Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

Marketed as an exploitation double-bill, the new release from Umbrella entertainment sports two less-seen thrillers of the Ozploitation era: James Bogle’s Kadaicha and Colin Eggleston’s Innocent Prey. Though neither have the emotional wallop of more famous genre entries like Wake in Fright or Walkabout, they definitely have their own charms.

As with any good double-bill there’s a significant quality jump between the two films. Kadaicha is the more amateurish of the two, but then that’s the point. It’s a soapy teen drama penned by long-term Neighbours scribe Ian Coughlan and populated with a cast of fresh-faced kids. Kids who pay for the sins of their parents via a murderous Aboriginal curse summoned by a mysterious crystal. Coughlan is riffing on Poltergeist and A Nightmare on Elm Street but the budget doesn’t permit those big budget thrills. It has its moments though; disturbing nightmare sequences see the kids terrorised by a zombie shaman, and there’s a sincere dialogue about the nature of Australia’s relationship with the natives.

The real star of this double bill though, is Innocent Prey.

Only Eggleston’s second film (third if you count his soft core porno debut) Innocent Prey is a savvy and surprisingly brutal serial killer thriller starring scream queen P.J. Soles as the distraught wife of a vicious escaped murderer. Brian May’s soundtrack is hardly a Hermann or Carpenter, but it’s definitely its own thing whilst Ozploitation cinematographer Vincent Morton helps lend some serious atmosphere to these dingy proceedings. Eggleston and Ron McLean’s script is sharper than many of their contemporaries, avoiding the pitfalls of the slasher genre. Characters are smart and quick thinking, kills are brutal and quick, and there’s actually a surprising amount going on.

Eggleston starts with a bathroom murder scene, shot to perfection, in honour of Hitchcock and continues on a path, which feels indebted to the psycho-thrillers of Robert Bloch. Hell, even Martin Balsam (Psycho’s doomed detective Arbogast) shows up as a kindly sheriff out to capture Kit Taylor’s terrifying psychopath. P.J. Soles’ (Halloween, Carrie) involvement, along with the film’s death count, reveals slasher influences, but Eggleton never gives in to the typical beats of that most lucrative sub-genre. Instead, he lets the film play out like a commentary on the nature of horror victims, complete with its own dingy ‘80s look at voyeurism, men, and victimisation.

Innocent Prey dodges exploiting its many kills and horrible ideas, instead going for a brutal immediacy that we saw in those early ‘70s slashers. The result is a film full of surprises and impressively void of stupid lingering shots of gore or dumbass victims. It still feels sleazy due to the directness of it all, especially when the film shifts to the dark muggy environment of the Australian manor and its pallid weirdo of a landlord. At a time when horror movies made the most money based off of the lurid and gory, Innocent Prey is a refreshing film with an impressive amount of wallop, easily recommendable for slasher, thriller, and Ozploitation enthusiasts.

If you’ve not experienced Ozploitation, there are better examples than Kadaicha, but you could do a lot worse than Innocent Prey. What’s on offer here is an inconsistent, but lovable pairing of a supernatural TV movie and a superbly sleazy serial killer thriller.

KADAICHA & INNOCENT PREY / CERT: 15 / DIRECTORS: JAMES BOGLE, COLIN EGGLESTON / SCREENPLAY: IAN COUGHLAN, COLIN EGGLESTON AND RON MCLEAN / STARRING: ZOE KARIDES, TOM JENNINGS, P.J. SOLES, KIT TAYLOR, MARTIN BALSAM / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

This British comedy from one half of The Mighty Boosh, perhaps one of TV’s most insanely wonderful creations, hardly set the UK box office on fire earlier this year despite good reviews, but its release on Blu-Ray and DVD offers a welcome chance to delve deeper into the world of Mindhorn, thanks to some cracking extras.

