Disney has a long history of buying up other films to buffer their own catalog. Sometimes it works out great- the series of Miyazaki films such as Spirited Away, etc. Of course, they have also stolen movies- such as The Lion King. Amongst all of these works, one film was released here and, let's just say it got a little attention for its content. Is the film as bad as they say or is it much ado about nothing? Find out in my review of...
I honestly was not that bothered by the movie, even going into the movie looking for the 'controversial stuff.' Of course, I sat through Cannibal Holocaust, so not much fazes me. You may be different.
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The movie is about a clan of Tanuki. For those of you who don't know, Tanuki are an integral part of Japanese culture. They are shape-shifting animals that resemble raccoons. For all of those idiots who go 'How come Raccoon Cap Mario turns into a statue' can all go to hell. It's not a Raccoon Cap! Other than that nerdy aside, this is important plot information.
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The plot spans many seasons but has one integral theme: humans are assholes. The humans are constantly trying to build houses over the creatures' land. The beasts, naturally, have only one option: mess with the humans. They either wreck their equipment, scare them or allow them to die in accidents. This just feels like a kid's film, huh?
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Here is the big controversy about the movie: the Tanuki have visible balls. There- I said it. Much like naked Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen, it is not accentuated for effect or highlighted at all. Well, there is the scene where one of them turns their balls into a bridge. First off, ow! Second, major ow! For all of you that may get bothered by this, I choose to let this ancient artwork speak for me.
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*The movie gets pretty weird. The Tanuki spend lots of time integrating with humans, drinking energy drinks to deal with the physical strain of it. At one point, they try to scare the humans away with a giant show of transformation. This comes in the form of a parade of giant creatures. Somehow, a giant parade of floats tends to please the humans instead. Ah well, at least dozens of you did not die because of this plan. Oh, you did? Well, good job.
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This movie is just plain odd. Not everything translates well into English from Japanese. Of course, that goes the other way as well. I don't think that they really get Rambo or Die Hard. People trapped in a building? That's daily life for them. Is this a good movie for kids? Well, maybe for older ones who want to see something unique. The story is a bit lazily paced and in love with the setting for most kids, I think. Now, if the kid likes Watership Down, that may be another story.
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You want to know how the alien saga ends? You're sad, but I'll appease you. Stay tuned...
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