Tokyo Zombie (2005) Directed by Sakichi Sato
(Proposed Title: “Mad Mitsuo, Beyond Zombiedome”)
Starring Sho Aikawa, Tadanobu Asano and Erika Okuda.
Zombie Film Rating:

“Easy rider this ain’t.”

Teaser: A touching story of Love, Jujitsu, self discovery and the end of the world as we know it as experienced by two fire extinguisher plant employees suddenly thrust into a world overrun with the living dead. Can they rise to the challenge? Do they have what it takes to survive while demonstrating that Jujistu is the best fighting method?

A more recent zombie effort, this film maintains a light tone while avoiding the current cliche of absolute self mockery and schlock. The movie entertains, holds to the majority of conventional zombie lore and establishes itself as a solid entry into zombie movie history.

“You have the face of a guy who’s been done by another guy.” – Micchan

“Nice pile of trash.”

Plot Summary: Pon Fujio and Mitsuo Micchan are employees of a fire extinguisher plant located in Edogawa, Tokyo. Their plant is located at the base of what has become known as “Black Fuji”, a monumental pile of trash, detrius, chemical waste and in some cases bodies that has grown to ludicrous proportions.

The monotony of their jobs is broken only by Micchans instruction of Fujio in the art of Jujitso. As the film starts we find our heroes so thoroughly engrossed in their lesson that they fail to notice the arrival of their boss, Ujimoto. Ujimoto, naturally upset by the fact that his employees are drawing pay to wrestle instead of work begins physically humiliating Micchan and is stopped only by a sudden and unexpected blow to the head by a fire extinguisher delivered by Mitsuo.

“It seems that, at last, true zombies have appeared in Japan. Zombies bite people and from the evil virus in them these people too become zombies. Zombies are motivated by their fear of hell, so they desperately bite anyone they can find, but the only way to destroy a zombie is to smash it’s head or behead it.” – Dr. Akiyama

“They’re a lot easier to fight without their heads.”

The blow, as it turns out, is fatal and the two employees decide their only recourse is to bury their former boss on Black Fuji. The burial goes without incident, but unknowst to the two conspirators nearby the dead have begun to climb from their graves on Black Fiji, and are hunting for victims among the living.

Blissfully ignorant of the zombie menace wandering outside their door Micchan and Fujio retire for the night in the fire extinguisher factory. Meanwhile throughout the city the undead are furiously adding to their ranks, which are being reported in the media as “Biting incidents” and the television has an expert reporting that these are, in fact, zombies and they can only be stopped by targetting the head or brain.

“Hey, this guy got bitten by a zombie, shouldn’t we kick him out before he goes nuts?” – Ryoko

“Like an ice cream truck for zombies…”

Dawn brings a fresh new day accompanied by rotting old zombies. Micchan and Fujio, after some false starts, manage to evade the zombies and escape in the company truck. Micchan explains that they must flee North to Russia. Only in Russia, it seems, can Fujio complete his training and become the ultimate fighter. Unfortunately Fujio is directionally challenged and it is only after several hours of travel that Micchan notices they have been driving South.

While stopping for supplies Micchan witnesses a young woman being surrounded by zombies, he intervenes and despite the womans vehement protests rescues her from the mob, but it bitten in a careless moment by an octagenarian zombie. Knowing, now, that he is a liability to his living friend he extracts a promise from Fujio to look after the girl, and hurls himself from a nearby bridge. The newly rescued girl and Fujio get into a heated debate about the presumed death of Micchan and in the ensuing chaos their truck is stolen by a strangely cheerful bald man. Fujio and the girl find themselves trapped on a bridge, surrounded by zombies and dive into the water below as their only course of escape.

“Sheeesh, zombies these days, they can’t tell one of their own kind!” – Micchan

“Now this opponent has guts!”

We now flash forward five years. Fujio and Ryoko (along with their child Fumio) are living in a walled compound occupied by some of the more affluent members of society. They had been rescued by this group to serve among the “working class” as servants to the rich. Fujio is a fighter in the “zombie games”, entertainment for the ruling class where the living do battle with the undead. Fujio is not a popular fighter as he refuses to “spice up” his fights. Ryoko resents this dedication to his art, and their consequent low standard of living. Domestic tranquility is nowhere to be found.

The stability of their lackluster existence is interupted by the appearance of Micchan as Fujios newest zombie opponent (despite the fact that he doesn’t actually appear to be dead, merely a sort of hypocondriac adopting zombie symptoms), a reunion interupted by an assault on the compound by carbonated beverage bandits and an uprising by the working class. In the midst of this chaos Fujio realises his love for Ryoko and Fumio, acquires a motorcyle and takes his family North to Russia leaving the zombie games far behind.

“This is kind of embarrasing, so I turned it into a poem.” – Micchan

“Missiles + Building = Time to relocate”

Critique: Ah, it’s zombie movies like this that warm my heart. A zombie movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and manages enough humour to get a laugh, without turning the entire effort into yet another cheap effort at “camp”. This movie delivers with a nice consistent look, good acting and sticks to traditional zombie lore while exploring a different aspect of the zombocalypse.

Some slightly rough special effects draw the eye from time to time, but doesn’t do the movie any serious harm. Perhaps the only hurdle I encountered watching this film was the sudden jump midway through the movie where they flash forward five years. It makes the film seem like to shorts welded together, and doesn’t help the flow of the film.

The Final Word: A definate must-have for the zombie enthusiast.