Although based on a manga from years ago the plot line of desperate debt-ridden men being exploited is very timely in today's economy. You certainly feel the film is trying to cram a lot into its plot - the underground society, the rich tyrant, the games, all feel like they were explored in greater depth in the manga. You certainly want to know more about the organisation running the games. The whole thing is absurd and not very believable but keeps you fascinated. The pacing is often all wrong, as the scene on the 'brave man road' and the end game is played for melodrama and takes too long as we watch characters emote for ages. Kaiji is the kind of hero you often get in Japanese films - a loser who gets a chance to find some backbone and determination while keeping to a moral code while others around him give in to temptation and fear. The twist ending is an amusing touch although you deal feel a little cheated after everything Kaiji has gone through, (though no doubt so does Kaiji himself). If this was a Western film Kaiji would have figured out some way to destroy the organisation, but perhaps like all of us little people, when it comes to the power of the rich and financial institutions, the best we can hope for is to get out free of debt, like Kaiji did...
15 Reviews
Saw this on a plane to Japan
clumsy130 March 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I know this about Japan, they take everything to the extreme, are a shame culture and are a very conservative people. For them the end goal in life is to get a job for a corporation and work for them forever.
This movie does a pretty good job portraying this, as it is about an uneducated vandal who is working minimum wage at a convenience store. He messes with the wrong rich person, a yakuza, who ultimately brings up his past debt which is way more than he can afford. They give him the opportunity to go on a gambling boat to enter a high stakes competition with other "losers" to erase their debt if they win or face the perils of debt slavery.
This movie touches on class struggle in a different way than most films. Even though they made the rich people to be bad guys they did touch on why some poor people seem to just be born to lose. What can i say it's the conservative nature of Japan haha it doesn't ever exonerate poor people. It is also a movie about game theory when it comes to the gamblimg games, which any gambler can enjoy.
While the expressions and dialogue is kinda ridiculous, like when he's drinking beer/eating yakitori people got to remember this is an adaption from a manga/anime. To me that is the only negative as this is a pretty serious Manga, the Live Action version has unintentional funny moments with the ridiculous expressions.
This movie does a pretty good job portraying this, as it is about an uneducated vandal who is working minimum wage at a convenience store. He messes with the wrong rich person, a yakuza, who ultimately brings up his past debt which is way more than he can afford. They give him the opportunity to go on a gambling boat to enter a high stakes competition with other "losers" to erase their debt if they win or face the perils of debt slavery.
This movie touches on class struggle in a different way than most films. Even though they made the rich people to be bad guys they did touch on why some poor people seem to just be born to lose. What can i say it's the conservative nature of Japan haha it doesn't ever exonerate poor people. It is also a movie about game theory when it comes to the gamblimg games, which any gambler can enjoy.
While the expressions and dialogue is kinda ridiculous, like when he's drinking beer/eating yakitori people got to remember this is an adaption from a manga/anime. To me that is the only negative as this is a pretty serious Manga, the Live Action version has unintentional funny moments with the ridiculous expressions.
The start of Kaiji...
Thanos_Alfie5 April 2023
"Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler" is a Drama movie in which we watch a young gambler participating on a deadly gambling competition in order to gain some money and wipe away his debts that constantly rise.
I enjoyed this movie because it was interesting, it had a simple but nice plot and it also contained plenty of suspense and mystery. The direction which was made by Tôya Satô was very good and he succeeded on maintaining the tension high through the whole duration of the film while he presented very well both his main characters and the plot. In addition to this, the interpretation of Tatsuya Fujiwara who played as Kaiji Ito was very good and he made the difference. All in all, I have to say that "Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler" is a great start of a trilogy and I highly recommend everyone to watch it.
I enjoyed this movie because it was interesting, it had a simple but nice plot and it also contained plenty of suspense and mystery. The direction which was made by Tôya Satô was very good and he succeeded on maintaining the tension high through the whole duration of the film while he presented very well both his main characters and the plot. In addition to this, the interpretation of Tatsuya Fujiwara who played as Kaiji Ito was very good and he made the difference. All in all, I have to say that "Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler" is a great start of a trilogy and I highly recommend everyone to watch it.
