MovieChat Forums > Ryû ga gotoku: Gekijô-ban (2010) Discussion > Too much going on

Too much going on

posted 16 years ago by Viderum
2 replies | jump to latest

Now, this was a valiant, but a potentially overly ambition adaption. I am a big fan of the game, and was excited to see a bid budget adaption. My problem isn't so much about it being an adaption, it's how it adapts. I'll admit the scenes with Kazuma were excellent, and perhaps the best part of the movie. Although since Kazuma is suppose to be the main character, why is he only in maybe 50% at best of the movie? Also, why did they feel the need to include several subplots (side stories) from the game. Not to mention the lack of for some people a much needed back story provided.

Instead, why not just focus on Kazuma? I could understand one or two, but it just seemed like so much was going on as if I was watching three different movies mixed together while hoping the good one comes back on.

[–] illeatyourdog 16 years ago

Coming from the perspective of one who has not played the game, I can wholeheartily agree. The film really was schitzchofrenic. One half of the film is all about stylistic coolness that is not necessarily based in reality, while the other half is a somber melodrama that almost enforces reality on to you. The other thing that confused me, probably becuase I did not play the game, why did they keep returning to the bank robbery? Don't get me wrong, the bank robbery scenes were more in tune with the scenes featuring Kazuma and his brother but it seemed like after it was established that the money was no longer in the bank, the relevance the bank robbery had went away.

This is really ashame becuase Kazuma and his brother really were, in and of themselves regardless if they came from a game or were an original creation of the writer, interesting and fun characters. Not to mention that whenever they were in the same scene, you knew a fight would break out. It would have been more entertainng and funny if they kept on running into each but before they could finish the fight they got interrupted by other rival yakuza whom also wanted to fight Kazuma.

The only other thing that confused me was the character that Kazuma fought at the end. Who the hell is he and why does he pop out of nowhere? Perhaps if I played the game it would make a little more sense but it just seemed unnecessary to introduce another nemesis of Kazuma at the very end whom we know nothing about. This final fight was cool and all but, why couldn't this fight have been with Kazuma's brother? I mean, considering the myraid of character that are already in the film the last thing that needed to be done was to introduce one more whose only purpose is to get the crap kicked out of.

All that aside, it was still a very enjoyable film mainly due to the Goro's performance and the fun and frenetic, if brief, fight scenes. I honestly hope Miike makes a sequal that is a bit more focused.

Instead of a hitlist, I have a Do NOt Kill List . . . . . so far no one is on it.

[–] Viderum 16 years ago

It's been awhile, but the guy with the eye patch is a rival gang member. The other guy with the fish tattoo was his adoptive brother.