User Reviews

I think a large part of the negative reaction comes from expectations about what the film is or should be.

First of all, this is not a remake of Tampopo, nor is it about food. It actually borrows more from "Like Water for Chocolate" than Tampopo, but the food subplot is an afterthought and a bit of a distraction.

It isn't really a rom-com though there is a romantic interest in there. Nor is it really a East meets West type of thing either though that certainly is an element.

It is a story about a young girl, who like many young people have wandered aimlessly expecting that life will just happen for them. The Japanese expectation that a big company will take care of them for life is not that much different from the American expectations. Our ramen girl discovers that such a lack of passion and spirit, even when the ingredients are there and all the right steps are followed will lead to a bland soup. A simple metaphor but done fairly well.

Brittany Murphy is surprisingly good as the ramen girl and her interactions with the gruff ramen-nazi (wonderfully played by Toshiyuki Nishida) are hilarious. The development of the relationship between the two of them was very well done.

I quite enjoyed this film and recommend it as a light pleasant diversion that brings a smile to your face - like a good bowl of ramen should...

Strange thing about this movie is that it has a lot of things wrong with it, but it is still a good movie, because it has a lot of "charm". Not the kind of charm in a movie that is overly contrived, but an actual sincere charm - which is hard to find. Most credit goes to Brittany Murphy for the charm, because she is such a naturally, sweet girl that she just delivers that quality to the whole film. The first problem I would love to address is the Cover of the DVD/Poster/Ad, because it is really awful. It has a "reverse stereotype" of Brittany Murphy in a Kimono with hands clasped. This would be okay for a film that one would think is about a soft-porn, submissive female on Cinemax, but it is not - it's more in the line of Karate Kid, and Shall we Dance. The People who watch expecting to see some White girl in Japan in hot, sexy escapades will be disappointed, and the People who usually watch more cultural, art films would avoid it thinking it's just soft-porn, so this "Cover" just disappoints everyone. The Marketing Dept. should learn from the people who market Fast & the Furious, because those movies sucks big, but always pulls in the audience because people know what to expect.

Watching Brittany Murphy's films posthumously makes you realize that although many of her movies weren't that great, SHE was a REAL shining star. She was the Marilyn Monroe of her era - bright-eyed, innocent, full of life and wonder. Her childlike hunger to learn is most evident in The Ramen Girl and this part was made for her. Too bad the supporting actors weren't as good... too bad the script was mediocre. It was a terrific idea and Brittany's acting makes it worth watching. She will charm you and, like other coming of age movies, you'll be inspired to want to change your life somehow or do your best at what you're doing now. Watch Brittany and take in her many-faceted soul in this and her other films and you'll be enchanted.

This film is about an American girl who uses a Ramen shop as her haven after being dumped by her boyfriend. There, she experiences and learns more than she unexpected to.

"The Ramen Girl" is actually enjoyable to watch. I particularly like the way that it treats Japanese culture with respect. This can be seen by not Americanising the Japanese characters, using plenty of Japanese language in the film and also using actors who actually speaks fluent Japanese. Hearing a Japanese ramen chef explaining the spirit of ramen is quite inspirational, as one could see so much dedication and respect for something seemingly insignificant. "The Ramen Girl" is more than just a romantic comedy or a "Lost in Translation" rip off. It is a good way to introduce Japanese culture, values and traditions to other cultures. I enjoyed "The Ramen Girl" a lot, and I hope it reaches a wider audience.