Too Rushed
gothic_a66611 February 2011
The problem with this movie is that it has to compact the material of 13 volumes of manga into a 2 hour long movie. The very format forced some of 'Kaiji's strongest points to lose much of its impact, namely the gambling aspect of what is a very brainy and interesting manga. The movie cuts down on the mental gymnastics that make Kaiji able to beat the odds in a believable way. As a result the viewer cannot quite grasp his genius as everything is edited to the point of losing coherence. The manga is plotted in such a way as to cover several arcs, each with its own crazily high stakes and particular flavor. The movie cannot frame a transition of the moments of the narrative without coming undone at the seams.
Some choices in the adaptation were odd such as changing Endou's gender and changing the order of some events and there are other changes that may seem minor on the surface but end up diluting the tense do-or-die atmosphere that had readers of the manga flipping the pages anxiously and sitting at the edge of their seats. Such as the terrifying ear perforation device or the finger guillotine, both if which are completely absent in the movie.
Kaiji's inner dialog is hyped mostly as an emotional appeal without the counterbalancing effect of his quick mind. The manga's eponymous hero is known for bursting into tears rather often but he remains a very clever young man whose gambles have plenty of reasoning behind them, the movie shows us only flashes of this. It is also unfortunate that some of the more intense moments of the 'Kaiji' saga take place in material that is not covered by the movie.
The acting is solid, namely Fujiwara who plays Kaiji flawlessly, a completely different role of Death Note's Light that first introduced me to him. Having a woman playing a loan shark lends itself to romantic vibes but these never materialize.
Fans of the manga may enjoy seeing Kaiji in 3D but this movie does not match the brilliance of the original work.
Some choices in the adaptation were odd such as changing Endou's gender and changing the order of some events and there are other changes that may seem minor on the surface but end up diluting the tense do-or-die atmosphere that had readers of the manga flipping the pages anxiously and sitting at the edge of their seats. Such as the terrifying ear perforation device or the finger guillotine, both if which are completely absent in the movie.
Kaiji's inner dialog is hyped mostly as an emotional appeal without the counterbalancing effect of his quick mind. The manga's eponymous hero is known for bursting into tears rather often but he remains a very clever young man whose gambles have plenty of reasoning behind them, the movie shows us only flashes of this. It is also unfortunate that some of the more intense moments of the 'Kaiji' saga take place in material that is not covered by the movie.
The acting is solid, namely Fujiwara who plays Kaiji flawlessly, a completely different role of Death Note's Light that first introduced me to him. Having a woman playing a loan shark lends itself to romantic vibes but these never materialize.
Fans of the manga may enjoy seeing Kaiji in 3D but this movie does not match the brilliance of the original work.
an insult
LunarPoise18 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Out there somewhere, in a parallel universe, the rules of film-making are inverted.
Rule number 1: You cannot have too much exposition.
Visual storytelling is replaced by dialogue-heavy scenes, the more the better.
Rule number 2: Over-acting is better than acting.
If you are really thirsty and you drink a beer, you have to close your eyes, look to the heavens, ooh and ah, fall to your knees, and declare out loud how damn GOOD it tastes, all the while talking to yourself. You know, like in a beer commercial.
The bad news is, director Toya Sato has escaped from that parallel universe into ours, and brought this clunking, tawdry, disjointed insult to the proud tradition of Japanese cinema with him.
The story, such as it is, is that Kaiji has a huge gambling debt and his life is going nowhere. That leads him to becoming the plaything of a misanthropic multi-billionaire building a nuclear shelter using slave labour and with a penchant for life-and-death gambling games.
Not a bad premise, but utterly sunk in this execution.
