It was the name that caught my eye first, and the premise sounded fun. Admittedly, my expectations were somewhat tempered for the fact that action-comedies tend to be decidedly variable in quality - but thankfully, in very short order after it begins, this flick shows itself to be delightfully clever and offbeat, breaking with the assumptions one might make based on limited information. I hoped for a good time, and 'Hell's garden,' also known as 'Office royale,' is really even better than I thought it might be. The sensibilities this carries won't appeal to everyone, but I had a total blast!
One could possibly argue that tonal disparity raises its head as the picture pretends to inject slivers of earnestness amidst the ridiculousness, and some points of cartoonishness maybe go a step too far. Yet everything herein is perfectly deliberate, and only ever guided toward furthering the outlandish bent of the saga; in turn, screenwriter Bakarhythm, filmmaker Seki Kazuaki, and their cast and crew were surprisingly shrewd in sharping this into something a little off the beaten path. The feature unabashedly and liberally borrows tropes, stylization, and familiar beats and story ideas from action films, comic books, manga, anime, martial arts flicks, B-grade fighting flicks, and more, and the most outrageously overcooked versions of them all, in most every facet of the production. We're treated to special effects to connote hard hits, fighters staggering from mighty blows, slow motion, cameras revolving around frozen frames, huge melee fights, wide-ranging one-on-one combat, a training sequence, voiceovers expressing narration and inner thoughts, bold colors, exaggerated hair and makeup, overblown costume design, animated performances, cheeky humor of all stripes, and much more. Even the music gets in on the frivolity as we're treated to an occasionally cheesy but undeniably invigorating slurry of hard rock, J-rock, and EDM.
The most indulgent impulses of directors like Sono Sion, Miike Takeshi, and Zack Snyder sometimes come to mind as the proceedings go on, with the difference that it never tries to be extra grandiose, it's grounded in a solid narrative - and it never takes itself seriously. We get three distinct acts as the entertainment chiefly derives first from the mundane activity of meek Naeko as contrasted with the violence that erupts around her, second from the definite escalation of big action sequences, and lastly with a final stretch that if anything winks and leans even more heavily into the common conceits of its influences. All this, the street violence and rivalries of yakuza, the tests of strength of unparalleled fighters and superhumans... but applied to office ladies. There's something deliciously witty and kooky in the very concept, and I can only commend Bakarhythm for developing such a lark. And still, for as wild as it is, everything knew exactly what they were making, and nothing here is sloppy or accidental. 'Hell's garden' is a preposterous ride, but it's very ably put together.
Irreverent as the screenplay may be, the plot is well-written, engaging, and compelling, with flavorful scene writing. The cast unreservedly embrace the spirit of it all, and while that mostly means just letting loose, some do get to demonstrate some of their honest and appreciable skills, most notably Nagano Mei and Hirose Alice in the key roles of Naeko and Ran. Even when relatively quiet and restrained scenes come along director Seki maintains a certain tantalizing level of energy about the movie, and this is to say nothing of the very fun action. I'm not saying that the fight choreography, stunts, and practical and digital effects represent the top of the line, but they all look fantastic and more than serve their purpose of infusing still more vitality into the romp. Consciously overdone as some other aspects may sometimes be, the costume design, hair, and makeup are all great (I especially love the outfit that Koike Eiko wears as Onimaru), and the cinematography and editing are sharp. From filming locations and production design to sound, the result may be a flippant genre piece, but it was shaped with meaningful skill, intelligence, and care.
Unblinkingly far-fetched and sometimes outright silly as these 100 minutes are, not everyone is going to like it. But I sat with anticipation of a mixed bag, and when all is said and done I'm kind of altogether thrilled with just how enjoyable and well done it turned out to be. If it's a giddy blend of action and comedy that you want, that's just what you'll get, and if nothing I've described has turned you off then you'd do well to check this out. 'Hell's garden' is a joy, and I'm happy to give it my enthusiastic recommendation!
