Chanbara Beauty

Directed by: Yôhei Fukuda

Starring: Eri Otoguro, Tomohiro Waki, Manami Hashimoto

Synopsis:

In the not-too-distant future, evil mad scientist Dr Sugita, has devised a way of reanimating the dead and has unleashed a zombie epidemic on the world. Through the zombie infested wilderness walks Aya (Otoguro), a sexy but sombre, sword wielding zombie-killing machine, and her colleague Katsuji. Whilst pausing now and again to help survivors, Aya’s sole purpose is to find her younger sister Suki, who was recruited by Dr Sugita and had murdered their father. Along the way, Aya and Katsuji join forces with Reiko, a highly skilled gunfighter, and together they make their way towards Dr Sugita’s fortress. However, the journey is not easy and each must face very personal perils along the way...



Review:

Based on the video game Onichanbara, Chanbara Beauty mixes video-game dynamics with a script full of emotional conflict as well as visceral zombie-killing action. It is a strange brew but it works quite well.

On a superficial level, Chanbara beauty is a straightforward, live-action adaptation of the game – two sexily dressed young woman wielding swords and guns against an army of undead, with a few “end of level” baddies thrown in and a climax with the Big Boss.

However, the script contains a lot of pathos and emotion as we learn in stages the back stories of our characters. For example, at first Katsuji gives a very bravado account of what happened to him and his sister, but later must confront the truth when he comes across his zombified sibling. Reiko also has a heartbreaking tale to tell and tries to find redemption in saving a traumatised young girl called Maria.

Fans of zombie movies will appreciate the shambling hordes although some of the zombie makeup is a little iffy. Similarly the film relies almost wholly on CGI blood (and limbs, decapitated heads etc) – something I’m not a fan of but it fits the overall videogame aesthetic. For the finale we are treated to a huge battle as our heroes confront Dr Sugita and his zombie army – a battle that might not have a foregone conclusion, I might add.

Verdict:

Amidst the video-game visuals lies quite a down-beat story of revenge and redemption. The action is fast and furious and easy on the eye as are the two co-stars. If you enjoy this, you might like to know that a sequel is on the way!

6 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)