If film is stories told by pictures, and the Japanese are a non-verbal culture, could someone please tell me why there is so much TALKING in this film? Kaiji crosses a narrow bridge 200 meters in the air. He looks behind to see that his friend has fallen. The audience can see he has fallen. But Kaiji tells us: "He has fallen." Endo watches a five-card game. The players play three cards, and each play is a draw. They have two cards left. We can see this, but somehow we get to hear Endo's thoughts, which tell us: "After three cards played it is a draw. It is down to the last two cards." Who exactly is this insipid narration for? Is there a retarded baboon wearing earplugs and a blindfold sitting at the back of the theatre that Sato felt the need to accommodate? I have given only two examples, but the whole film is like this. The most glaringly obvious action is either replayed, or explained verbosely by one character to another.
Characterization is practically non-existent. Kaiji is a gambler, but where he came from, how he ended up in such a rut, is never mentioned. He empathises with one of his fellow victims, but it is not clear why. At his ostensible moment of triumph, he is celebrating gambling wins and downing a beer - despite the horror of watching all of his comrades in arms falling from the aforementioned narrow bridge. He starts the movie caring only for himself, and finishes it the same way. And we know no more about him.
Endo is a gangster but seems taken by Kaiji, even though she is fully complicit in the murder and mayhem games that afflict him. It turns out she is no good, and this puts a period on the film's major failing - there is no one to like. All of the characters start out as reprehensible, and never redeem themselves. They never grow, learn, or reflect.
Plotting is flimsy. Kaiji at one point conveniently produces a magic marker to draw with, despite just being released from a dungeon. The dungeon prisoners suddenly get a TV in their cell where no one existed before. At one point, on a ship, a left-over card in the game seals Kaiji's fate. It is a huge moment story-wise, propelling us into the next sequence. But as the game starts with an even number of cards and they are discarded two at a time, it is impossible for there to be one left-over card. Lazy, ill-disciplined scripting at its worst.
Pacing is uneven to say the least. The bridge crossing takes an eternity, as Kaiji and his older pal have a sentimental outpouring about their lives so far. And yet when we come back to the job at hand - crossing the bridge - we find out that the guy on the other bridge has made no progress during the course of the interminable conversation. I mean, what was he doing all this time?
Tatsuya Fujiwara overacts furiously. His beer-drinking antics are just shameful, the worst hamming since... well, since the last TV director was allowed to make a Japanese film. Amami is usually classy, but even she can't get out of TV mode and comes across as wooden. Ken'ichi Matsuyama makes a cameo, and seems a class apart, making effective use of that menacing stare of his. Probably because he appears less, he took less direction from Sato, and therefore acts better.
Teruyuki Kagawa, usually so reliable and watchable, is dragged under by too-close close-ups, patchy pacing, and the failure to resist cranking it up a couple of notches. A better director would have gotten a better performance, one feels.
It is incredulous that with this budget and this cast Kaiji turns out to be so mind-numbingly awful. Based on a comic, with a TV director, didn't someone realise that the element 'cinema' needed to be added to the equation? Sato and friends - go to film school, and learn the basics. Please.
Or at least go back to your parallel universe.
Rule number 1: You cannot have too much exposition.
Visual storytelling is replaced by dialogue-heavy scenes, the more the better.
Rule number 2: Over-acting is better than acting.
If you are really thirsty and you drink a beer, you have to close your eyes, look to the heavens, ooh and ah, fall to your knees, and declare out loud how damn GOOD it tastes, all the while talking to yourself. You know, like in a beer commercial.
The bad news is, director Toya Sato has escaped from that parallel universe into ours, and brought this clunking, tawdry, disjointed insult to the proud tradition of Japanese cinema with him.
The story, such as it is, is that Kaiji has a huge gambling debt and his life is going nowhere. That leads him to becoming the plaything of a misanthropic multi-billionaire building a nuclear shelter using slave labour and with a penchant for life-and-death gambling games.
Not a bad premise, but utterly sunk in this execution.
If film is stories told by pictures, and the Japanese are a non-verbal culture, could someone please tell me why there is so much TALKING in this film? Kaiji crosses a narrow bridge 200 meters in the air. He looks behind to see that his friend has fallen. The audience can see he has fallen. But Kaiji tells us: "He has fallen." Endo watches a five-card game. The players play three cards, and each play is a draw. They have two cards left. We can see this, but somehow we get to hear Endo's thoughts, which tell us: "After three cards played it is a draw. It is down to the last two cards." Who exactly is this insipid narration for? Is there a retarded baboon wearing earplugs and a blindfold sitting at the back of the theatre that Sato felt the need to accommodate? I have given only two examples, but the whole film is like this. The most glaringly obvious action is either replayed, or explained verbosely by one character to another.
