Nishimura directs the opening half hour with restraint. And in so doing, he fashions the kind of modest drama one doesn’t expect from him. I enjoyed this section of Kodoku most, before the inevitably loopy SFX are wheeled out. The blend of in-camera, green-screen and CGI effects is an uneven one. Not a bad way to go about things, in theory, but in this case, not especially successful. However, needs must if you’re operating within the low-budget exploitation realm. But what lets the film down most is the poorly conceived, anaemic storyline – and fight scenes that go on way too long. Perhaps if this had been 15 or 20 minutes shorter, it might have held together better.
Despite all the zaniness (first 30 minutes notwithstanding), Nishimura maintains the we’re-all-fucked worldview of the 2005 original. Although, to be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of that film, either.