Search - Kikujiro on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Adult Language, Adult Humor Movie Release: 1999 DVD Release: 12/12/2000 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: Japanese Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 56 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Members Wishing: 9 Genres: Comedy Drama, Road Movie, Coming-of-Age, Odd Couple Film

After the success of Hana-Bi (1997), Takeshi Kitano, or 'Beat' Takeshi, as he is often called, made another film in which once again he is the director, screenwriter, editor, the leading player and the talent behind the art work. Unlike many of his films about the violent lives of the yakuza, Kikujiro is a bittersweet road movie about two characters who have very little in common. Masao (Yusuke Sekiguchi) is a sensitive nine-year-old boy who has to spend his summer vacation alone with his grandmother. Soccer practice is suspended and all his friends are away at the beach. In his boredom, he decides to look for the mother he has never met; with only a photo, an address, and very little money, this does not seem like a good idea. A friend of his grandmother's volunteers to send her husband along. The problem is that the irresponsible, loudmouthed, and greedy Kikujiro (Kitano), a low-level yakuza, is hardly the ideal companion for a child. He does not even like children. Starting with the excursion to the cycle races, this mismatched couple goes through a fanciful journey full of oddball characters and pleasant surprises. The best surprise of all is to discover how much they have in common. By the end of the journey, sullen Masao gains the sense of magic that had been missing from his life. As for Kikujiro, he now has a better understanding of who he is and what has been wrong with his life, although it takes a child to make him realize this. Kitano has declared that his own father, who passed away when he was a little boy, was the inspiration for the character of Kikujiro. The man was a house painter, carpenter, and master of traditional Japanese dance, but also a gambler who let his family down on many occasions. Another Japanese director, Makoto Shinozaki of Okaeri fame, has made Jam Session, a feature-length documentary on the making of Kikujiro. In competition at the 52nd Cannes Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide

Beat Takeshi Kitano - Kikujiro
Yusuke Sekiguchi - Masao
Kayoko Kishimoto - Kikujiro's wife
Yûko Daike - Masao's mother
Kazuko Yoshiyuki - Masao's grandmother

Sony Pictures Classics deserves a commendation for the wonderful widescreen anamorphic transfer of Kikujiro. It is obvious that a lengthy amount of time was spent perfecting the image clarity and colors of this film. The vivid red colors during the dream sequence and the bright uniforms of the bikers stand out as only a few of the numerous memorable visual moments. There are virtually no technical defects on this disc, and although it doesn't achieve reference quality, it certainly comes close. =Kikujiro's Dolby Digital 2.0 transfer also works wonderfully to help set the scenes for Masao and Kikujiro's adventures. The elegant piano score moves well through both channels and adds to the richness of the film. The music is remarkably clear and well-defined, and it combines nicely with the background sounds of the film. While a 5.1 channel mix would have been a nice addition, the audio transfer does stand strongly on this disc. Unfortunately, the few extras contained on this disc are barely worthy of mention. The cast section includes information on only one person, Takeshi Kitano. This text is provided in list form, without any structure or flow. The only other features are "bonus trailers" for Brazil's Central Station and Johnny Mnemonic -- which features Kitano. ~ Dan Heaton, All Movie Guide