User reviews

Tetsuo: The Iron Man - A film so manic, hyper, weird, and stylish, it represented the epitome of an experimental film. David Lynch would have gouged his eyes out.

Tetsuo II: Body Hammer - A sequel so intense and crazy, it took the strange visions of the first film and spat them out at the viewer in a refreshing barrage of insanity.

The third Tetsuo film, The Bullet Man, is pretty much more of the same. You can certainly expect the film to break out in hyperactive bombardments of flashing rapid-fire images. You can certainly expect the main character to mutate into a metal monster and wreak some havoc (and this time, he spits bullets!). You can certainly expect this to be weird and crazy.

However, this Tetsuo film is notably different, and not in a way that's refreshing or necessarily good. In between the manic freak-out scenes, the film slows down drastically, trying its best to weave in some semblance of an actual story with actual characters and actual reasons behind the madness. With the terrible dialogue, short runtime, and overall freakiness of the film, I really don't think this story works as well as it wants to. The film really wants to give a compelling vengeance story (the exact same type that went into the last two films), it really wants to give us emotional characters, and it wants to give us some kind of background to the "Tetsuo Project" and its connection to the characters. In the end though, it comes off as being too short and underdeveloped for its own good.

The experience of the film overall is pretty agitating. Granted, the other Tetsuo films are agitating as hell, but The Bullet Man seems to be a grade worse. Nearly every scene is shot with a camera that never sits still. Given the other issues listed above, I was rather apathetic about the film overall. I actually value the other two films for their remarkable styles and visions, even though they are pretty hyperactive in their own right, but this third film never felt like it brought anything new to the table.

In addition to being really hyper and annoying, the film is rather drab-looking, with lots of dark lighting and gray settings. Photography is among the worst I have ever seen, and the editing is crazy. I was personally appalled by the acting and writing; most of the dialogue is terrible, with very stupid lines and absurd delivery. On the plus side, the sets, props, and costumes are pretty decent, and it's especially cool to see that the filmmakers preferred to use practical effects rather than cheap CGI. Music consists of lots of airy noises and metallic banging, further adding to the annoying experience.

As much as I value the first two Tetsuo movies, I couldn't bring myself to enjoy The Bullet Man as much as I wanted to. I halfway wonder if Shin'ya Tsukamoto is purposefully trying to make the most annoying movie possible. Established Tetsuo fans will probably enjoy The Bullet Man, but casual viewers will probably want to keep their distance. I personally recommend the first film, if at all interested.

2/5 (Experience: Annoying | Story: Very Poor | Film: Marginal)

Similar to the first two movies, Bullet Man is an alternate retelling of the same story. (avoiding spoilers) The protagonist is alienated in the big city, and "something" triggers a mechanical mutation which results into a physical transformation. Plotwise its what you'd expect in a Tetsuo-film.

Bullet Man is certainly among Tsukamoto's most experimental films, but in a completely different way, due to its casting decisions, and the bold choice of shooting the dialog entirely in English(with few exceptions), unlike Takashi Miike's Sukiyaki Western Django, the dialog in this movie is in fact comprehensible. Its very obvious that Tsukamoto was aiming for a broader audience, but it didn't work quite as well.

I must admit that I was skeptical to Bossick in the lead role, but he is actually very well casted, his character is different from Taguchi, but still similar, he is a bit more stable, but furious at the same time.

Akiko Monou as Bossick's wife on the other hand doesn't work that well, its a dull performance mostly because of her dialog being in English. The chemistry between the two leads isn't present either, but this gets better as the film progresses, and then there is good old Shinya Tsukamoto as " The Guy " you'd be disappointed that he doesn't reprise his role as the metal fetishist, but he still play a pretty bad-ass character, and its a great performance.

The digital look of the film is not working in its favor at all, yet there are lots of trademark shots from the previous films, like the close ups of machinery etc, and Chu Ishikawa's industrial theme, are all present, and its shot in the same frenetic manner, but the gritty, and raw 16mm look is absent.