Characterization is practically non-existent. Kaiji is a gambler, but where he came from, how he ended up in such a rut, is never mentioned. He empathises with one of his fellow victims, but it is not clear why. At his ostensible moment of triumph, he is celebrating gambling wins and downing a beer - despite the horror of watching all of his comrades in arms falling from the aforementioned narrow bridge. He starts the movie caring only for himself, and finishes it the same way. And we know no more about him.
Endo is a gangster but seems taken by Kaiji, even though she is fully complicit in the murder and mayhem games that afflict him. It turns out she is no good, and this puts a period on the film's major failing - there is no one to like. All of the characters start out as reprehensible, and never redeem themselves. They never grow, learn, or reflect.
Plotting is flimsy. Kaiji at one point conveniently produces a magic marker to draw with, despite just being released from a dungeon. The dungeon prisoners suddenly get a TV in their cell where no one existed before. At one point, on a ship, a left-over card in the game seals Kaiji's fate. It is a huge moment story-wise, propelling us into the next sequence. But as the game starts with an even number of cards and they are discarded two at a time, it is impossible for there to be one left-over card. Lazy, ill-disciplined scripting at its worst.
Pacing is uneven to say the least. The bridge crossing takes an eternity, as Kaiji and his older pal have a sentimental outpouring about their lives so far. And yet when we come back to the job at hand - crossing the bridge - we find out that the guy on the other bridge has made no progress during the course of the interminable conversation. I mean, what was he doing all this time?
Tatsuya Fujiwara overacts furiously. His beer-drinking antics are just shameful, the worst hamming since... well, since the last TV director was allowed to make a Japanese film. Amami is usually classy, but even she can't get out of TV mode and comes across as wooden. Ken'ichi Matsuyama makes a cameo, and seems a class apart, making effective use of that menacing stare of his. Probably because he appears less, he took less direction from Sato, and therefore acts better.
Teruyuki Kagawa, usually so reliable and watchable, is dragged under by too-close close-ups, patchy pacing, and the failure to resist cranking it up a couple of notches. A better director would have gotten a better performance, one feels.
It is incredulous that with this budget and this cast Kaiji turns out to be so mind-numbingly awful. Based on a comic, with a TV director, didn't someone realise that the element 'cinema' needed to be added to the equation? Sato and friends - go to film school, and learn the basics. Please.
Or at least go back to your parallel universe.
A Nutshell Review: Kaiji The Ultimate Gambler
DICK STEEL13 March 2010
This was one of the films that I had to give up on during last year's trip to the Tokyo International Film Festival, not that I thought it was no good – the casting reunion of those from the Death Note films is reason enough to flock to this – but because I had got some faith that it'll make it to Singapore because it should have some appeal given the success of Death Note here, and manga to film adaptations have usually done fairly well. So it made it to our shores, and while I was expecting some serious gambling utilizing the rule book from casino card games, Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler just lives up to its title, where the stakes are deadly, usually that of life or lifestyle.
However, the strength of the film is how it metaphorically paints the picture of society with that rich-poor divide, between the elite class and those who are perpetual losers, being dealt the shortest end of the stick in life. It's easy to be on one side of the fence and accuse the other of being stupid, lazy and not worthy of their lot, but put it this way, who doesn't want to be able to live a financially free life with nary a material care since it's all taken care of. One thing in life that's constant, besides change, is that life is never fair, and usually being somebody, or knowing somebody else, may open some doors for you, making it a tad easier to get to one's objectives. The playing field is rarely even, and only made worse if one group decides to exploit the other.