Richard Thorncroft (Julian Barratt) used to be famous. As the star of Isle of Man based ‘80s TV show Mindhorn, in which he played the title character, a crime fighting cop with a bionic eye, which allowed him literally to see the truth, he enjoyed the trappings of success and excess. But that all stopped when his attempt to make it in Hollywood failed and now, Thorncroft is a has been, balding, overweight and out of work thesp. But when he gets a call from the Manx police, a chance at putting himself back in the spotlight and reconnecting with his old girlfriend presents itself, as a crazed man accused of murder believes Mindhorn to be real and will talk only to him 

Mindhorn is a glorious creation, played to absolute perfection by Julian Barratt, who also co-wrote. Anyone old enough to remember the likes of The Professionals or Bergerac will love the knowingly recreated part of the film set in the show’s heyday, whilst the story set in the present is filled with great characters and some brilliant laughs. It doesn’t always work (it’s no Hot Fuzz) but it works more than enough.

Barratt is joined by the likes of Essie Davis (The Babadook), Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge being the closest character to Mindhorn in terms of ego and total lack of self awareness), with serious actors like Andrea Riseborough (so unexpected in Oblivion) and even Kenneth Branagh joining in the fun.

As a comedy, it’s laugh out loud funny, as a homage to more innocent TV days it’s enormous fun and it even manages the odd moment of pathos. 

This home release looks great, despite the filmmakers going to great lengths to ensure that the sections from the 80s TV show have a genuinely old school feel to them, bringing back memories of top loading VCRs and static lines interrupting your viewing pleasure.

A host of extras includes interviews and insights into the inspiration for the character, and some based around the show itself. 

The best of these comes from a scene in the film, which says that Thorncroft had had a hit album back in the ‘80s. So, included in the extras is the video for the hit single ‘You Can’t Handcuff the Wind.’ So perfect is it in its pompous ridiculousness and so spot on is the recreation of the pop videos of that era, it’s worth buying the disc just for this. 

MINDHORN / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: SEAN FOLEY / SCREENPLAY: JULIAN BARRATT, SIMON FARNABY / STARRING: JULIAN BARRATT, ESSIE DAVIS, STEVE COOGAN, ANDREA RISEBOROUGH / RELEASE DATE: 4TH SEPTEMBER 

Plot-wise, Batman (Kevin Conroy) and Nightwing (Loren
Lister) find themselves tasked with stopping the twisted plan of Poison Ivy
(Paget Brewster) and the Floronic Man (Kevin Michael Richardson). With the future of mankind hanging in the balance, the long-time
Dynamic Duo have no choice but to seek out the help of none other than Harleen
Quinzel, aka the Joker’s main squeeze: Harley Quinn (Melissa Rauch). It’s a
largely paint-by-numbers story, and the main adventure itself is absolutely
fine. It’s elsewhere that many may ultimately take issue with Batman and Harley Quinn, though. And
boy, are there issues here.

First and foremost, when we first meet up with Harley we see
her complaining about being viewed by some lowlife as a sexual object – only to
then spend the entirety of the film being positioned as a sexual object by the
minds behind Batman and Harley Quinn.
From close-ups of her derriere, to her stripping to her underwear, to her
actually shaking her breasts at one point, it’s easy to see why many fans would
be in uproar at how sexualised Quinn has become here. In addition, there’s
actually a scene based around Harley farting up a storm that causes the
Batmobile to pull over, and then the ending will have plenty of viewers
slapping their head in frustration as they mouth obscenities at the screen.

That’s not to say that Batman
and Harley Quinn is a total dud, and the animation style and certain
elements of its tone will conjure up fond memories of the much-loved Batman: The Animated Series – which in
turn is helped by the returns of Conroy and Lister as the Caped
Crusader and Nightwing. And while it may be a little off-putting initially to
not hear the vocals of Arleen Sorkin or even Tara Strong as Harleen, Melissa Rauch
does an impressive job as the Maid of Mischief. Elsewhere, there’s plenty of
nods and winks to keep eagle-eyed DC fans busy, while the music used throughout
the feature manages to hit the right beats brilliantly; with Harleen’s take on
Blondie’s Hanging on the Telephone even
having the Dark Knight himself tapping along.

