Pure 80s idiosyncrasy mixed with high-adrenaline rock 'n' roll, Big Magnum Kuroiwa Sensei screams just as much underground funk as it does manga adaptation, one with a terrific sense of style, if not always with a sense of decency. Kazuhiko Yamaguchi directs the film with a very absurdist vibe, one that almost feels like it's about to run away from him, but even in its moments of nearly fetishistic debauchery (the adults dressed as babies are certainly a moment), he keeps it together in a genuinely hilarious way without teetering over into mean spirited. The pacing of the film is very out of wack, for the most part, it's fine but is let down by some rather uncomfortable elements in the middle which massively slow the picture down, although the final 30 minutes are outrageous, completely flying off the rails in the best way imaginable. Backed by some fantastic music by the amazing Tatsumi Yano, it's hard to exaggerate just how exhilarating Big Magnum Kuroiwa Sensei is, one goes for broke by throwing everything at the wall and seeing what explodes.