Tatsuya Fujiwara plays the titular role Kaiji, a down and out young adult who's living his life without much aim, being painted an illusion by Endo (Yuki Amami) who had conned him into boarding a ship, on the hopes that by playing a game onboard would change his debt- ridden life as it is. It's a life-changing experience alright, one that Kaiji soon finds himself stuck in, being held against his wishes but on a principle that he made, and then sucked into an underground social system which is aimed squarely at how we, the workers, get bordered into a routine of work-rest-eat-drink, and a financial system that's basically out to regain every penny of reward given for honest work, and that's in the form of induced consumerism.
And that's how I suppose the rich and powerful can keep a stranglehold on the common folk, keeping them in despair until they resign to their "fate" that there's no way out of the vicious circle, and to conform and continue in their routine so as to fuel the economy. With each revelation comes Kaiji's resolve to get out of the system, only to find more obstacles in his way, becoming mere pawns of entertainment to the idle rich folks, one of whom is the chairman of a powerful conglomerate known as "Teiai" (or Love Emperor, played by Kei Sato).
The key entertaining moments in the film are of course the death-defying situations the gamblers are put through, and it turns out more to be like problem-solving coupled with going up against stacked odds. Fans of Kenichi Matsuyama will also be pleased that their idol had gotten a supporting role here looking quite rugged with his unshaven look, and instead of being at loggerheads with Fujiwara's Kaiji, it's a welcome change to see the two actors in roles that require support from each other. Teruyuki Kagawa (of Tokyo Sonata) also shines as the main over-confident villain in the film, whose bright idea it was to capture idling youths and to put them to work as slaves for Teiai, only to find himself setting up an adversary in Kaiji, adding to his reputation of not being well-liked.
Since it's adapted from the manga, the three key gambling moments were drawn from the books, although they come with minor tweaks to allow for a cinematic interpretation. Amongst the three games of Restricted Rock Paper Scissors, Human Derby and E-Card, which is an interesting game of chance involving Citizen, Emperor and Slave cards, director Toya Sato (who also helmed Gokusen the Movie) should be given credit for crafting the games and heightening tensions in an order of a crescendo befitting of a grand hurrah, striking a balance between the need to entertain, and to tickle that mind of yours in a battle of wits. There's a certain formula employed as well, with everything explained toward the end in a series of flashbacks, so yeah, the answers will be given after you exercised that noodle a little.
In some ways, the games were played in a fashion similar to how Jigsaw designed his. With the latter, the games serve as a lesson to those who had lived the good life, to teach them to be contented with their lot and not take life for granted. With this, it's in a way to break the barrier of zero confidence amongst those who are deemed losers in life, giving them monetary incentives to participate in death-defying games, in order to make them realize that through hard work and surpassing what is deemed impossible, will the survivors know that reward only comes from performance. Sounds a little like our workfare scheme, minus the death elements.
Like any manga inspired or movie adapted from graphic novels, the film barely scratched the surface of its rich origin material. As such, do keep your eyes peeled for a sequel currently scheduled for a 2011 debut. Expect more death-defying games, battle of wits, and a caution to those who are too smart for their own good, and if those elements in a film are your cup of tea then you shouldn't miss this!
However, the strength of the film is how it metaphorically paints the picture of society with that rich-poor divide, between the elite class and those who are perpetual losers, being dealt the shortest end of the stick in life. It's easy to be on one side of the fence and accuse the other of being stupid, lazy and not worthy of their lot, but put it this way, who doesn't want to be able to live a financially free life with nary a material care since it's all taken care of. One thing in life that's constant, besides change, is that life is never fair, and usually being somebody, or knowing somebody else, may open some doors for you, making it a tad easier to get to one's objectives. The playing field is rarely even, and only made worse if one group decides to exploit the other.
Tatsuya Fujiwara plays the titular role Kaiji, a down and out young adult who's living his life without much aim, being painted an illusion by Endo (Yuki Amami) who had conned him into boarding a ship, on the hopes that by playing a game onboard would change his debt- ridden life as it is. It's a life-changing experience alright, one that Kaiji soon finds himself stuck in, being held against his wishes but on a principle that he made, and then sucked into an underground social system which is aimed squarely at how we, the workers, get bordered into a routine of work-rest-eat-drink, and a financial system that's basically out to regain every penny of reward given for honest work, and that's in the form of induced consumerism.