Overall, Batman and
Harley Quinn is a mixed bag that struggles to know what it wants to be,
with fun, kid-friendly antics and some genuinely funny lines thrown together
with some more suggestive adult content and the at-times horrifically
sexualised take on Harley. Being perfectly honest, the movie is a rare misstep
for Warner Brothers’ animated DC output, and it feels horribly misjudged at
several points. Making this even more annoying is that there was such potential
here, and even now there are elements of the film that are hugely appealing –
the fluid animation style that harks back to Batman: The Animated Series, the excellent musical nods, the many
DC references, Conroy and Lister making the best of what they’re given, and
Rauch proving a strong choice as Harley Quinn – but it comes to down the fact
that, regardless of how much you find yourself enjoying parts of Batman and Harley Quinn, it’s ultimately
too much of a struggle to override the negatives.

By this stage of the game, Warner Bros. and director Sam Liu
have earned our trust when it comes to this animated universe, so here’s hoping
that lessons can be learned from Batman
and Harley Quinn’s failings and this is simply a blip on the radar. And in
case you need a little pick-me-up afterwards, the sneak peek at next year’s Gotham by Gaslight adaptation looks
phenomenal, not to mention there’s two brilliant Harley-centric Batman: The Animated Series episodes
included on this release to raise your spirits.

Special Features:
Sneak peek at Batman: Gotham by Gaslight / Two featurettes / Two bonus episodes
of Batman: The Animated Series / Trailers

BATMAN AND HARLEY
QUINN / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: SAM LIU / SCREENPLAY: JAMES KRIEG, BRUCE TIMM /
STARRING: KEVIN CONROY, MELISSA RAUCH, LOREN LESTER, PAGET BREWSTER, KEVIN
MICHAEL RICHARDSON / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Just a couple of minutes into Blood Diner, Uncle Anwar breaks down his sister’s front door to pass a mystical amulet down to his infant nephews, before heading back outside where he is gunned down by waiting police officers. Fast forward twenty years, and nephews George and Michael set out to dig up and reanimate the remains of Uncle Anwar so that he can instruct them on how to prepare the Lumerian Feast, an ancient ritual that will summon the goddess Sheetar. We’re not entirely sure why they want to do this, but we’ll go with it. A passing security guard takes a whack on the back of the head from a shovel, and his eyeballs fly out of his head and roll across the ground.

The rest of the movie takes in plenty of killings, mass cannibalism, a foul-mouthed talking brain in a jar, nude aerobics, a wrestling match, questionable acting, even more questionable accents, projectile vomiting, naked karate, and one of the wildest and most riotous final acts of the ‘80s. If you enjoy your horror with a huge helping of goofy tongue in cheek humour, Blood Diner absolutely needs to be on your list.

This Blu-Ray edition cleans up the visual quality of the previous DVD release, although there are still a few grainy scenes (particularly the darker shots) and the audio often seems to go a touch out of sync. Neither of these are ultimately too distracting – although the picture and audio are occasionally as inconsistent as the acting, it’s easily the best version of Blood Diner we’ve seen up to now – but anyone who expects their Blu-Rays to be flawless from beginning to end might be a little disappointed.

The extras on this disc, however, are anything but disappointing, with plenty of interesting material that fans of the film are sure to enjoy. Director Jackie Kong gives a rare on-camera interview as part of an hour-long “making of” feature, which also includes interviews with key members of the cast and crew, interspersed with behind the scenes photos to add an extra layer of interest. Kong also provides a solo commentary track throughout the entire movie, although a lot of information is repeated between this and the “making of” feature. We’d recommend starting with the making of, and saving the audio track for a rainy day. Add in the usual TV adverts, stills gallery, radio spots etc., and we’ve got all the ingredients for a fine main course.

