Utter nonsense

Rating: 2/10 (4 July 2013)

I very rarely take the time to write reviews on here unless I feel extremely strongly about a film, and in this case, I find it quite difficult to fathom how this garbage has any good reviews. I was honestly looking forward to seeing it for the first time after hearing about how many people enjoyed it, and knowing what a famous film it is. Reading the synopsis it sounded like a movie with a good storyline and a lot of potential. I, also, am normally one to love a bit of bloodshed in action, thriller, horror or sci-fi films but this movie was just totally ridiculous and over the top. About half the movie was in what I assume was Japanese with no subtitles, which really didn't make it any more difficult to figure out what was happening in regards to the storyline but it did make the film a whole lot more frustrating to watch, and with much of the dialogue in Japanese as well, it really stopped me as from engaging, feeling sorry for, or connecting with any of the characters. Good for you if you speak English and Japanese I suppose. The worst part though, was all the absurd violence. I was literally staring in disgust and shaking my head in disbelief. The whole movie contains graphic violence, all of it entirely ridiculous. There are people getting limbs hacked off left right and centre with fountains of blood spurting from the wounds, psychotic 17 year old girls who like killing things and a fight scene where around 200 people can't take down one whack-job woman. I can see the humour in unrealistic violence when it's done in a light- hearted sense, and I can also see the point of some more heavy violence to create a certain atmosphere, but in this movie what was meant to be a serious plot, was utter rubbish, with people losing more blood than what would even be insides someone's body to begin with. It was totally unnecessary, unbelievable and without the ability to draw any emotional reaction. Not only this, but half the movie was in animation, once again preventing any attachment or interest in any of the characters wellbeing. I understand possibly this movie was meant to be of the 'arthouse' genre, but even so it was disengaging, ridiculous, boring and downright stupid, like someone made it up as they went along and ran out of time before the end. The only half decent thing throughout the whole movie was the music, but if that's of any interest I suggest downloading the soundtrack, rather than wasting your time on this atrocity. I sat through the whole thing, hoping the ending would redeem the rest of the film, but was wrong. I'm kicking myself for electing to watch this stupid film instead or Sherlock Holmes. Bah!