The Shock Labyrinth

I never worry too much about the scores movies achieve as if something fits into your preferred niche or genre you will enjoy it more than an aggregated score will suggest. Therefore a Japanese horror from the guy who made the grudge which people are saying may be a bit weird and confusing ticked a lot of boxes for me regardless of its 4.

Unfortunately 4 is a fair score, the story had real potential, I am not an expert on Japanese culture but it felt true to the kind of supernatural movies we get to see. Movies are either more or less than the sum of its parts therefore it didn't necessarily matter that the movie looked like it was made for TV, the acting was poor (the guy I watched it with thought the lead actor was the worst he had ever seen)! The effects were cheap and sure there were plot holes. I see movies for the emotional impact so can forgive pretty much everything, I don't always understand David Lynch movies but they are beautiful dreamy experiences.

So having said that I bring it all down to how I felt about the experience and it was boring, there was no tension or atmosphere. I've seen movies where I didn't care about the characters but this was different, I've enjoyed bad movies but I wasn't sure how I could get through the 85 minute run time. It really is that bad. The story could have been interesting but other than that there were was nothing to redeem this movie.

I have only hated 2 movies in my life, this isn't one of them but its probably the movie I have found the most impossible to engage with.

We're at a time with the rest of the world catching up with Hollywood in offering 3D content, since an explosion of screens with the right infrastructure put in place, and the marketing machinery already being rather successful in convincing audiences to accept having to put on an extra pair of plastic glasses, and to pay more to do so, means more money to be made in putting out a 3D film, whether shot with the right type of cameras, or done so doing post- production. The Shock Labyrinth, as the marketing language puts it, is touted as J-Horror's first live action 3D offering, and don't let the cheesy looking trailer fool you, it's actually much better than the teaser made it out to be.

Directed by Takashi Shimizu who was responsible for the original Ju On films as well as the American adaptation The Grudge, one wonders if he had preferred to stay within his comfort zone in yet having to craft a story with children and water, and a tale of revenge even, where a group of childhood friends gets an unexpected visit by one of their own 10 years after her mysterious disappearance. Things get stranger when it is learnt that she had presumably died, and as such, just who is this Yuki (Misako Renbutsu) who turned up. Even stranger is that the group of Ken (Yuya Yagira), Mikoto (Ryo Katsuji), Rin (Ai Maeda) the blind girl and Yuki's sister (Erina Mizuno) all seem to head back without a single recollection toward the scene of their misdemeanour, a house of horrors within the Fuji Q Highland theme park which is fit out to resemble a hospital.

The narrative is a strange brew of reality and fantasy, with even a time warp of sorts get thrown in, complete with the paradox of time travel, which makes it seem a little bit implausible for the non-linear narrative to hold water, other than to suggest that memories can be faulty, especially a collective one from some 10 years ago. The constant flash forwards and flash backs do make it a jarring experience, and forces you to work hard at piecing the fractured stories together, which didn't help when you allow the paradoxes to set in, or have the visuals interfere with solving the mystery of what exactly happened during that fateful day when the children decide to head off on their own to the labyrinth.

But to give credit where it is due, the story does try to add some depth to its characters as we navigate through their individual guilt trips of their involvement pertaining to Yuki's mystery, and even found some time to thrown in some romance into the mix, which on one hand may seem unnecessary, but provided a contribution to motivation on why things do go bump in the night. It examines that collective repressed memories that we tend to bury deep within our subconscious, and what more when this is shared amongst a group who wants to best forget what they're all directly and indirectly responsible for, becoming in turn the victims of their guilt and recipients of their just desserts which the resident spook of the film piles on.

And it is the execution of Yuki's revenge that exploited the best of its atmosphere within the confines of a house of horrors (strangely the title here) that comes complete with porcelain mannequins with grotesque features. The film possesses an incredible depth of field as well to bring out the best of its 3D, while not overdoing its attempts in throwing everything toward the screen, opting to instead take it really slow, like a hand reaching out slowly to grasp something. The character Rin also provided some opportunity to mimic the radar prowess of Daredevil's, which I thought was strange since she could actually see, and probably provided actress Ai Maeda some reprieve from trying to act blind all the time.

Most of the surprises and inevitable twists happen in the final half hour of the film, and while probably not reaching the standards set by the best in J-horror, The Shock Labyrinth certainly does have its moments, other than what you see from the trailer that contained relatively raw looking special effects, and with its numerous bunny scenes made it look rather fluff in treatment.

Complete utter disaster of a film. Nothing works: 3D effects are terrible and gimmicky, the plot is all over the place (above all, boring), and the adult actors seem to be sleep walking through the entire movie. I wish Takashi had stuck with the children and the far more compelling story. After establishing the basic premise of the story, it gets stuck in a pattern of repeating the same things over and over again with a twist here and there until the finale. There were just too many actors and not enough story to make it feature length film. The "horror" scenes are either unintentionally humorous or just boring. Ironically for a director known to build tension and atmosphere in his movies, the creepiness of the famous haunted hospital is completely lost.

For a Japanese horror movie, then "Shock Labyrinth 3D" failed to live up to many of the other Japanese horror movies on the market, in the sense that it wasn't really scary and making you look over your shoulder every five minutes or so - that is, if you are expecting this movie to follow the 'standard formula' of a Japanese ghost movie.

