Kids Return

"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.

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.

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.

Shinji looks up to his friend Masaru, who doesn't seem to worry about the future nor his education... instead he spends his time pulling pranks on fellow students and teachers.

They don't bother looking for a purpose in life unlike many of the other characters, who all seem to have personal agendas or desperately seeking meaning.

Obviously they are failures in the eyes of overachieving Japanese society.

After a series of events they eventually find their goal in life. Shinji becomes a talented boxer and Masaru is making a fast career within the local yakuza.

This is a very personal and honest 'Kitano', an underdog story filled with moments of humor, melancholy, cynicism and realism. In life there are no real winners or losers, choices are made and often we fail.

In the end there is a moment of genuine Kitano magic, (like in most of his movies) where in one line one of them says it all.

Superb ! 9.5/10

Takeshi doesn't make me disappoint again. This type is very rare to him, but he did it well. It confirmed his high level of controlling kinds of types. The character act very naturally and the living individuality affect me deeply. Comparable with his former works, it will adjoin you more. The boxing scene is stunning. The friendship of characters is unforgettable. Here I must be honor of Jô Hisaishi(the composer of this music), because it's important parts of Takeshi's work. The music is exciting and moving. Anyway it is a very meaningful movie about youth. This work attract me to look for others of Takeshi. Because I know it's my favorite directors in Japan besides Kurosawa.