Summer Time Machine Blues

The movie gives off such a warm, joyful feeling. It's quite simple in execution, yet feels very thoughtfully made. The beautifully balanced color palette perfectly captures the warmth and atmosphere of a hot, lazy Japanese summer.

Time-travel films are always tricky to follow, and this one is no exception - at some point, you really have to focus to keep up with what's happening. But in the end, everything comes together and makes sense.

There are no overly flashy special effects or overly complex designs. Instead, the charm lies in the details - the editing, the rhythm, and the lively spirit of Japanese student life during summer break - all of which make it a delightful comedy.

It truly left me feeling nostalgic and happy.

I've already seen one low budget and quirky Japanese time travel comedy in the form of BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES, which I loved, so I knew what to expect with this one. SUMMER TIME MACHINE BLUES takes a while to get going; the early 'ordinary world' scenario feels a bit padded out and the acting isn't too hot at times, nor is the occasionally annoying direction (the heat effect being totally overused). Nonetheless once the main plot begins for real, this one picks up nicely. Like much low budget Japanese cinema, the director's love of his craft shines through, the cast give enthusiastic performances, and the time travel plot, while not huge, ties everything up very neatly. It's funny too, which helps considerably.

This is such a fun film! I admit I'm a bit fan of time travel movies, and comedy movies, and this is both.

The movie starts out with some strange things, some of which I'm like "ah yes, this will get sorted out later" and other times I was like "did I really just see that?" Of course as the movie goes along everything gets explained.

I think this movie has it all to make it five stars in my books: comedy, fun storyline, likable characters, a bit of mystery that all comes together with no loose ties, and a little bit of romance. I highly recommend this film!

This is the funniest time travel movie I've ever seen. There are no big special effects, it's just a couple of bored japanese school kids during a hot summer day at their sci-fi club faced with the tragic loss of their only little bit of relief from the heat: the remote controller for their AC unit, destroyed after spilling Coke on it. But thankfully, out of thin air, a time machine appears...

As David St. Hubbins says in SPINAL TAP: "There's a fine line between stupid and clever." This movie treads that line shamelessly.

As far as time machine movies go, there's no such thing as a realistic plot. This film realizes that and takes us in the opposite direction--to the realm of utter stupidity. Oddly enough, this technique works like a charm. There's nothing about global domination, interstellar warfare or deadly viruses; these kids just use a time machine to try to fix their air conditioner. HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE IT???

I interpret it as a good-natured slap in the face of all the pseudo-intellectual scifi films about the infamous "time space continuum" and the catastrophic (but always predictable) effects of meddling in the past. This movie makes no apologies. It dives boldly into the idiotic. And yet, it somehow comes out being more intellectual and airtight than all the rest.

Now a word about technique. Fantastic. Even though this was mostly a campy romp, I was blown away by the unique & creative camera style. How exactly does one depict two concurrent timelines? Answer: split screen! I loved it. And it was amazing how, through the subtle use of sound effects, camera angles and fades-to-black, the director set up a feeling of suspense & tension long before the action kicked in. I was glued to the screen from the first 5 minutes.

And who could overlook that adorable dog? Definitely this is a fun movie to watch. As I'm learning, modern Japanese comedy is the only way to go. Also check out the movies SWING GIRLS, KAMIKAZE GIRLS, CUTIE HONEY and my personal fave, UNIVERSITY OF LAUGHS if you want a taste of solid, artistic comedy from the land of the rising sun. I'm rating this an 8/10 which is very, very high on my scale. Enjoy!

***UPDATE THE NEXT DAY*** I just watched this movie again, and I've officially upped my rating to a 9/10. Folks, if you like philosophy & logic, you've got to see this movie TWICE. I haven't thought this deeply about a story since I read my last Tolstoy novel. Truly a philosophical masterpiece disgused as a goofy comedy!