Blood Diner is a hugely entertaining film in its own right, and this package makes a very attractive proposition for both owners of the previous DVD edition as well as newcomers with an interest in the sillier side of horror. Just don’t think too hard about the snacks you’re eating while you watch…

BLOOD DINER / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: JACKIE KONG / SCREENPLAY: MICHAEL SONYE / STARRING: RICK BURKS, CARL CREW, ROGER DAUER / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Richard O’Brien’s sort-of-but-not-quite-sequel to the Rocky Horror Picture Show has pretty much flown under the radar ever since it was first released in 1981. A musical featuring several Rocky characters and cast members (although only one single actor is re-cast as their original RHPS counterpart), Shock Treatment joins Brad and Janet several years after their encounter with Frank-N-Furter. Coerced into taking part in a marriage-guidance game show, it soon becomes apparent that the entire town of Denton is actually a massive TV set in which every single citizen plays their part either in front of or behind the scenes. And one of them in particular has a more sinister motive than others…

While not as well known as Rocky, Shock Treatment features all the hallmarks of Richard O’Brien’s madcap genius. Crazy characters played with glee by a host of familiar faces, including two turns from Cliff de Young (Brad) who is almost unrecognisable as the main villain Farley Flavors. The strikingly colourful visuals are brought to life on this Blu-Ray transfer, with details that we hadn’t picked up on despite seeing the film on DVD countless times in the past. The soundtrack – included here as a bonus audio CD – has a more mature edge to it than Rocky, but is just as memorable. The default stereo audio track is as clear as you could want it to be, and there’s an isolated music and sound effects track for those wanting to act along at home. Surely someone must do that sort of thing? Unfortunately though, we must report that the 5.1 track features the same audio dropout during the opening song which has plagued older DVD releases, which is a shame for those with big fancy speaker systems.

Despite not fixing that audio blip, Arrow Video have gone all-out with this release, furnishing us with more extra bits and pieces than you could have imagined. All of the previous DVD “archive” featurettes, interviews and commentaries are included, as well as a brand new commentary by Patricia Quinn and “Little” Nell Campbell. Quinn also appears elsewhere in conversation with Mark Kermode, and there are new features about the soundtrack and cover songs, as well as “fan made content” of slightly dubious quality, but we’re fine with that. There’s also that bonus soundtrack CD, as well as a double-sided poster, mix and match cards, and a collector’s booklet.

We’ll leave it up to you to decide whether you want to knock a point off for the inclusion of the brief audio dropout. We’ll argue that it isn’t the end of the world, and as an overall package, this is as close to perfect as we’re going to get. 

SHOCK TREATMENT / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: JIM SHARMAN / SCREENPLAY: JIM SHARMAN, RICHARD O’BRIEN / STARRING: JESSICA HARPER, CLIFF DE YOUNG, RICHARD O’BRIEN, PATRICIA QUINN / RELEASE DATE: 11TH SEPTEMBER

It would be fair to say the themes within Travis Milloy’s Infinity Chamber are verging on those present in generic sci-fi. Hints of a dystopian world, a corrupt, ruthless government, and both subtle and obvious nods toward Terry Gilliam’s Brazil (1985), George Orwell’s 1984 (1984), and a host of others. And yet, there is something intriguingly original in how Milloy assembles the borrowed parts, creating a film that tantalises to the end, keeping familiarity just out of reach.

Abducted and imprisoned in an ultra-modern facility, Frank’s (Soren Kelly) sole interaction is with a black globe hanging from the ceiling of his lacquered cell. With an all-seeing-eye ‘Howard’ attempts to guide Frank as his LSO (Life Support Operative), declaring its one goal is to make his time as pleasant as possible.

Soren Kelly delivers a truly engaging performance as Frank; haunted, and confused, by memories or visions of what he remembers from his life prior to imprisonment. Working back through the often vague and varying images he tries to assemble a coherent narrative for his incarceration, while constantly trying to outwit the largely benevolent Howard. As the audience, you learn as Frank does, dissecting the flashbacks he seems partly in control of, all the while attempting to work out just what is going on in the present.