A young woman Abby (Brittany Murphy) travels to Tokyo to see her boyfriend and he promptly breaks up with her and she gets a job works in a Tokyo noodle restaurant, where she finds out it is an art form to create one of Japan's favorite dishes. She trains under Japanese master Maezumi (Toshiyuki Nishida) who tests her and teaches her lessons in life and cooking. This is a fun little film and I wasn't expecting to like it so much. There is a lot about Japanese culture and traditions that most Americans like me don't understand , when I think of noodles I think of cheap dried noodles as a food of last resort. There are to this film credit sub titles for the Japanese; I think that if they had of put actor speaking in English it would have been very unauthentic. So there is some very interesting scenes of Tokyo that you don't see in most films, a kind of realistic view of Japanese life. It's nice to watch an Asian film with no martial arts, or weird horror plot, this is more of a romantic comedy and some drama. It's a feel good movie and was suggested to me by a friend as a movie to watch and review, she was right . Brickthrewglass.com

Never heard of this movie before my sister started playing it. I guess it wasn't marketed very well. All in all, the movie was enjoyable, especially if you're a fan of Brittany Murphy. She did a pretty great job and it's always pleasant to her smile. Her interactions with her teacher were the best parts of the movie.

There was no real need for the other non-Japanese characters as their subplots didn't add much to the movie. Nor was there any real end to their story. The ending was quick and not well thought out, but still okay. Other than that, a very watchable and at times pretty funny movie. Made me crave Ramen!!!

14 June 2009. Shot on location this drama is unique in that it attempts to portray a spoiled (rich) girl literally abandoned in Tokyo Japan and whose solace is found in learning to cook Ramen noodles from a grumpy and difficult Ramen cook. What makes this movie special is its heavy use of actual Japanese dialogue with subtitles and Brittany Murphy's character's actual very limited Japanese. What happens on screen is a rarely seen storyline where the main characters are relatively clueless as to what the other person is talking about. Somewhat like ENEMY MINE (1985), a sci fi movie where the protagonist and antagonist are aliens to each other, Brittany's character and her sensei (teacher) must bumble through somehow. There is also suggestive similarities to SIMPLY Irresistible (1999) where Sarah Michelle Gellar cooks up emotional dishes but without the literal magic in that movie. Unfortunately a few editing problems and storyline line flow are disrupted by the sometimes later collapse or confusion as to the English/Japanese language barrier (where there are a few scenes where it's confusing as to how much Japanese and English the characters understand, and also some underdeveloped backstories and follow-through on their emotionally satisfying resolution (the sensei's son for example). While played as a drama, it is somewhat light on the drama which in some ways misses the opportunity to play it even more straight and serious which may have enabled this movie to become an actual serious contender for an award. The ending also didn't seem to quite gel in some ways as the abrupt nature of the changes in Brittany's character's life seem somewhat sudden and inconsistent with how the movie seemed to be flowing.

As one who has lived in Japan and has eaten REAL Ramen, I enjoyed this movie just from that perspective. However, I was touched on other levels as well.

There is a depth to this movie that sadly many viewers simply will not be able to comprehend. This is a movie that goes beyond the technicality or "head thinking" aspect of a craft and addresses the heart or "spirit" of doing something.

This is clearly a movie about redemption. It is a movie about relationships. And, it is a movie about cross-cultural understanding and communication.

Ramen Girl touched my heart, and I hope it will touch yours as well.

One of the strangest and most enjoyable Japanese films I have seen in "Tampopo"--a wonderful film about a woman who is struggling to make her ramen noodle shop the greatest on the planet. It's quirky and lovable. Now, with "The Ramen Girl", similar material is being explored and the results are quite pleasant if not in the same league as "Tampopo".

Brittany Murphy stars as Abby--a rather spoiled and stupid young woman who foolishly has come to Tokyo to follow a man. She knows none of the language and is totally in over her head--especially since her only focus is this guy. When he breaks up with her, she has nothing.

One night, she goes to a nearby ramen shop. There, the owner and his wife speak no English and Abby speaks no Japanese yet somehow she muddles through. After eating the ramen, she is captivated--so much so that she comes back the next night. Soon this dippy lady has a plan--to learn to make ramen like the masters. But, as she knows no Japanese and the owner/chef knows no English, getting this point across to him is practically impossible. So, instead of his taking her on as an apprentice, she becomes like an annoying squatter who won't go home! Reluctantly, he teaches her.

