Kids Return

Along with Fireworks, This is one of Takeshi Kitano's finest movies. The movie covers the story of 2 "juvenile delinquents" who go thru life trying to find some kind of purpose. One becomes a boxer while the other becomes a yakuza. The film seems to be saying that not enough Japanese people are not taking time to enjoy their life; that people should not be so dead serious all the time.The film also features a very good supporting performance from Susumu Terajima as a "#2 gangster". It's always good to see him in Kitano's films. For the two protagonists, it shows that it doesn't matter what they with their life as long as they enjoy it.

Along with Fireworks, one of Takeshi Kitano's finest movies. This movie is a story of two high school? slackers who appear to be looking for a purpose in life. One becomes a good boxer and the other one becomes a yakuza member. After going thru their experience, they become more confident and content with their life even though it couldn't be said that they were exactly successful. Like real life, perhaps the experience is the thing. Good acting all around. It's always good to see Susumu Terajima in Takeshi's movies as he's a very good actor. Also very good score by Joe Hisaishi. The movie also appears to criticize the fact that many Japanese people treat everything- life, work, etc. so seriously that they don't take the time to enjoy life. Instead, they "pressure" themselves to do good, even though their heart may not be in it. It's not unlike many recent Japanese films like Shall We Dance or Bouncing KOgals, both also good movies. Overall, a 9 out of 10.

"Kids Return" is not a particularly enjoyable or must-see viewing experience. However, it might be worth showing to stupid teenagers, as the lesson in this 'Don't be an idiot'---and clearly illustrates the life of two morons as they enter adulthood.

Shinji and Masaru are two teenage juvenile delinquents. They often don't bother going to school and when they do, they goof off, beat up fellow students for their lunch money and commit petty crimes. However, as the film progresses you see some light at the end of the tunnel for the pair when they decide to take up boxing. However, one of them soon tires of it and joins the yakuza (Japanese mob). The other has a future as a great boxer. However, in BOTH cases, a lack of follow-through and stupidity ends up undoing their paths and by the end of the film, they are two unemployed idiots with no future.

Takeshi Kitano wrote and directed this film but did not appear in it. It's interesting in that so many of his other films seem to glorify the mob life--or at least look at it from a rather judgment neutral point of view. Here, however, it seems to be much more of a morality play where Kitano is taking away a lot of the romance and you see that dumb punks grow into dumb young adults! Well done but also not particularly enjoyable viewing.

So many things in this film are so well done. There is the nicely written and told story, the very suitable cast, the perfectly composed music and, of course, the excellent direction.

It was, from my point of view, a very good idea to have a variety of protagonists who are all, in some way, related to each other: all of them are just about to leave school and look for an adequate and fulfilling life. Some of them succeed, and some fail. Now the feat was to link all these single story lines together and make one film out of it. And Kitano really succeeded in this sector. And again this film has a lot of autobiographical elements in it. Kitano's own past as a delinquent or comedian for example.

The music was again a real pleasure. Joe Hisashi really knows his craft to compose very fitting melodies, which always remind me of old Japanese folk songs, and use them perfectly timed in Kitano's films.

If you've seen other Kitano movies and missed this one, you will definitely like it. For those who want to try out a Kitano film for the first time: watch it! It will be a very contemplative and rewarding experience.

Underlying message of the movie is to not let bad seeds, doubters, downers, and peer pressure hamper your progress to become great -- they are tests to see if you have what it takes to push forward

Kitano's comeback film after his suicide attempt

Follows two friends from high school who bullied kids . One fateful day they get jumped by a boxer and decide to adjust their lifestyles with the heart (some passionate some timid) of champions