And that's how I suppose the rich and powerful can keep a stranglehold on the common folk, keeping them in despair until they resign to their "fate" that there's no way out of the vicious circle, and to conform and continue in their routine so as to fuel the economy. With each revelation comes Kaiji's resolve to get out of the system, only to find more obstacles in his way, becoming mere pawns of entertainment to the idle rich folks, one of whom is the chairman of a powerful conglomerate known as "Teiai" (or Love Emperor, played by Kei Sato).
The key entertaining moments in the film are of course the death-defying situations the gamblers are put through, and it turns out more to be like problem-solving coupled with going up against stacked odds. Fans of Kenichi Matsuyama will also be pleased that their idol had gotten a supporting role here looking quite rugged with his unshaven look, and instead of being at loggerheads with Fujiwara's Kaiji, it's a welcome change to see the two actors in roles that require support from each other. Teruyuki Kagawa (of Tokyo Sonata) also shines as the main over-confident villain in the film, whose bright idea it was to capture idling youths and to put them to work as slaves for Teiai, only to find himself setting up an adversary in Kaiji, adding to his reputation of not being well-liked.
Since it's adapted from the manga, the three key gambling moments were drawn from the books, although they come with minor tweaks to allow for a cinematic interpretation. Amongst the three games of Restricted Rock Paper Scissors, Human Derby and E-Card, which is an interesting game of chance involving Citizen, Emperor and Slave cards, director Toya Sato (who also helmed Gokusen the Movie) should be given credit for crafting the games and heightening tensions in an order of a crescendo befitting of a grand hurrah, striking a balance between the need to entertain, and to tickle that mind of yours in a battle of wits. There's a certain formula employed as well, with everything explained toward the end in a series of flashbacks, so yeah, the answers will be given after you exercised that noodle a little.
In some ways, the games were played in a fashion similar to how Jigsaw designed his. With the latter, the games serve as a lesson to those who had lived the good life, to teach them to be contented with their lot and not take life for granted. With this, it's in a way to break the barrier of zero confidence amongst those who are deemed losers in life, giving them monetary incentives to participate in death-defying games, in order to make them realize that through hard work and surpassing what is deemed impossible, will the survivors know that reward only comes from performance. Sounds a little like our workfare scheme, minus the death elements.
Like any manga inspired or movie adapted from graphic novels, the film barely scratched the surface of its rich origin material. As such, do keep your eyes peeled for a sequel currently scheduled for a 2011 debut. Expect more death-defying games, battle of wits, and a caution to those who are too smart for their own good, and if those elements in a film are your cup of tea then you shouldn't miss this!
A Gambling Film For Suckers
changmoh2 April 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This manga-to-screen adaptation by Toya Sato may have 'cult status' written all over it but only for its penchant to irritate and annoy viewers with all that sucks in terms of movie-making. Its sequences are all melodramatic - with the director trying to milk every scene for all the (fake) melodrama and bathos that it is worth.
If there were a subtext or satire about how the dregs of Japanese society are caught in a self-imposed rut, it is overdone to the point of being ridiculous. However, if it is to reflect on the ridiculousness of Japanese TV game shows, it hits the nail on the head.
The protagonist is Kaiji Ito (Tatsuya Fujiwara), a typical born-loser whose gambling habit lands him with a huge debt. His sins catch up with him when Rinko Endo (Yuki Amani) shows up with a list of his debts - and offers him a chance to repay them - by taking part in a winner-takes-all game on a darkened cruise ship. Those who lose the simple paper-scissors-stone game will end up working like slaves to build a ludicrous underground 'kingdom' planned by Endo's boss. Since every gambler is essentially a loser, Kaiji ends up in the slave detail. Still, since this is a gambling film, Kaiji gets a few more chances at getting out of his 'rut'.