This is a film I would rate higher in enjoyment than I would overall. This is because too often the film simply makes no sense nor does Abby. How she learns all this without really understanding the language and culture as well as how and why the man teaches her are all a mystery! It's enjoyable but mindless as well. Worth seeing, but see "Tampopo" first.

This movie was actually pretty good all things considered. Having never seen the original Japanese version I can only assume that the ending was modified for American audiences.

The story was pretty good, and had some undertones of "simply irresistible". However those undertones were very random and never really expounded upon.

Which in the end was the downfall of this movie. While the story line was good, instead of building up, it started to thin out.

So much to the point that the end was a very quick, confusing, and empty.

The random subplots and nuances never bloomed which made the end of this film, and ultimately the whole thing very disappointing.

Yes it did have a happy ending, but it was empty and without depth. Perhaps the problem was that it played itself out as a romantic comedy, when in reality it wasn't really a romance, hence why I think that certain elements were put in place for western audiences.

All in all, it's one of those films that you should really watch if there is absolutely nothing else to do. It is a time waster and background noise.

Britney Murphy is cute and spunky actress, and she brought that to the role, however the editing and the ending is what killed the whole thing.

I knew nothing about this movie before watching it but within minutes I was hooked.

Brittany Murphy tugged at my heart's strings as she portrayed a girl who is left alone in Tokyo trying to find a purpose or reason to go on.

This movie does very well even though the Ramen Girl (Abby) doesn't understand what anyone is saying at first. You quickly pull for her to succeed in the battle of translation.

The Culture clash is entertaining and hilarious at times. The only downside I have (Don't worry, this isn't a spoiler) is just that I wished the ending would have been slightly different. Either way, I'm glad to have this pleasant surprise in movie collection.

If you have always wanted to visit Japan, or have any interest in Japanese culture, this will certainly tickle your fancy.

Hope you enjoy.

The story is basically a American slacker coming to Tokyo to meet her American boyfriend, but her boyfriend dumps her after sleeping with her and just leaves her. In despair the girl tries to find joy by putting smile on other peoples faces by making ramen, and soon becomes a apprentice to a ramen chef. I think critics are being too harsh on this movie. It is a pleasant and touching movie and I was grinning at some parts through it. This film can sort of be compared to "The Karate Kid" and it's sort of similar in the way how Daniel Larusso(Ralph Macchio) learns and sort of becomes a apprentice in the beginning to Mr. Miyag(Pat Morita). But in this film Brittany Murphy character Abby becomes a apprentice Maezumi(Toshiyuki Nishida) who put on a good performance, as a matter of fact the chemistry between Abby and Maezumi seem authentic in a apprentice and master kind of way. It also had a bit of "Simply Irresistible"(1999) elements to it. Now I agree with some of the critics that the language barrier between these two characters got a bit annoying after a while and you start to wonder why couldn't they have gotten Abby's new boyfriend to translate for both. And I thought the story was far fetched as well with the spirit in the ramen and all, although how it showed the perfection behind the ramen to be cool. Also some may say the ramen chef is a tyrant in this film but he was just being the typical leader in running a restaurant. And there are a lot of chefs like him in many Asian restaurant and other countries as well, although he goes a bit over board on some scenes. When I first saw the cover of this film I was going to pass on it since it seemed to have weeaboo all over. But decided to give it a try for the heck of it and it turned out to be a pleasant film although it did have some weeaboo aspects to it. And weeaboos will probably enjoy this film than others and get some fantasies in there heads which was the thing I disliked the most about this film. And the undeveloped back story hurt the film as well, there is also a lot of deleted scenes that was taken out for good reasons but some scenes would have been a nice touch if it made it into the whole film. Despite some flaws or aspects I disliked, I found it quite fun.

