Meatball Machine Kodoku

It had distinct faults, but the first widely released film of 2005 was unexpectedly great, a joy ride of a romp that just happened to be ultra bloody, ultra gory, and ultra violent. With but a smattering of story to anchor the proceedings, it was decidedly forthright, and an absolute strength in its ninety minutes were the heavily predominant, utterly outstanding practical effects and tangible creations that defined the visuals, embellished with only very sparing computer-generated imagery. Fast forward twelve years, and here comes effects maestro Nishimura Yoshihiro masterminding a sequel, now also serving as director and co-writer. Anyone who enjoyed 'Meatball machine' in the first place knows very well what to expect of 'Kodoku,' and all the right pieces should be in place for this follow-up to be a wild good time. And so they are, and so it is. Unfortunately, though, creative choices were made here that dampen the fun, and frankly it's simply not as good as its predecessor.

I can understand in part the reasoning that surely led Nishimura to adopt a different approach this time around. Some fraction of the success of the progenitor was in its shock value, and as that would inherently be absent or at least diminished in a sequel, it was necessary to change tactics. While not deadly serious, the overall tone before was also decidedly dark, and I don't think that trying to do the same thing again would have served this well. Maybe that means 'Meatball machine' should have been a standalone feature. Nishimura thought it meant that this picture should be an outright horror-comedy. And that's fine; it was a choice, and I don't think it was an altogether bad one. 'Kodoku' is never specifically funny, but the unremitting cheek has its high points as it lends to ever more outrageousness. Pair that tenor and that outcome with some minor wit in Nishimura and Sato Sakichi's screenplay whilst conjuring characters and settings, and all this informs the scene writing in turn, the preposterous costume design, and in turn the effects and fight sequences. Whatever else is true over the course of 100 minutes, there was earnest thought that went into this flick, and I can't say I don't admire it in one measure or another.

And there's a lot to like here in other regards, too. The practical effects are a blast, from the proliferate blood and gore, to weapons and props, to stunts, to special makeup, and more. There's even a bit of stop-motion animation!. Where CGI is employed it generally looks fairly decent, or at least as decent as is intended, which for the record is "less than perfectly seamless." Just like the more gnarly facets, the production design and art direction are filled with substantial detail, not to mention the broader consideration for costume design, hair, and makeup. Nakagawa Kou's music is splendid in and of itself. The cast give commendable, spirited performances that unfailingly lean into the insipidness. Nishimura undeniably had a vision, and his direction is deliberately loose and free-wheeling but consistent in bringing it to fruition. And I must repeat that there are some terrific notions in the writing, odds and ends that were surprisingly clever in summoning this tableau. Say what one will about the title, there was real skill and intelligence that went into it, to whatever ends.

However, "to whatever ends" is exactly the problem I have with 'Kodoku.' I said that the CGI is generally "fairly decent," and I meant it, but specifically, too many instances are so gauchely, transparently false that The Asylum comes to mind; as in, "they weren't even trying." That includes rear projection and composite shots. There is also much more digital falsehood this time around, which in the entirety of the medium almost invariably looks worse the more we see of it, and to be blunt I miss the wholesale favor of fabricated goods we got before - always, always preferable and superior as they are. If the ratio of practical effects to post-production visuals was previously 95-5, now it's no better than about 60-40. I also said that the choice of making this a horror-comedy wasn't an altogether bad choice, and I meant that too. However, it's not just that the movie is never truly funny, but also the fact that it embraces abject cartoonishness far beyond all reason: this resembles a full-length rendition of 'Looney Tunes,' inspired by Tsukamoto Shinya's ill-advised sequels to 'Tetsuo' and the average teen comedy, at least as much as if not much more than it does the 2005 release, or Tsukamoto's 1989 exemplar. Such absurdities extend to some character concepts (e.g., samurai policemen), tiresome juvenility (gratuitous nudity and sexuality, including emphasis on women's breasts), winking interpretation of would-be dramatic moments, and more.

Then there are the additional story ideas and beats that don't actually fit into what Nishimura is doing overall, and the overt stylization. The underlying notions that are touched upon at the outset, emphasized in the last minutes, are swell, but the doing here feels gawky, almost like an afterthought applied as bookends. The entire first act serves as fine introduction to our characters while subtly accentuating the suggested underlying notions, but feels so long in the tooth that it becomes not mere exposition but the first act of an entirely different type of work; let's call it "Yoji's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day." Nakagawa's music is mostly too over the top even for a piece like this; Suzuki Keizo's cinematography comes across not as care-free, but as unprofessional. And when you get down to it, for all the hard work that did go into 'Kodoku,' it just doesn't feel as if the same level of care was applied as what we saw in 'Meatball machine.' It's a joyous romp just like its antecedent - even more so - but goes too far, becoming heedless, and broaching raucousness for its own sake. Trying to one-up past endeavors does not always pay off, and as far as I'm concerned this is a regrettable example of just that.

It's hardly that the film is downright bad. It serves its purpose; I was entertained. But too many decisions made along the way reflect poor judgment in my opinion, and are just excessive. 'Kodoku' is good, but all told the more questionable facets weigh on the viewing experience to the point that I wonder if I'm not being too kind in my assessment. I thought the forebear was superb, and this is fortunate to make it to "okay" - which suggests that one is almost just better off sticking with Yamaguchi Yudai and Yamamoto Jun'ichi's project in the first place.