Movie Review: Kaiji The Ultimate Gambler (赌博默示录)

Date: 12 Mar 10

Time: 9:25

Location: Cathay Cineleisure

Kaki: JoC

Rating: 3 stars

Language: Japanese (with English Subtitles)

Synopsis:

"Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler" is an exciting psychological thriller starring Tatsuya Fujiwara as Kaiji, man forced to enter a deadly gambling competition aboard a cruise ship, to erase a large financial debt. Based on Nobuyuki Fukumoto's hit manga series which has sold over 11 million copies, Kaiji is a 26 year-old job-hopping bum who suddenly finds himself riddled in debt after a shadowy loan company informs him that he is responsible for a loan taken by his friend (who has since gone missing) and whom he casually co-signed as a loan guarantor for!

Review:

Well, hmm... mixed feelings... movie was a little too long at 2hrs 10mins... and there were a couple of fake "endings". Meaning, there were times when in movie, the soundtrack, acting, cast all come together, swelling up towards a crescendo, and you think this is it, it's the grand finale, only to realise that it isn't. And you somehow feel "let down"... that was how it is for this movie.

So, since I started with the bad, and I did give this movie a 3 stars rating, what was good about it? The casting, Tatsuya Fujiwara seems fairly believable as a man who looks like a loser, and he was relatively believable as a man who has let life take him along, one who is not much of a success in life, and who has been floating in the waves of life, letting it bring him to wherever the tide is, and who has never had to struggle, but who hasn't made any effort to make a break for shore and a different life. So that was a good cast.

In addition, there was talk about how "L", my fave character from Death Note, renews their partnership in this movie, building up the anticipation of another "L" and "Light" showdown. DO NOT BE DECEIVED. He was more of an "in" and "out" character, whose part (although I recall it's Sahara in this movie) in this movie was largely forgetable, and without depth. Aka, he could have been an extra, or the role could have been played by some relatively unknown actor and it wouldn't have made a difference.

So... the gambling scenes, the pyschogical aspect of the movie, the second and third guessing of what a person would do, that was fun. The part on overcoming yourself and achieving what others have failed to do, that was boring. But the gambling was good. :) Stupid as the game may be :P

Largely entertaining, I didn't squirm and look at my watch and wonder when I can leave the cinema, but it wasn't a "this is such a great movie, I have to tell everyone about it!" movie. So... 3 stars.. not bad for a weekend movie, or weekday relax after work movie night. :)