MovieChat Forums > Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (1997) Discussion > Iron Man or Body Hammer - Which is best?

Iron Man or Body Hammer - Which is best?

posted 20 years ago by spatookbien
32 replies | jump to latest

I reckon the first Tetsuo film was the best. Evan though the second film has a more established plot (and colour), the first creates such a vivid visual intensity that has a disturbing effect. The second while also being a great film, ultimatly comes across as an action film while the first seemed to represent so much more. The fact that both films end almost identically, and feature the same actors makes me belive that Bodyhammer was meant to be a different interpretation to Iron Man, 2 ways of approaching the metal-fusion aspect of science-fiction.

[–] d3f_0f_3x 19 years ago

Yes, from what I know about it Shinya Tsukamoto intended to re-interpret Testuo: The Iron Man in Bodyhammer, only in a larger scale than the original.

[–] drstevejones 19 years ago

For my money, the larger scale is where Tetsuo II loses its vitality. Iron Man had such personal/close scale inferences to sexuality, depersonalisation/social alienation...i think the allowances of budget watered this down into a sci-fi tale that cannot favourably compare to its larger budgeted American counter-parts, or (more pertinently), the Japanese Manga it aspires to. I didn't think Body Hammer was a BAD film, but Iron Man was a 'no-budget' masterpiece - a true lesson in film-making for the independents. It achieves so much because it is aware of its financial limitations, where Body Hammer, in my opinion, tries to acheive beyond its capability.

[–] grouchomoon 19 years ago

I agree with your points on Tetsuo The Iron Man but still felt at times it was hard to take... despite its genius. Body hammer takes a similar idea and makes it far easier to watch. Personally I like them both... but prefer Body Hammer as I can watch any number of times, in any number of moods... not so with Iron Man.

[–] suz-mal 13 years ago

--I agree with your points on Tetsuo The Iron Man but still felt at times it was hard to take... despite its genius. Body hammer takes a similar idea and makes it far easier to watch. Personally I like them both... but prefer Body Hammer as I can watch any number of times, in any number of moods... not so with Iron Man.--

If that's the case you're looking at the first the wrong way. It wasn't the idea that made it worth watching, it was the films technical aspects. The second is basically a mainstream (almost) remake of the first with a clear Hollywood influence, and with all those genius technical aspects dropped. It's supposed to appeal to a wider audience, but Tsukamoto took out everything that made people watch it in the first place. That's why everybody hated it. The idea is just plain retarded, and the themes are explored better in the first. Also, your argument suggests that you didn't actually like the first, you're just conforming a little so you don't get berated. Clearly you didn't get the first.

...by the way, I didn't post this with a condescending or angry voice. I hate these boards because people often think you're being grouchy when you're not. Don't get offended about the statement of you not getting it. I'm just assuming since you liked the second more, because that really is the only way one could. It's not subjective, either. The first is a landmark art film that is loved if perceived the right way; the second is neither art nor mainstream, and just falls somewhere in between. This in between area is the filmic equivalent of a wannabe. Hacks who imitate auteur's generally fall in this area (Southland Tales is the only example I can think of right now, but I'm sure there are *beep* more)

[–] King-Mob 19 years ago

iron man

[–] sspacejesus 19 years ago

Definitely Iron Man. I don't really care for Body Hammer all that much.

[–] King-Grim 19 years ago

I prefer the dirty, rough feel of the first film - it seems to have more vitality and style. Body Hammer is a great movie, though, and if somebody asks about the Tetsuo films, I'd direct them there first.

[–] zombiebloodfeast 19 years ago

For me Iron man was best for 2 reasons.

- The intense style, imagery, and rough feel of the the movie. The dark industrial mood set with sounds of metal scraping and such just drew me in.

- THE METAL FETISHIST!!!!!!!
So I really have to explain that one?

[–] BebopMonkey-1 18 years ago

Iron Man all the way.

We cant stop here, this is Bat Country!

[–] iscream22 18 years ago

I used to be really hardcore about Iron Man. I LOVED that movie. But now that ive seen Body Hammer, i enjoy that one better. Mainly because it seems more Sci-Fi/Comic Bookish than Iron Man. Iron Man seems to be more of a David-Lynchish movie.
I still love Iron Man, but Body Hammer wins in my book.

