The Machine Girl

Directed By: Noboru Iguchi

Starring: Minase Yashiro, Asami, Kentaro Shimazu, Honoka

Synopsis:

The life of a young, Japanese schoolgirl is destroyed when her family is killed by a Ninja-Yakuza family. Her arm is amputated and a father, who has lost a son to the same killers, helps by constructing a mini-gun for the stump in order that revenge can be carried out.



Review:

You’ll know within five minutes of the movie if it’s the film for you, and if you remember and liked The Story of Riki and it’s over the top, manga inspired violence then this is a perfect movie for you. It’s gore quotient is high and it doesn’t take itself seriously. Whilst there’s nothing original here, the movie is well acted, directed and produced.

One would be forgiven for thinking that this was based upon a best selling Manga title, but from the opening, it’s clear that the movie has Grindhouse cinema roots, and the heroine is almost a nod to Rose McGowan’s Cherry Darling from Planet Terror. Those familiar with Kill Bill Vol 1 might recognise the reference in the final battle, that of an amputating weapon on a chain. The amputation of the heroine, leading to the construction of a machine gun replacement limb is also reminiscent of Robocop. All this is good stuff and definitely a homage, if at all intentional.

Having soft-core stars is interesting as there is no overt nudity in the flick. The director cleverly flirts with the idea, and the movie appears to promise a shot of nudity but it never happens. Instead, the camera drools over Minase Yashiro as she slices and dices dressed as a Japanese fantasy schoolgirl.

A good revenge flick is only as good as it’s bad guys, and this picture delivers in decent ones. From the Yakuza father who “is soft” on his victims to the sleazy, sexy, Yakuza mother who is worse than any of them and wears a special brassiere no school boy would even want to attempt removing. Many of the characters are twisted caricatures that play like something out of the UK comedy League of Gentlemen, at times. The main example being the cackling mother that tempura fries the heroines’ arm. The sight of her holding up an arm covered in spiky batter is macabre and typical of the movie’s over the top nature.

The plot is rice paper-thin enough to hang the action/horror set pieces from but has evidence of Pathos, although not dwelt long enough to confuse the viewer into thinking that it’s anything other than it is; a decent, action packed horror comedy. If there is a message, it’s an anti-bullying message. However, I’m not quite sure how seriously the film makers thought about this when they made it.

The main staple of this movie is the violence. To some, it might seem brutal but I think that the target audience will thrill at the pneumatic arterial spray that is so forceful you can see the smoke from the mechanisms thrusting the fake blood out; so much so that the lens blood spatter hasn’t been placed in post-production as an added effect. There are murders galore and I’ve mentioned the Tempura arm already. Bad guys get their heads hollowed out by bullets, fingers are used as Sashimi, heads are ripped off by a Ninja weapon. Wicked looking Shuriken fly through the air to dismember, cut and slice; Gorehounds can’t go wrong!

Verdict:

A word to the wise; Don’t watch the trailer. It gives away too much. If this movie sounds like it’s your thing, then it more than likely is. It’s crude, loud and full of ultra-violence and another reason why Cine-Asia is one of the most exciting DVD labels around at the moment, alongside Momentum, Optimum and Metrodome.

7/10 (Wayfarer)

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