Where Infinity Chamber is particularly strong is in its simplicity. Centred largely on two locations – the cell, and the coffee shop that is the focus of Frank’s memories – the narrative remains tightly woven, with rough edges kept to a strict minimum. Dialogue is often sparse, as each interaction is carefully constructed to either add depth to the mystery of Frank’s past or slowly fill in the gaps in his present. Skillfully, Milloy balances the elements to keep you intrigued, and when the revelations come they are both justified and strangely expected.

If there is a downside, it is in the partial repetitiveness of some of those interactions. As the mystery slowly unfolds, moments are revisited time and again and while purposeful in drawing out the plot along ambiguous lines, occasionally serve to frustrate. A fine balance must be trodden, and while Milloy largely handles that line with style and conviction, one or two scenes feel somewhat superfluous.

That said, these are minor criticisms for a film that achieves exactly what it sets out to do. As a genre film, there is more in Infinity Chamber to justify the sci-fi thriller moniker than you’ll find in much of whatever property Hollywood chooses to recycle. Wholly original it may not be, but this is a film that proves what can still be done when a good idea is implemented well.

INFINITY CHAMBER / CERT: TBC /DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: TRAVIS MILLOY / STARRING: CHRISTOPHER SOREN KELLY, CASSANDRA CLARK, CHUCK KLEIN / RELEASE DATE: VOD OUT NOW

Michael Winner’s Death Wish movies have always been contentious, much like most of the late director’s films. The second instalment, made eight years after the blockbusting first, was the most controversial, with cuts demanded to the brutal gang rape scene almost everywhere. The fully uncut version is now available on Blu-ray from Australian company Umbrella, alongside Winner’s vigilante swan song Death Wish 3.

Following his brush with vigilantism in New York, architect Paul Kersey (Bronson) has moved to LA and attempting to live a normal life. His daughter Carol (Robin Sherwood) is still traumatised from the attack that caused the death of her mother and has stopped speaking. While taking her out, Kersey is mugged by a group of thugs. Using his driving licence, they head to his home only to find his housekeeper preparing his evening meal. While they are waiting for him to return, they sickeningly rape and kill her, then kidnap his daughter when they’ve knocked him unconscious. Carol attempts to escape the same ordeal but is impaled on some railings and dies. So Kersey begins avenging once more. 
In Death Wish 3, Kersey returns to New York, only this time to the toughest neighbourhood where an old friend has asked for help. He gets there just as he has been beaten to death by the local gang and his natural instinct kicks in. This time, however, he’s got the backing of both the local chief of police and the aging residents.

As troubling as the subject matter is, and as horrendously disturbing the attack sequence is, there’s a lot to enjoy in Winner’s Death Wish movies. The second film reprises the plot of the first sure enough, but with the added attraction of a marvellous synth score from none other than former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page (some of which is repeated in the third movie even tough Page had nothing to do with it). Seeing the rape scene in its full uncut glory is uncomfortable but it also underlines just how reprehensible these thugs are (one of whom is a young Laurence Fishburne). What’s easy to forget is just how much of a charismatic lead Bronson was; no matter how extreme his measures are, we’re always rooting for him. Particularly in the third film, where the believability factor is at its lowest. Again, the thugs are thoroughly despicable, society has broken down so much at this point in the saga that rather than 1986, you’ll be convinced it’s 2017.

Despite the controversial elements, the films are very enjoyable and, to use a well-worn cliché, they don’t make them like this anymore – which makes the upcoming Bruce Willis-starring remake of the original film all the more redundant.

The HD transfer is adequate with some grain and vivid colours (particularly in Death Wish 3), but nothing to celebrate. The special features on the Blu-ray are mostly transferred from sub-par VHS by the looks of things so are interesting curios but nothing of any archival value. There are a few extended interview outtakes from the Cannon documentary Electric Boogaloo, though. A DVD is provided, too, which contains not one but three different edits of Death Wish II. The R-rated cut is the same quality as previously released, but the TV version and Greek VHS cut (which was the most complete release prior to this Blu-ray) are pretty substandard, particularly the latter. We can imagine they’ll only be watched as a curio or for those who long for the days of pirate copies of uncut movies on VHS.