ISCREAM22 HAS SPOKEN!!

[–] hellblaster_666 18 years ago

At first I liked Body Hammer more but now I like Iron Man better.
It's the only movie I've seen that has disturbed me

[–] theskum 18 years ago

Agreed with above. When i first saw BH i thought it was superior. Now, honestly, i think BH is slow, boring, and unmemorable. No wonder it's so hard to find.

[–] SickMinder 18 years ago

^
Exactly how I feel/felt.

[–] humanity_is_cancer 18 years ago

I just finished watching BH for the first time and I have to say Iron Man still wins hands down. First of all, Iron Man had non-stop goings on from beginning to end and not to mention the soundtrack was absoutly stunning while BH's was rather slow and dare I say boring. also, the B&W gave the gritty, dark, and personal feel everyone had come to experience. Iron man was just so unorthodox and that is why it has become my favorite film yet BH, although has goings on, its nothing I found really interesting until the end, and even that didnt live up to expectations.

something ive noticed though, Yatsu sports the same clothes (with the 'X' on the chest) as the Metal Fetishist does, although their different characters in the movie, their both played by Tsukamoto and the overall emotion of him was the same, that kind of confused me, I was almost expecting Tomoo to remember the events in the first film or something like that.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] zombiebloodfeast 17 years ago

You know, I have to say, you managed to simply state why you liked the movie in a way I can grasp.
Thinking about the movie from that perspective, I see why one might like BH more, it definitely is more comic book styled, due to the coloring and such, I almost now wonder if that was part of the intent?

So nice to see this thread didnt fall into a bunch of people calling eachother morns because of their opinion.
Not that I am not guilty myself at times.

[–] tali1 11 years ago

Iron Man.
Body Hammer is a 1/10 movie

Hey Witchdoctor, give us the magic words.
ooh ee ooh ah ah, ting tang wallawallabingba

[–] juveniledelinquentk 18 years ago

The Iron Man with flying colors

[–] avenged_sevenfold_666 18 years ago

i definatly have greater respect for ironman than for Body hammer, because of what it did for japanese cinema, but because boody hammer is an acompniment to the first film and was not trying to be a sequel i think they can only be treated equal

[–] davebamford94 18 years ago

The second film does have a more followable plot, yeah, but i definitely preferred Iron Man just because it seemed far more surreal, the way it was filmed was more erratic, there was more of a sense of urgency about the first one. In Body Hammer i didn't really give a sh!t whether the son lived or died. Didn't capture me as much, not as original....Nah. Was alright. Plus i think the transition to colour didn't help. It was trying to be Terminator in Japanese. Plus ppl have to recognise, it's not a sequel but a COMPANION PIECE, so it's not really a question of one being better than the other, it's a case of looking at the two as part of the same film.

Dave :-)

[–] My_Abstract_Self 18 years ago

Most mainstream viewers would say Bodyhammer, Ive got to say Iron Man, however if Bodyhammer was done in B&W then my opinion might be different,,,,,,,,............

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] crappydoo 17 years ago

Body Hammer's plot has, in a way, killed the film. The writer/director's desire to make the movie more palatable for its audience has a counter-productive effect. This movie, like Iron Man, has a surreal essence which does not require any explanation since it is left to the imagination of the audience member to form his/her own opinion.

Iron Man managed to do this and as a result the movie feels more personal. Simply by having a plot, Body Hammer attempts to spoonfeed the audience some pre-determined emotions and feelings. This makes it feel more distant due to the lack of space for individual interpretation. As a result, I do not like it as much as I do Iron Man.

David Lynch's Eraserhead and Bunuel's Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'Or are open to multiple interpretations and are therefore classics, as Iron Man is too.

[–] zbyszanna 16 years ago

I agree with the first part of your statement. I don't agree with second one though.
I don't think that director spoonfeed the audience with anything but I agree there is not much place for interpretation though. It should be taken as it is, so it is kind of an easier film (I can watch BH anytime and I cannot say the same about IM - that is a piece of hardcore (for me at least)). I just like them both. For me the IM is masterpiece and BH is just great ;)