Big Man Japan

This movie is great, but I must admit it is VERY Japanese... which isn't a bad thing. There are a lot of cameos and Japanese references that I know I missed, but the film really is a work of art. I began watching with somewhat low expectations (watching mostly for a few laughs at Japanese culture) but what I got was no mere cheap-frills comedy.The story starts off in a interview/mockumentary style, and much of the comedy in the first part of the movie is a little bit hard to catch. The character development seems almost a little dark, and you really feel bad for our main hero, Big Man Japan himself. You learn a lot about why he does what he does, and it's a real play on the human nature of sticking to what we know and fearing change.It almost seems like a serious movie up until you see the first monster. This is where the movie gets GREAT!All of the monsters are creative and hilarious. I won't spoil any of them for you, and I recommend you watch the movie without looking up any videos about it beforehand, as seeing the monsters in the context of the movie really adds to the humor of it. Any fans of Godzilla or Japanese media such as myself will know what these monsters are parodying. It's a nice laugh after seeing so many giant monsters being taken so seriously by other Japanese media. The monsters in this movie really make it worth the watch.Unlike most Japanese monster flicks that I have seen, this movie uses CGI for its monsters. I am not a fan of CGI myself, a reason that I have always admired the modern Godzilla films that use latex and makeup, but this movie I forgive because the monsters are so well done. It doesn't look like a big budget $22 million Michael Bay CGI film (which I still say looks cheap compared to classic effects), but it has its own own charm.If you find the beginning of the movie boring, don't quit watching until you get to the first monster scene. It is not too long into the movie, and trust me, you should be hooked after that.A few people have complained about the ending, which again, I will not ruin. All I will say is that it is not expected, and I find it to be one of the greatest endings of a comedy I have ever seen.CONCLUSION:This movie is a comedy, but it is not a comedy that takes itself to seriously like most comedies from the US. It is not for everybody (the reason for the 4 stars instead of 5.. it's five stars in my book), but anybody who is interested in Japanese media should give it a shot. The monsters in the movie are a real treat, and I found myself excited to see the next one. The story line changes style a few times throughout the movie, but there is humor in each transition. This movie is a really fun watch.

Originally I saw this film on cable shortly after its release. It is a whole lot of weird with a distinctly non-American pace. The first 20 minutes of the film are dedicated to faux cinema verite of some random Japanese man, suffering from ignominy and contempt. It's the price you pay for the next hour of massive weirdness, Japanese monster movie style.There are a few things that are different in this version than the one I recall. The 'unknown origin' boss monster had tats and indicators of exactly where he was from originally (I think). It was another SE Asian country. The final fight scene seems longer than originally (possibly because prior film was deemed too politically insensitive). There is some anti-American sentiment in some scenes but there's plenty of merciless observation of other cultures too. It's a totally different perspective.

So...I watched this way back in the day when DVDs were still being shipped fro Netflix and found it fascinating.The story is as old as time: being a hero is not all its cracked up to be.Remember The Incredibles where society turned on its saviors? How about Frankenstein's monster who should have been a triumph of life over death..but he got killed by the public. How about the crucifixion of Jesus? How about the love and adoration for Harvey Weinstein that suddenly evaporated?In the case of Big Man Japan, he is just a victim of a snowflake world where the comfort created by his work and the work of all the 'Big Men' before him makes the public blind to his efforts.

Big Man Japan is a mockumentary following the life of a man who grows 20 stories tall to save Japan from giant monster attacks ala Godzilla.The grand irony of all this, as other reviewers have pointed out, is that while he's called Big Man Japan, he's a very small person. He lives in poverty, the broadcasts of his fights air at 2am to low ratings, his wife left him and is embarassed to let thier daughter be around him, the people he protects find him more of a bother than a hero, and his agent takes advantage of him. Its an interesting commentary on how fame doesn't assure a person of glory or riches, as well as an interesting way of showing how people sometimes cling to dying tradtions because they don't know where else to turn to.The humor in most of this film is found in the awkward and defeating circumstances BMJ is often in. In this respect it reminded me of the UK version of the Office, its very VERY dry. The situations were so awkward and depressing that I didn't really laugh out loud all that much, but upon thinking about it later it was funnier in retrospect. Your experience may vary, but that's about how it was for me with the UK Office too. Some of it is really funny looking back, but dry enough to be uncomfortable in the moment.The monster fights, on the other hand, are completely absurd and insane. They are rendered in (I assume intentionally) cheesey, low budget CGI. Its used to excellent effect in just smacking you upside the head with their weirdness. I'd liken them to more of a sketch comedy styled parody of giant monster battles, and it makes for quite a contrast with the extremely dry humor found in the live action sequences.Some have complained that they didn't get the movie and needed to be more "in the know" with what its making fun of. I disagree. I don't think a person has to have an intimate knowledge of the giant monster sub-genre of Japanese cinema, they just have to know that it exists; that for a period of time it was trendy to feature movies where men in rubber monster suits fought each other. Really, if you've seen more than one Godzilla or Gamera movie, or caught a few episodes of Ultra-Man or the Power Rangers as a kid, you'll have all you need to "get" what this movie is trying to do.Overall, I liked the film, but there are two key areas where I thought it could've been better. First off, the pace. This movie could've been 20 minutes shorter and not have lost a single joke. As is, it drags quite a bit. Overall, the dryness of the humor and the slower pace makes the movie's puchline of an ending hit quite a bit harder, as it is a DRASTIC change in tone (I laughed myself silly the first time I saw it, and you will too, provided you've seen either Ultra-Man or the Power Rangers), but it could have been just as effective had they cut more of the dead space leading up to the good scenes.Secondly, I thought BMJ himself could've been made a bit more sympathetic of a character. We feel like his life is sad, but there are a few times where he just flat-out lies to the camera crew or acts a little bit like a jerk to them, and it takes away from his likeability. Like the pacing issue, a few small edits were all we needed to change this, and he would've been a much more sympathetic character as a result, we would've had a much stronger desire to see him succeed.THE BOTTOM LINE: An interesting, if somewhat flawed film. It was definitely an original concept, and I enjoyed it, even if it was a bit on the slow side.