DEATH WISH II (1982) & DEATH WISH 3 (1986) / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: MICHAEL WINNER / SCREENPLAY: DAVID ENGELBACH, DON JAKOBY / STARRING: CHARLES BRONSON, JILL IRELAND, VINCENT GARDENIA, MARTIN BALSAM / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Although Channel 5 holds the broadcast rights to Gotham in the UK, it has elected to refrain from actually airing the third season of Gotham. This makes this DVD collection the first chance that fans on this side of the pond will have to watch Gotham‘s third season through official means.

Occasionally Gotham will make use of background music that either comes from one of the Burton films, or feels like it would have fit in perfectly among the rest of those films’ scores. This may seem like it’s an odd point to start with but it highlights how similar in tone this series is to those movies. Gotham really does feel like an answer to Burton’s take on Batman in television form. The third season is no exception. The plots are purposefully bizarre, the actors fully embrace their roles, and the sets combine the theatrical garish with the grim and gritty. 

Gotham has a wide array of characters, and it manages to more or less balance them all. There are a couple of exceptions, Fish Mooney is mostly forgotten this season (despite the promise she showed in season 2), and Ivy’s characterisation leaves a lot to be desired. The highlight of this season comes in the form of the dynamic between Edward Nygma, and the Penguin. Their scenes together make for some of the most emotional, and some of the tensest this season.

The plot may be where Gotham Season 3 loses some people. It involves clones, secret societies, and as always, the mob is up to something. Gotham successfully navigates these things by fully embracing the over the top nature of it all, but your mileage may vary as to how successfully they pull that off.

Gotham Season 3 comes with a small offering of extras for viewers to enjoy. Anyone who didn’t attend San Diego Comic Con last year can watch Gotham‘s panel. There are also a couple of glimpses behind the scenes of the show, including Ben McKenzie (the actor who plays James Gordon) discussing what it is like to sit in the director’s chair for the first time. Between them the extras are worth a look but won’t take up a great deal of time to get through.

Gotham Season 3 is the strange union of melodrama, crime thriller, and superhero tale. The returning cast all get a chance to shine, and new characters (such as Jervis Tetch) all add something fun to the show. This collection offers fans the chance to finally catch up on the show. It offers a small array of extra features that are acceptable without being substantial. As a whole Gotham Season 3 is worth checking out.

GOTHAM SEASON 3/ CERT: 15/ DIRECTOR: VARIOUS/ WRITERS: VARIOUS/ STARRING: BEN MCKENZIE, ROBIN LORD TAYLOR, CORY MICHAEL SMITH, SEAN PERTWEE, CAMREN BICONDOVA, MORENA BACCARIN, DAVID MAZOUZ/ RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Mario Bava is well known as a horror master of Italian cinema, but much like his fellow countryman Lucio Fulci, Bava moved across numerous genres including science fiction, thrillers, comedies and in examples like his Erik the Conquerer, historical action. Erik is at its core a loose remake of Richard Fleischer’s 1958 classic The Vikings, made just three years later in 1961.

 

It’s a similar tale of Viking brothers separated in youth, here during a battle between English and Viking forces, with one (Erik) being raised by the Queen of England and the other (Eron) becoming a Viking leader. Some two-plus decades later the men are destined to meet again when Erik becomes leader of his Queen’s navy and Eron becomes leader of a new raiding party. That events do not entirely go well for either is unlikely to come as a surprise.

 

Things start unpromisingly in a programmer-style action sequence, but that quickly changes when we go back to the Viking homeland. Unable to shoot on location Bava displays he was a master of invention and makes it a visual spectacle that harks back to his previous film Hercules in the Haunted World, full of grisly motifs and vivid colours. From then on the film competes with itself, the script and performances mostly never more than fine (except for Cameron Mitchell who is a force of charisma even when not trying), but the shot-framing, use of colour, design and scale very much Bava. It’s not a particularly outstanding film, but the touches Mario brings to it make it something more and whilst perhaps more appealing to Bava completists, still generally entertaining.

