Are you ready for some seriously-crazy shit?!? Today's film is Mutant Girls Squad, a film I've been waiting for (thanks to Netflix) for quite a while. I don't entirely blame them, as these wacky Import films are a tricky thing. After a film is made and released overseas, there is the usual 'wait for the DVD' stuff. On top of that, someone with National distribution has to buy up the rights, make a Dub and/or Subtitle track for it & then convince Netflix to actually distribute it. Regardless, the movie is here and it is glorious. If you don't know much about Japanese Gonzo Cinema (see Robo-Geisha, The Machine Girl, etc), I can make this simple. Three up-and-coming Japanese Directors- of previous Gonzo films- teamed up to make one crazy-ass one together. The result is a film about a battle between mutant girls (think crazy limbs, not optic blasts) and a harsh, Japanese Government seeking biological purity. The only real strike against the movie (for me) is that there are quite a few re-occurring visual gags/concepts from their other films. Regardless, this is a film so glorious in it insanity that I don't want to SPOIL it too much with a full review. I choose you- Review in Pictures...
Our young heroine discovers that she's from a family of mutants. Unfortunately, *that* news comes with even worse (read: violent) family news...
Rejected and threatened, our heroine goes on a mini-rampage before joining up with a secret, titular group of girls with their own unique mutations.
The plot takes a few twists and turns as the Second Act closes and the Third Act runs its course. I won't give you any real SPOILERS, but I will give you a taste of what happens there. The End.
Welcome to insanity! For me, this movie is great. The story is weird (but fun), the action is insane/over-the-top (but fun) and it is well-paced. The action comes quick and often enough to not ever leave you bored. For a lot of people, this is just going to look strange. Granted- it is. If you can accept/learn to love the crazy gore, ridiculous effects and wacky tone, you'll have a blast. It's certainly not a film for everyone. I will say, however, if you're surprised by how weird a film called Mutant Girls Squad is, you have bigger problems than the movie! For fans of Iguchi, Nishimura and Sakaguchi, the question is this: how does this movie live up to their previous works? I think it holds up pretty damn well, getting the wacky-to-accessible ratio a bit better than Helldriver did. The film mixes the comedy and melodrama quite well, something they did with Robo-Geisha and Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl. This one is played for laughs and it works. As I mentioned, my only gripe would be a re-use of previous ideas (the 'human rocket' from Tokyo Gore Police and the ass-blades from Robo-Geisha). If you look at them being lazy (which I don't), it could be a negative. If you look at it as a call-back joke, it won't be. The bottom line: this is pure, Japanese insanity. Like Wasabi Peas, it has a strong, unique flavor. That or French Bread...
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
Next up, an Adrian Paul film that didn't get its due last month. Will this enigma of a riddle inspire intrigue or apathy? Stay tuned...
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