7/10

I gave this movie a fair 7/10. I would ignore the nonsensical 1/10 and 10/10 ratings and give it a fair shake if you're into Japanese food and culture. I was pretty surprised at how they portrayed Japanese culture...not totally accurate, but not a travesty either. I also wouldn't consider this to be a remake of Tampopo -- totally different characters and story lines. But it was fun seeing the main cowboy hat-wearing guy from Tampopo doing a small role as the ramen grand master. His expressions and eating reactions were hilarious! The filmmakers obviously have a love of japan and its culture, and I can feel their sincerity in sharing this joy through this movie. This movie isn't perfect by a longshot (the whole subplot with the British guy and the southern girl was useless and irritating), but there were some genuinely fun and funny moments. Keep your expectations in check and just enjoy the movie for what it is.

It wasn't at all as bad as some have made it out to be. I'm glad I saw it. I've never even heard of it before this morning, as it started I gave it ten minutes to catch me or I was gonna turn on mr. poppers penguins..but I fell right into it n set the DVr to record poppers penguins. It was good n heartwarming. Through the language barrier she gave off that "u can push me,but will never break me""girl with a heart of gold" feeling. She always had that in her acting. She'll be missed :( Oh! N the Japanese love interest- smokin hot! Hot damn! I guess I have to add two extra lines :/ hmm, the movie made me a little hungry for soup! :D I've said all I wanted to say,n by saying that there's my last line! Lol

Konnichiwa (Hello)

Not all Asian movies are about martial arts or vengeful evil spirits. This is one such film that boldly goes on to prove just that. It is about culture, tradition, attitude, and endurance of the human spirit. Eventually, what it comes down to is a face-off between the perfectionism of the East versus the arrogance of the West, albeit in not as many words. Incorporated into an almost well written script are ample reasons illustrating exactly what makes the Japanese tick; what makes them strive for perfection and why they put their heart and soul into everything they do. I say almost well written, because the film holds its ground all the way only to end abruptly. That being said, it has a feel good ending which satisfies, nonetheless.

When Abbey travels to Tokyo to spend time with her expatriate boyfriend Ethan, she has no clue of the rude shock awaiting her arrival. Even before she can unpack, Abbey is literally dumped on the sidewalk while Ethan takes off with no promise of return. Abandoned in this beautiful city yet unable to speak a word of Japanese, her life seems meaningless to a point where she suffers a mental breakdown while visiting a local noodle (ramen) house. When the proprietor reluctantly offers some solace, Abbey naively embarks on a journey of self esteem and acceptance. Soon, her interest in Japanese culture draws her in to the art of preparing the ultimate bowl of ramen, but not before enduring intolerable psychological torment from her teacher, Maezumi.

Although the film claims to be a romantic comedy, elements of romance are very subtle, while humor pops up when you least expect it. As such, humor is manifested in scenes similar to when The Bride first meets the legendary sword craftsman Hattori Hanzō, in "Kill Bill: vol 1". This is clearly due to the language barrier, yet scripting is such that when the lead actors blurt out insults and abuse in their native language, the message goes across through visual disgust from sheer body language. Dialogue in this regard gives an authentic touch to the setting, even though subtitles interpret most Japanese conversations. Acting on the other hand, could have been better coming from Brittany Murphy as Abbey. Murphy's usual melodramatic style of acting complete with weird facial expressions are repeated, but somehow seems unfitting in her role here as an American struggling to understand the instructions of a Japanese cook. However, it is Toshiyuki Nishida who steals the show as the ramen cook turned master. Even with English subtitles, Nishida's portrayal of a tyrannical sensei is fascinating and his persona as a charismatic actor is evidently clear in all his scenes. Once Again, Japanese perfection.

