I.M.D.B.
Live-action film adaptation of Shohei Manabe's Smuggler manga. A young man who once dreamed of becoming an actor has instead become a slacker. He gets himself into debt and is forced to work as a smuggler of dead bodies.
It was as though this movie couldn’t make up its mind what it wanted to be. The elements of a live-action manga were all there, and there was a distinct reminiscence of Ichi the Killer, which is no bad thing. But the character Vertebrae’s sudden inhuman abilities and the dark and brutal nature of the torture scene were both at odds with each other and neither fit well into the film. However, thanks to some stylistic fight sequences and the always magnetic Masanobu Ando, I did enjoy this movie, and can recommend it to those who like theatrical violence, dark comedies, or simply want to watch Ando-san do his thing.
Recommended
7.5/10