That being said, then don't get me wrong. Even though this movie is not up to par with other Japanese horror movies in the same genre, then "Shock Labyrinth 3D" delivers anyway, and it plays well on having an interesting story that keep evolving and adding new aspects and angles to the same story all throughout the course of the entire movie. And that is what made "Shock Labyrinth 3D" work out so well.

Not forgetting to mention that they actually managed to pull off the 3D effects quite nicely. Of course it is nowhere near the spectacular effects of the 3D version of "Avatar", but still "Shock Labyrinth 3D" managed to deliver to nice effects and work the psyche just the right amount to actually creep under your skin.

I will not venture into reviewing the story, as this movie has the type of story that needs to be seen to be enjoyed in all its fullness. And if you enjoy Japanese movies, horror movies that is, they you should definitely check out "Shock Labyrinth 3D" as it brings something new and interesting to the horror scene. This is more of a psychological thriller with just a hint of horror, than it is actually a horror movie, because it plays so heavily on the psyche.

The story takes place in a run down building which is actually quite disturbing and confusing in itself, in its construction layout and with all the weird stuff that is placed inside it. Plus, the way they made use of the effects and visuals really helped to bring the mood of the setting to live in a great way. There were so many nice details in almost every scene.

As for the people cast for the movie, then I can't really claim to remember having seen any of them in other movies, at least not right on the top of my head. And people did good jobs with their roles, especially Misako Renbutsu (playing Yuki) and Erina Mizuno (playing Myiu), their performance was quite memorable and really played out with their hearts poured into their characters.

The musical score for the movie worked out well enough too, to help add to the mood of the movie. It was just subtle enough to be there in the background, and put in the front when something bizarre was taking place.

If you have the chance to watch the 3D version of "Shock Labyrinth 3D", go for it, don't settle for the regular 2D version, because this was meant to be enjoyed in 3D. I warmly recommend "Shock Labyrinth 3D" to anyone who is looking for a new breath of air to the Japanese horror scene.

As children, Ken, Rin, Motoko, Yuki and Myiu ventured into a closed house of horrors at a local amusement park without the approval of their parents. Four came out, but Yuki was never seen again. Tonight, approximately ten years on, Yuki will return.

Spooky premise? Shock Labyrinth as a movie bears some similarities to Silent Hill, House on Haunted Hill and Ju-On, though, unlike the aforementioned Japanese horror film, the feature, rather than being a combination of events set out of chronological order, provides the audience with an opposing atmosphere, where the past and the present frequently clash to reveal what really happened all those years ago.

Unlike contemporary horror, Yuki (Misako Renbutso) does not appear as a terrifying figure, kicking down the door, only to proclaim 'here's Johnny!'. Rather, she's portrayed as an adorably cute, innocent victim, who, for the entirety of the film is capable of receiving our sympathy. One look into her character's eyes, and we immediately melt, though the same cannot be said for the other leads that occupy this film.

Ken (Yuya Yagira), a young man who has only recently returned for reasons that are not thoroughly provided, and Motoko (Ryo Katsuji), who exhibits dominance over his group of friends, portray stereotypical male characters, who inevitably attempt to exert control over a seemingly uncontrollable situation when things start going wrong.

Myiu (Erina Mizuno), Yuki's younger sister, is as guilt ridden over her sister's disappearance as she is quick to blame her for all the wrongs in her life, while blind character Rin (Ai Maeda), is able to, despite her condition, take note of her surrounds through the environment's vibrations, allowing her to predict what awaits her and others in unexplored areas.

Instead of asking if Yuki is okay, the unanimous reaction upon her arrival is to treat her like a pariah, her four childhood friends initially viewing her as an unwanted hindrance. After an accident leaves Yuki unconscious, she is taken by her friends to the hospital, where they mysteriously discover they are the only people in the seemingly empty establishment. Here, the friends are forced to encounter the fateful day Yuki disappeared, an event most of them would rather forget, and as paranoia and mistrust set in, the characters are forced to confront their hidden desires and honest personalities. A particularly powerful scene involves Rin questioning the legitimacy of people's sympathy, which is just one example.

Friendship, peer pressure, family, resentment, jealousy and unrequited love are just some of the themes explored. Despite this, ironically, many of the characters remain two dimensional in a film marketed as a 3D feature. Besides the depth that is provided in a number of scenes, actual 3D affects are incredibly fleeting, and generally occur when the film happens to be moving in slow motion, which again, happens very infrequently. Often this involves a plush bunny, moving either on its own, or through the air, which, similar to a rabbit been pulled out of a hat, fails to excite after its first appearance.

The movie works best as a mystery, and is, in this sense, similar to a wheel of cheese, but instead of a mouse running off with the slices, the critter is returning them, the viewer being required to watch the entirety of the feature to satisfactorily understand what happened all those years ago. By the end, director Takashi Shimizu provides the audience with enough information to compliment both a rational, or an illogical ending, this decision solely been at the behest of the viewer.

Though there are several unique moments in this feature, the film doesn't prove to be in the slightest scary, and the symbolism of a forest, which appears more than once in the movie, is lost on me I'm afraid. Although this image could literally convey the notion of being lost in the woods, considering the film takes place in an amusement park, a different metaphor might have been appreciated.

Shock Labyrinth neither shocks its audience or provides them with a labyrinth, with corridors and images alike been repetitively explored. Despite its negative features, the mysterious plot will keep your interest peaked, and even if this begins to flounder, the promise of three gorgeous female characters and two handsome men will certainly keep your heart racing. In the end, you will more than likely be wondering: if my friends and I go somewhere we shouldn't, how safe will I truly be?