Speaking of Japan, director Robert Allan Ackerman has skillfully presented Far-Eastern culture and traditions through genuine locations, props and background music. This is not just a film on how to cook noodles, rather, rendering of the human spirit into anything that celebrates life, love and people, no matter where we come from. Considering his transition from TV movies to this debut theatrical release, Ackerman not only delivers a creative and original story fusing Eastern and Western way of thinking, but in the process announces his arrival in feel-good cinema.

All in all, a decent film that takes a clever stab at cross-cultural communication and triumph against all odds. As in the end, when push comes to shove, each one of us really has what it to takes to make a difference, rise above stereotypical thinking, and achieve apparently complex goals with nothing but inner strength and an honest will to succeed.

And, for what its worth, there a few easy to pick up Japanese phrases thrown in, just in case

Arigatou (Thank you).

The people who left good reviews must have a financial stake in this movie because I don't think I can adequately express just how terrible it was. Sometimes a movie can be entertaining precisely because it is so bad, but sadly, this movie can't even hit that mark. The "acting" is beyond atrocious. The only thing that separates this movie from a high school film project is professional cinematography. Not that it's great, but it's at least adequate for a widely released movie.

Now, I can enjoy a cheesy romantic comedy as much as the next person, but this movie is really, really terrible. It's not good enough to make me think it was a serious production, but not funny enough to make me think it was a parody. Wikipedia says this movie had a $32 million budget, they must have spent it all on hookers and blow.

This was my first view of Britany Murphy in a movie, "The Ramen Girl". I was impressed with her acting and presence on screen. With all the new Hollywood stars coming out of the woodwork these days, you begin to lose track about who's good and who's not so good. This movie has definitely etched a niche for her as a capable actor and hope she manages her career accordingly with her remarkable talent.

The movie in many ways is a throw-back to a silent movie where dialog is not really the centerpiece to the story. The subtitles though helpful were not needed as the audience would have gotten the gist just by viewing the actors' facial expressions intertwined with their body language.

This movie must have been successful in Japan and Asia as it importantly catered to the emotional side of things and the nuances associated with human relationships in order to successfully carry the story rather the plot itself. We are usually accustomed to movies with a continuity heading toward a final conclusion that makes sense to all of us. The viewers, who feel this way about a movie, will be disappointed because "The Ramen Girl" falls short of this requirement. I liked the movie because it successfully joined two cultures in an attempt to show that the traumas and jubilations arising out of love, pride, loneliness, self-worth, honor and feelings we share and experience with people are commonly the same universal denominators we all share in culturally different ways in Tokyo or NYC or the world for that matter. The writer was right on the mark on this one. The movie does have its funny moments to keep it interesting. All around, I give it an 8.

Abby (Brittany Murphy) follows her boyfriend Ethan to Tokyo but he leaves her for a job in Osaka. He also doesn't promise to come back for her because he's the nomadic kind. She has a dull job and speaks little Japanese. She becomes fascinated with the corner ramen shop and begs angry drunk chef Maezumi to teach her the art of cooking ramen. He yells at her a lot and gives her all the dirty jobs.

This could have been better. Brittany Murphy is delightful and full of life. Maezumi is very angry. It's a little too off-putting. He needs to dial it down a little. The Japanese boyfriend is too light-weight. He has little chemistry with Murphy. I rather she ends up with the chubby guy. The production is a little lacking and the movie does need more fun magic.

"I wanna make people laugh like you do!"

Ramen doesn't make anyone laugh.

...unless you add some peyote.

Kinda like this movie.

So why 2 and not 0 stars? Hmm... Maybe out of respect for the deceased Brittany Murphy. Maybe because it straddled the threshold of "so bad it's funny" and "just bad". Or, maybe I ate some Ramen and it gave me the giggles and now I'm all kinds of generous.

There really isn't much more to say about this movie, except that if you do watch it know you can not get a refund on the hour and 42 minutes of life you lost.

Maybe you can read a book or knit a sweater or paint your living room while this is playing in the background.

Makes me miss the noodle bar I would go to for lunch in Otemachi Tokyo