The Bullet Man, seems more like an American remake of the first film, it has this mainstream feel to it, and doesn't rely that much on symbolism and metaphors, like the first two films. Another big letdown is, this time there is no mutated counterpart for protagonist to fight, instead we have a bunch of army guys.

I would still recommend this to all Tsukamoto fans. It's different, and not among his best, but that doesn't necessarily mean that its bad. Check it out. 6/10

If you know Tsukamoto's other films and you have already seen Tetsuo 1, at the vision of this one you will be unsatisfied. You will not recognize the original Tsukamoto storytelling, where you must evince everything about the story only by images, and not from an actor that speak and explain what happened since that scene of the movie. The good thing you can find in the first one or in the other movies by this author are that you must concentrate on the movie, on the images to be able to understand, and the images make you stay on your sit with your eyes open and your mind full operative. But this chapter of the Tetsuo saga is not that kind of film. It's more similar to an American movie than a Tsukamoto movie. I don't understand if it's Tsukamoto changing or it's only because this was an American co-production.

Maybe someone who don't know Tsukamoto will appreciate it for it's fine director's style or for the incomparable music, but it's better if you make a comparison with the first one, that will remain an absolute masterpiece, 20 years before, a lot of money less.

Still,this is a remake, with a lot of changes in the story, but not in the message the author wants to tell us!

No story, jumping all over the place. There is just no meat. One moment they talk in their house, then heave noise or music and shaky camera, screams and he is at work in bathroom with voice message. Makes no sense. Shaky camera, oh boy, what a disaster, based on this i could be a film maker and make a master piece. Its utter utter garbage. The sound and noise irritated me so much, they made the music so loud. I could not hear what they say. Then all of a sudden people try to kill him. Why? It just does not make sense. GARBAGE.

Do not waste your time, i stopped at around 20min in.

1989's 'Tetsuo: The iron man' is a uniquely disturbing horror classic. I haven't had a chance to see 'Tetsuo II,' but given an opportunity to watch 'Tetsuo: The bullet man,' how could I decline?

I should have declined.

The production value is higher, but the writing is simply terrible. It's as though 'The bullet man' is a parody of not just the "Tetsuo" concept, but of any film with a vaguely similar narrative bent. Even writer-director Shinya Tsukamoto's camerawork seems to wink at the audience, like he's saying "Heh heh, check this out." And Eric Bossick's performance is so pointedly over the top that I can't rightly think of an immediate comparison, except maybe Hammer horror films of the 60s and 70s.

As if to emphasize the point: protagonist Anthony's Hulk-like display of grief, after the pivotal moment that launches the plot, would be far more convincing if Bossick weren't just wildly flailing about in a splatter of water that instantly invokes 'Flashdance.' He's a maniac! Maniac! What a feeling!

I do like the conspiratorial aspect of the narrative, the manipulation at hand - even if it reeks of unnecessary, unseemly one-upmanship. The ending, though a bit curt in its simplicity, is fitting. But even these are squandered here, while characterizations, dialogue, particular details of the plot, and the build of specific sequences defy good sense. Even the effects, the makeup and prosthetics that illustrate Anthony's transformation, very quickly cross a line from "somewhat unsettling" to "obnoxious."

If there's anything to actually enjoy here, it's the industrial music that slowly builds throughout the film, reaching a crescendo at the climax. It lends definite atmosphere to 'The bullet man' - more than it makes use of, or deserves. The fact that Nine Inch Nails contribute a swell original song over the end credits is a great gift that's wasted on the bluster we just sat through to hear it, and still not enough to make these 71 minutes worthwhile.

This feature is a mark of shame ill-fitting the status of 1989's progenitor. So much so that I wonder if a passing line from the film's "antagonist" isn't actually a subtle admission from Tsukamoto of a realization he's gone too far: "This shot would be far too tacky."

I've found myself watching some really great movies recently, but also some regrettable clunkers. None of them compare to 'Tetsuo: The bullet man.' Two thumbs way down.

On a positive note, this movie does not resort to using CGI or other crappy special effects. The costume did the job well enough for this movie.