The main problem with this movie is that director Sato seems to be interpreting the manga comic for a bunch of morons instead of modern cinema audiences. Every aspect of the plot is over-explained and over-emphasised, stretching the film to an excruciating two-hour nightmare for viewers.
Sato, a former TV director, allows Fujiwara to overact and over-talk like he is performing for a campfire. He prolongs every scene, especially the one involving the characters crossing a narrow beam suspended 200 metres above ground. There is nothing remotely realistic about the way the characters behave, especially at a time when their lives depended on it. There is no attempt made to provide backgrounds to Kaiji's character or any of the other cast members from the cult series Death Note. And if there are any funny moments, they are all unintended.
Those who like to take a gamble on this movie may end up feeling like a loser, or worse, a sucker. - by LIM CHANG MOH (limchangmoh.blogspot.com)
If there were a subtext or satire about how the dregs of Japanese society are caught in a self-imposed rut, it is overdone to the point of being ridiculous. However, if it is to reflect on the ridiculousness of Japanese TV game shows, it hits the nail on the head.
The protagonist is Kaiji Ito (Tatsuya Fujiwara), a typical born-loser whose gambling habit lands him with a huge debt. His sins catch up with him when Rinko Endo (Yuki Amani) shows up with a list of his debts - and offers him a chance to repay them - by taking part in a winner-takes-all game on a darkened cruise ship. Those who lose the simple paper-scissors-stone game will end up working like slaves to build a ludicrous underground 'kingdom' planned by Endo's boss. Since every gambler is essentially a loser, Kaiji ends up in the slave detail. Still, since this is a gambling film, Kaiji gets a few more chances at getting out of his 'rut'.
The main problem with this movie is that director Sato seems to be interpreting the manga comic for a bunch of morons instead of modern cinema audiences. Every aspect of the plot is over-explained and over-emphasised, stretching the film to an excruciating two-hour nightmare for viewers.
Sato, a former TV director, allows Fujiwara to overact and over-talk like he is performing for a campfire. He prolongs every scene, especially the one involving the characters crossing a narrow beam suspended 200 metres above ground. There is nothing remotely realistic about the way the characters behave, especially at a time when their lives depended on it. There is no attempt made to provide backgrounds to Kaiji's character or any of the other cast members from the cult series Death Note. And if there are any funny moments, they are all unintended.
Those who like to take a gamble on this movie may end up feeling like a loser, or worse, a sucker. - by LIM CHANG MOH (limchangmoh.blogspot.com)
Entertaining with plenty of twists.
jonny_4 June 2019
It's easy to criticise this film for being very over the top and downright outlandish, and that's because it is. It definitely has some overacting and very silly moments or dialogue, does it really hurt this film? No. The entire premise is over the top right off the bat, the film is about a guy playing a casino game (on a boat for some reason, maybe to bypass illegal gambling laws... who knows?) which is basically rock paper scissors to wipe out his debt and if he loses is doomed to pay it off through slave labour. I can't turn around and say "Aw man, they've managed to make this silly!" on top of that it's an adaptation from a manga, a good adaptation as you would expect from a cast reunited from the live action Death Note (that's right they actually had a good one before Netflix).
This is a very entertaining film and with almost all films you know the hero is going to come out on top, this film is very good at baiting you into thinking he's found a way to basically cheat the system. I like the original idea that there is debt collectors who would victimize people to extort more from them including a sort of underground (ironically) mining operation that pays them a pittance then entices them to give it back in exchange for luxury items.
This is a very entertaining film and with almost all films you know the hero is going to come out on top, this film is very good at baiting you into thinking he's found a way to basically cheat the system. I like the original idea that there is debt collectors who would victimize people to extort more from them including a sort of underground (ironically) mining operation that pays them a pittance then entices them to give it back in exchange for luxury items.
How to ridicule a clever franchise
kurtenbrun28 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This movie desmonstrate how bad a loose adaptation of a long-running series can destroy its aura and its narrative richness. If you gave this movie a rate higher than 5, you clearly don't understand how a movie narrative functions.
