, Tokyo Eleven is at heart a parody of Kinji Fukasaku’s Battle Royale (one character even mentions that the game’s planner was a fan of Fukasaku), but also goes so far as to parody a long history of Japanese action films, from Yakuza chivalry tales to V-Cinema girls-with-guns action fests. Even American summer blockbusters come under the gun, including The Matrix and Ocean’s 11, the latter from which the film takes its name. Much of the humor requires a basic to solid familiarity with Japanese action films, but the vibe is so joyously irreverent that even the most green J-Cinema enthusiast will find something to enjoy.

Many laughs come in the form of the contestants’ oddball personalities. At the forefront are gambler Ace, a card shark with a flair for the dramatic, Jingi, a chivalry enthusiast who dresses and presents himself in the fashion of classic yakuza, and the two Chinese illegal immigrants, Jasmine and Oolong (played by real life twins and martial arts experts, Miki and Aya Waterhouse), whose every action is perfectly synchronized, be it combat poses or simple introductions. But this is really just a small sample, and excluding the main trio of characters. In fact, every character contributes wholly to the fun, keeping the laughs coming strong and fast. Being that the film is only 70 minutes long, I won’t spoil any of the comedic bits here. However, suffice it to say that it all works to create a surprisingly endearing group of miscreants. And despite the narrative’s parody trappings, when these characters die you are genuinely sad and disappointed to see them go.

But you’re probably wondering about the whole superficial ugly vs pretty criticisms I mentioned at the start of this review. Going along with its parody of V-Cinema films, director Higuchinski opted for cheapie DV cameras, rent-free warehouse and industrial district locales, and a cast of largely unknown actors. It’s worth noting that Higuchinski is not a V-Cinema director. You may in fact remember his ultra glossy and effects heavy Uzumaki from a few years back. In fact, in one sequence parodying the Battle Royale instructional video, Higuchinski brings attention to this fact by making known exactly what quality film he could have if he wanted. His instructional Video Girl is captured on uber-sharp film stock, thus noting and inverting the same juxtaposition of film quality presented in Fukasaku’s film. Basically, my argument is that the director cannot be at fault for the look of his film if said look is completely intentional.

In closing, Tokyo Eleven is a total blast from start to finish. It’s loud, silly, action packed, and a whole lot of fun. Go in with an open mind, and I’m sure you’ll feel the same.

About the Author

Chris Nelson has been a film fanatic since age six. A former film and English major, he is now a Software Engineer and contract Technical Writer living in the Silicon Valley.