Sound was one of my first issues with this film. The background "music" was mostly someone beating the hell out of a metal trash can or banging a pipe wrench against a jungle gym at the park. There was some metal rifts that were pretty loud. Then the dialog would come in and either I was suffering from deafness or the actors would whisper their lines.

I never have been a fan of shaky cam filming, but this goes way beyond shaky cam to earth quake cam. At no point can I remember any scene that didn't move and flash. If you are epileptic you may have a seizure prior to the credits. The noise, flashes, and bombarding images are just like some hardcore death metal videos.

It takes forever for the origins to be discovered and then the last 20 minutes of the film the "bad guy" -with poor motive- gives the Bullet Man just 60 seconds to kill him... some how 20 minutes = 60 seconds doesn't seem to fit.

Overall a poor movie, I have watched worse. Maybe it would be better as an anime or if I was a big fan of the creator of this film.

Man, I don't ever try to understand these 'Tetsuo' movies anymore and simply go along for the ride. And this surely is one intense and very visually orientated ride, that I overall really enjoyed.

Once more, the budget has significantly gone up, when you compare it to the previous 2 movies and of course the original first student film that got made by Shinya Tsukamoto, before he created his first full length movie of the series. And yes, I can definitely say that this is the best looking movie out of the series. It's still very dark but it's more stylized all. It's a movie with a great style and atmosphere over it.

Yes, it's also definitely a weird movie, in which lots is happening and stuff is being left mostly to the imagination, or rather said; an actual story is hard to find. Though I must admit that out of all the movies out of the series, this one is probably making the most sense with its story but that's not saying much really. But then again, people won't watch this movie expecting a clever or provoking story. They'll expect a visual and intense experience most likely, just like I did. When you do, "Tetsuo: The Bullet Man" is a movie that won't disappoint you.

And how awesome is it that the main character of this movie is the bullet man, who shoots dozens of bullets from his body, ever time he goes into Hulk-mode. It's truly something awesome, that got done quite well visually, with some nice effects and make-up.

You can also really definitely say that Shinya Tsukamoto keeps on improving as a director, though it might be argued that this is also thanks to the higher budgets he's receiving to work with.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Unfortunately there is almost nothing good to say about this film.

The camera is so shaky that it's hard to recognize things in the picture. If watched on a big cinema screen, it would have made me vomit.

Dialogs are mostly pathetic and acting is very poor, many times over the top. At times it's even difficult to understand what they are saying, because of the strong (bad) accent.

Many scenes are tediously long, dark and the "music" is too loud.

I really tried to like this film, but I couldn't.

I think it's good, when directors try to be daring, but some seem to forget that they are not making a film for themselves, but they want it to be viewed by others. If so, maybe it's not wrong to try to make a film watchable (visually pleasant) as well.

I recently rented Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (2009) on Prime. The storyline follows a father who loses his son in a tragic accident. Shortly after the tragedy, he sees the driver from the accident that killed his son. This triggers an outrage inside him, causing a chemical reaction that transforms him into a metal killing machine out for revenge.

This film is written and directed by Shin'ya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo: The Iron Man) and stars Eric Bossick (Equals), Tomorô Taguchi (Tetsuo: The Iron Man), and Yutaka Mishima (Silence).

The opening credits and introduction always get me fired up for another Tetsuo movie. This film features elite cinematography and has a unique, artistic flair. The background soundtrack and sound effects are once again top-notch. This film introduces new weapons, body configurations, and an entirely new premise. I enjoyed the new movements and the gore; the kills are always cool, but at times the film feels too clean and polished. I also felt they could have done more with the main character. The conclusion was solid and a fitting ending to the trilogy.

In conclusion, this may be the weakest film in the Tetsuo trilogy, but it is unique and entertaining enough to make it worth a watch. I would score this a 6.5/10 and recommend seeing it once.

This movie HAD potential, but it just fell short! I couldn't watch much more than 30 mins of it due to the SUPER Shaky Camera Work! It was REALLY giving me Vertigo! Made me dizzy as hell! I dunno, it may have been a decent movie but I just couldn't watch it any longer , it was truly making me dizzy. Give it a try.... maybe you'll have better luck.

