MIFF NOTES: Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War of the Underworld (2015, Dir. Takashi Miike)

Takashi Miike's rapid-fire approach to cinema (both style and frequency of release) makes for very hit and miss results. Stepping into Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War of the Underworld I was prepared for a total debacle of unfettered crazy violence but the crazy violence here was respectably fettered. Well, as fettered as vampire yakuza, turtle-beaked villains and hyper-violent frog-costumed man-frogs can be.

Miike eases into the crazy gently, with yakuza-wannabe, Kageyama (a rather comely Hayato Ichihara), joining the family of benevolent yakuza boss, Kamiura (Rirî Furankî, who also shows up this fest in Our Little Sister). Benevolent yakuza boss is also a vampire who feeds on an underground knitting club. Shit goes down (as it does) and Miike turns the standard retribution flick into all sorts of blood-sucking, independence-asserting vampiric insanity.

You've got to be up for a ride with this one. Structure-wise, Yakuza Apocalypse succumbs to the swirling, haphazard make-up of many Japanese actioners. The lulls are relatively infrequent and the broad comic streak keeps the film's appeal strong but I do admit that the climactic battle is slightly trying - Miike perhaps overplays the opponents' even-matchedness - and it kind of ends rather abruptly.

Again, that's par for the course for modern Miike. Thankfully it's not nearly enough to dampen the fun of this outing. I'd happily have gone another few rounds.

★★★☆

Trailer:

Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War of the Underworld screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival 2015.