 

This new Arrow release has enough added in to make it worthwhile for those who follow the director’s work. First up is a new restoration scan of the print, which in releases like this is vital to showcase how Bava used his cinematographer’s eye to enrich his films. It’s in remarkable shape for a film that was almost meant to just be shown in theatres and then forgotten about, and does credit to Bava. There’s a very fine updated audio commentary by Tim Lucas, who knows a staggering amount about Bava and shares it here. For those interested, there’s a ‘visual essay’ on how Erik stacks up against its inspiration, and an audio-only interview with Cameron Mitchell from the late ‘80s which is a nice addition. For early purchasers there’s also a booklet with writing by Kat Ellinger on the film.

 

It’s an average but fun action epic enlivened by a great director. The Arrow release provides a fine print which compliments those important visuals along with some interesting extras to earn a recommendation.

 

ERIK THE CONQUEROR / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: MARIO BAVA / SCREENPLAY: ORESTE BIANCOLI, PIERO PIEROTTI, MARIO BAVA / STARRING: GIORGIO ARDISSON, CAMERON MITCHELL, ANDREA CHECCHI / RELEASE DATE: 28TH AUGUST

When his mother dies, 9-year-old Ren figures he’d rather take his chances on the mean streets of Tokyo’s Shibuya district than move in with his cousins. A moody lad by nature, his scowling-around-dustbins routine catches the eye of Kumatetsu, a cloaked beast wandering the city in search of a human apprentice he can train up to replace him as an ass-kicking warrior in the Beast Kingdom, a realm only accessible via a Harry Potter-style magic passageway. It all seems fair enough to Ren, who could use a change of scene. Now renamed Kyuta, the boy proves a fast learner and develops a unique ability to predict his surly Master’s next move. But wouldn’t you know it, there’s a storm coming… 

Director Mamoru Hosoda is no slouch with this kind of family-friendly material. Previous successes The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars and Wolf Children have seen him snapping at the heels of the great (and currently rebooting) Studio Ghibli, to which he owes a clear debt in his approach to both story and animation (he was tapped up by Ghibli to direct Howl’s Moving Castle but left early on and has named his new company ‘Studio Chizu’). It’s proven to be a commercially sound strategy – The Boy and the Beast was Japan’s second highest grossing of the year when released there back in 2015. 

While the animation is breath-taking, the characters are less well-served. Leading lad Kyuta’s backstory is dashed-off almost as a convenience in the first few minutes and the emotional ‘journey’ he goes on is entirely predictable, albeit in ways that make us complicit with some by-the-numbers moralising. On the up-side, Kyuta’s relationship with Kumatetsu/The Beast’ is defined through a series of wonderfully antagonistic dialogue exchanges that knocks their father/surrogate son trajectory away from cliché towards something altogether more believable and affecting. It’s a good job this odd couple are so much fun to be around, because the two-hour running time could easily lose a few of their kendo training sessions. 

But it looks fantastic. Momoda’s penchant for meticulously detailed vistas teaming with life is well represented in scenes of Tokyo’s densely populated streets and the gargantuan battle arena of the Beast Kingdom. And while it lacks the mind-bending visual ingenuity of some of his earlier works, having the story’s divergent worlds of fantasy and reality intersect in the final act is a welcome opportunity for some trademark weirdness, not least a giant whale shadow that comes seething over the city, casting a deadly firestorm wherever it falls. You won’t see that in The Lion King.

With story beats taken from Disney, Star Wars and The Karate Kid, this crowd-pleasing blockbuster aims high and largely scores. Keep Mr Hosoda on your anime radar. 

THE BOY AND THE BEAST / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: MAMORU HOSODA / STARRING: KŌJI YAKUSHO, AOI MIYAZAKI, SHŌTA SOMETANI / RELEASE DATE: 4TH SEPTEMBER