Shinya Tsukamoto's original Tetsuo: The Ironman is most certainly one of my formative cinematic experiences. I remember watching it for the first time one night with a friend in his parents' basement the summer after my freshman year at college. His dad had to get out of bed and yell at us to stop shouting. The film was just blowing us away, and we were very loud about how awesome and freaky it was. Tsukamoto had won a fan for life in me, and, indeed, I have very much liked every single piece of work he's produced that I've had the pleasure to see. The third Tetsuo movie is no exception. It's very much in the same style as the previous two films. Half-Japanese, half-white Eric Bossick plays the title character here. He's a mild-mannered office worker, until, that is, his eight-year old son is viciously run down by a car. When Bossick gets upset, he becomes a metallic, murderous monster. The story is pretty silly (Bossick has "android DNA" because his dad made it with a robot version of his mom), but it's all about the images, the violence, and the Lovecraftian horror. There is one major aspect that will detract from the film's value for some: it's in English. I'm guessing that Tsukamoto felt that this would give the film wider appeal, not only because it could be released in English speaking countries unsubtitled, but in other countries, too, where a good amount of people can understand English. That's a bad plan, though, as most fans of this type of stuff, especially in the United States, where the film still hasn't opened except for perhaps at some film festivals, much prefer the Japanese films they watch to be in Japanese. It's about authenticity. Or perhaps it's about the fact that most of the actors just aren't very good, which makes their dialogue come off rather poorly, or even laughably. And other actors, most notably Shinya Tsukamoto himself, who co-stars as the villain, has a sometimes incomprehensible accent. As for myself, it didn't bother me much at all. It comes off somewhat like the English dialogue in Takashi Miike's Sukiyaki Django Western, kind of weird and almost hypnotic.

Why the hell ppl in a Japanese sci-fi horror movie talk english? That was a mistake and disappointment and as much as I am a huge fan of first tetsuo I didn't like the last one very much. There was a big gap between first and last and that's a shame.

I was recommended this movie from a friend as he loved it but I didn't I'm afraid, I can't really give a true review of this movie due to fact that I haven't seen any of the previous movies or any of tsukamoto's previous work, so I will not comment on the story itself but tell you the truth I watched it as I thought it was going to be an action flick with many body parts flying around but this wasn't the case and the camera work was very shaky and it was very difficult to know what was going on, If like me you have not seen any of tsukamoto's previous work don't waste your time, but if you really feel the need to watch it all I can suggest is watch the previous movies first to give you at least a certain incl-in of what is going on.

OK it seems that Shinya Tsukamoto decided to update his series even more to modern times and also put himself in the movie again. I guess you could say this was a revamp of the first, but a different story. But here is the thing. When he made a classic, he was limited to what he could use making him use his brain. Using todays technology could sometimes screws up a great thing. I am not saying this is a bad film though. Some good things about it was the nice grim colors to give it a creepier feel and the story was not confusing. But becoming the bullet man in this film was way over the top and it got to the point where it was really crazy; then calm. Yes it ended calm which was strange. Eric Bossick was a pretty decent actor and the only one I really cared about. He would make an excellent superhero. In fact this was not so much horror as it was action. A couple bad things. The story was a bit over the top and the voices were really hard to understand at points. Other than that, it was a decent film.

This movie is one of those movies that is so bad it's good, I guess? I couldn't watch what was going on for too long because the actual shaky camera and rapidly moving images made me dizzy.

The imagery and mood is interesting, but I have no idea what the characters are saying half the time. I had to rely on reading the Japanese subtitles. The audio is WAY too low for the voices. Maybe to hide their bad accents?

One of the strangest films I've seen for sure.

I always wondered what happened to those who were at "The Blair Witch Project", they worked as the camera crew in this movie. The action/fight scenes in this movie is too shaky for something to register on screen as if the camera man is being chased by the Blair Witch.

I never heard of the director before but may have a very promising career. The accent of the Japanese actors in this film is in a way difficult to understand at times.