Great movie

es un genio de la creación audiovisul de vanguardia y su primer titulo es una obra maestra que ha continuadao con otros mas

I really wanted to love this film, but I didn't.It is not without merit, and my wife and I quite liked the first 3 quarters of the film, but the ending, and the overall feel of the film was slightly disappointing. It is like a failed artistic experiment. I commend the filmmaker's courage in making it, but I understand why it was not a commercial or critical success (though I believe it was better reviewed outside Japan - I read some favorable reviews from the U.S., and my French friend said that it was very well received in France ... that Hitoshi Matsumoto san is being thought of as something like Takeshi Kitano, in terms of artistic genius).I recommend "Zebraman" for people who like the idea of Big Man Japan (unlikely super hero set in modern Japan). That film does for Power Ranger type shows, what Big Man Japan attempted to do with Godzilla-style monster flicks(i.e., use iconic fantasy images as a vehicle for social satire), and with more successful results. (Big Man Japan also has a bit of Power Ranger / Ultraman thing going on, especially at the end).That being that, if you are tempted by the description of the story, I say buy it, or rent it, and give it a try. You may be one of the folks who laud Matsumoto as a genius. It should lead to some interesting discussions with your friends at the very least. To be honest, I can imagine you (the perceived potential viewer) saying, OMG that was the worst movie ever, or OMG what a creative and weird little film, I wonder what it means!?!Things to keep in mind ... it is not a superhero movie, no matter what the poster or trailers might lead you to believe. Some people have called it the "Japanese Hancock" -- this is inaccurate in my opinion. Hancock, though touching on social commentary and satire, was pretty much a special effects laden superhero action comedy. (The one true similarity is that the endings of both films disappointed me). Big Man Japan is a very slow moving social satire of modern Japanese life, loss of perception (by individuals, and as a culture) of what is important in life, and the hopeless desperation of the main character, "Big Sato". The superhero / monster aspect is a vehicle for the satire. It might have worked better if Matsumoto had just made a movie about a sad every-man, and left out the science fiction / supernatural stuff (I am a fan of both, it just may not have been needed here).It is very slow. I know I said that in the last paragraph, but it is worth repeating. My wife studied film making in college, and she really liked the first half of the film. It sucked her in, the long scenes, the fidgety manner and evasive answers that were shown by the main character ... she liked it a lot. I "got it", but I was not quite as enthralled. Maybe it is best for film students. :)It is a mockumentary ... so it is filled with fake interviews of the main and supporting characters. If you like that kind of thing, it might be a good fit for you. If you hated Spinal Tap (and this is no Spinal Tap), this is not a film that you are likely to take to.If you suffer from sympathy embarrassment, i.e., you walk out of the room when you see someone doing something incredibly awkward and embarrassing on TV, this movie might be hard to watch. The main character's family and agent treat him with heartbreaking disdain, and he is in denial of it. The pathos is very thick.

As a huge fan of Kaiju and Tokusatsu-Hero cinema, I had to check this film out. The film itself is not what I expected but I was definitely pleasantly surprised. As a quick overview, the film is presented primarily as a comedy mocku-mentary focussing on a man who can grow to gigantic heights when electrocuted, who defends Japan from giants monsters.The film has two very distinctive styles blending together. First and foremost, there is the documentary segments in which a film crew follow the central character during his everyday life as he talks about his life, his past and his struggles. These segments are genuinely fascinating and ultimately very "Human", they convey a range of emotion and are at times very heart breaking. Listening to this man talk about his very real problems and experiences gripped me and drew me in to the point where I would forget I was watching a film about a man who fights monsters.The second style comes in to play with the monster battle segments. These segments are very reminiscent of movies and shows like Ultraman and Showa era Godzilla. However, these outlandish and comical battles are lathered in deeply unsettling undertones. I find it hard to describe exactly what it is about these segments that I find so unsettling but I'm sure all who have seen this film will understand what I mean.Overall I went into this film expecting a silly satire on the Kaiju genre and while I did indeed get that, I also got so much more. What I got from this film was a deeply engaging story about a real man with some very real problems and a very bizarre occupation.

Of all of the superhero movies of the last 10 years, I like ones that tend to give a more honest and human portrayal (in other words, not being full of good intentions or not protected from flimsy silly mistakes) such as Hellboy or Iron Man. But the one "superhero" movie of the last 10 years that I thought is not only the most entertaining, but also one of the most intelligent, is Big Man Japan.I watched this with my family and friends a couple of years at a time and every time we watch it the film never fails to amuse both new viewers and those who already seen it. Despite the film's slow pace based on its partial mocumentary format, we always find something to laugh at ranging from super crazy weird creatures to sexual innuendos in dialogue, jokes on corporate sponsored entertainment and the artificiality of superhero movies that is upon us for decades, some jokes on politics and propaganda, and its ending is where I've always seen viewers burst into tears of laughter, it's kind of like Monty Python.A letdown for this DVD is that it has no special features. Magnolia Pictures in America has released its edition which is complete with deleted scenes and making of documentary. So come on DVD dudes, get those extras in the UK.