I totally agree with the two other reviewers that says "you probably have to be a fan to enjoy this" and "For Die-Hard fans only". The story is weird and confusing at times but still in a way entertaining.

Overall, the movie is watchable.

A film out of time, there's something rather tragic about Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, it's just so poorly misguided that it ends up feeling off in direct contrast to its predecessors. There's a good film in here somewhere but it feels like a film from a different era, one that for all Tsukamoto's intent does not work as intended. It's hard not to assume he knew what he was doing. When he made The Bullet Man's face first turn to iron, he must have known that face paint looks cheap. He must have known those hyper-awkward script deliveries from a cast and crew who don't share the same language as its American lead would come across as embarrassing. It certainly feels like Tsukamoto knew full well that certain elements would be off and just tried to run with it, the zaniness is here but it feels wrong. The digital look does not work for this film with the overly excessive shakey cam coming across as simply nauseating, there's rarely a moment it sits still. The film's obnoxious sound mix only alienates the audience further, with dialogue delivered in hushed whispers but seemingly everything else amped up to eleven, I found myself adjusting the volume way too often to even attempt to engage with the film. Ultimately, Tetsuo: The Bullet Man feels more like a poor man's American remake of the original duology, lacking the gonzo mystery and waking nightmare horror. Trent Reznor's theme song is a banger though.

After two decades of moving further and further away cyberpunk and into a much more contemplative style, a return to his earlier themes and style – and in English! - struck me as a rather mercenary move by Tsukamoto when I first heard about it, and as the first film is so important to me (being what opened my eyes to cinema beyond Hollywood, and remaining in my all time top 20 to this day) I approached this with slight trepidation. Fortunately, this is very much a Tetsuo movie through and through, largely uncompromised by commercial thoughts, and as frenetic, fast paced and blistering as ever. The basic plot – a man mutates into metal after a traumatic incident – remains, but the movie still throws up fresh and unexpected ideas throughout. The decision to have it in English does lead to the occasional stilted feeling in the dialogue, but this is a minor point. Overall, while nowhere near the heights of the first film, it's comfortably about equal to Tetsuo II: Body Hammer, which is far more than I expected.

The Tetsuo trilogy comes to an end with this film that was originally intended to be shot for an American audience. It must be said that this is perhaps the best film in the trilogy because its script surpasses that of its predecessors. Because stop motion animation was no longer used in the world of special effects, little CGI was used here, but more room was given to practical effects. The special effects are something that do not disappoint at all. The film also takes a few elements from the previous films including the soundtrack from the first installment. It also features the participation of Nine Inch Nails in charge of the music for the end credits. Although this film is also a derivative story, it has something that makes it crucial to connect all the installments of the trilogy. Here it takes up the theme of the experiments from the second film and implies that many of the beings we have seen in this trilogy are androids created with a technology that alters flesh. Here it is implied that a metal-based technology has been created that can act like an organism and is triggered by strong emotions such as anger. It can even be understood that activating this organism causes symptoms of madness and violent behavior. Although each film acts as a reboot of the same story, the experiment known as Project Tetsuo can be an index to interpret how these films are connected. The first clue is a photo where the scientist from the previous film appears. As for the rest, it can be interpreted that the fetishist from the first film could have been a test subject who later escaped, but he became more of a parasitic being because he was able to transmit his metallic-organic material to other humans. The father of the two brothers from the second film must also have been part of the experiment and although it seems that he turned his children into hybrids through his powers, they were clearly hybrids. That is justified in this film when discovering why Anthony becomes an android and why they are after him. The reason they killed Tom and are now after Anthony is because they have realized how dangerous these androids are. One could assume that the androids from the previous movies were destroyed and only Anthony is left. Although the movie doesn't explain any of that and acts as a story of its own, its concept ends up serving to close the possible connection of these movies. Without a doubt, Tetsuo: The Bullet Man is a very good conclusion to this bizarre science fiction technology that has managed to become a cult gem for movie buffs. My final rating for this movie is 8/10.