Where to start? The original story was a clever and psychological plunge into the world of gambling. IT shows how Kaiji, a loser, could get himself out of dire situation with the brilliance of his mind and how he also could just get himself back into those same situation by mistake, greed or simple silliness. We are constantly in his mind seeing how he deconstructs each game and how he find solutions to beat it. We are laso in his heart with his failures, his desires for a normal life and his need for more sometimes that will lead to his downfall.
In this movie, we have none of this. It was pretty obvious from the start: the movie covers three big arcs in two hours. Kaiji is just a pretty bland guy who overeacts often. We don't get to understand why he's a loser and why he fell so low because the movie doesn't have the time for that. It's aggravated by the fact that each games are rushed and some crucial moments are omitted. Therefore, Kaiji easily brushs through them with no strategy or reflexion and in the end, he just ends up like a lucky guy, not the genius from the original manga. The final nail in the coffin is Fujiwara who doesn't look like the part (the original Kaiji is ugly which adds to his distress) and overacts as usual.
Subsequently, as previously mentionned, the rushed aspect of the movie just kills every arcs. The first arc was one of the most beloved of the original story. Here, it's covered in 20 minutes omitting key elements which renders it totally incoherent. Why would they shuffle their cards at the beginning of the game? In the original story, they did it at the end because most of the players had only one card and many knew what each others' cards were. There is no point in shuffling if most players have most of their cards. Why does Kaiji goes to the underground if he's got no card left? Only the old man had one but both go to jail. I could go on and on. The story is so dried up it ends up pointless.
I haven't seen the sequels but I'm not expecting much.
Where to start? The original story was a clever and psychological plunge into the world of gambling. IT shows how Kaiji, a loser, could get himself out of dire situation with the brilliance of his mind and how he also could just get himself back into those same situation by mistake, greed or simple silliness. We are constantly in his mind seeing how he deconstructs each game and how he find solutions to beat it. We are laso in his heart with his failures, his desires for a normal life and his need for more sometimes that will lead to his downfall.
In this movie, we have none of this. It was pretty obvious from the start: the movie covers three big arcs in two hours. Kaiji is just a pretty bland guy who overeacts often. We don't get to understand why he's a loser and why he fell so low because the movie doesn't have the time for that. It's aggravated by the fact that each games are rushed and some crucial moments are omitted. Therefore, Kaiji easily brushs through them with no strategy or reflexion and in the end, he just ends up like a lucky guy, not the genius from the original manga. The final nail in the coffin is Fujiwara who doesn't look like the part (the original Kaiji is ugly which adds to his distress) and overacts as usual.
Subsequently, as previously mentionned, the rushed aspect of the movie just kills every arcs. The first arc was one of the most beloved of the original story. Here, it's covered in 20 minutes omitting key elements which renders it totally incoherent. Why would they shuffle their cards at the beginning of the game? In the original story, they did it at the end because most of the players had only one card and many knew what each others' cards were. There is no point in shuffling if most players have most of their cards. Why does Kaiji goes to the underground if he's got no card left? Only the old man had one but both go to jail. I could go on and on. The story is so dried up it ends up pointless.
I haven't seen the sequels but I'm not expecting much.
Kaiji the GOAT!
mommedahmed26 July 2020
After watching the first and second season of the anime i have watched this wonderful movie, the movie is not epic as the manga, but it was pretty good, it's very difficult to make a 2 hours movie from one season, but the actors were very impressive, i was very excited from the beginning of the movie until the end, if you didn't watch the anime , trust me you're missing a lot!
Please, watch the anime or read the original manga
choclovesallofyou17 April 2010
Generally adaptations from medium to medium in the world of film (i.e video game crossovers, remakes of older movies, cartoon remakes) are poor quality. As the original material adapts to its new format it becomes diluted. The work of the original creator is generally mangled to the point of no return.
This film is a prime example.
As far as some of the reviewers above who have made presumptions of Japanese culture portrayed in the film, stating that Japanese people don't 'act' like the characters portrayed in the film, are making ignorant remarks. The original piece of work (either the anime series or the manga) is a psychological thriller, with great attempts made at in-depth analysis of the thought processes of the characters. The commentary made on the greed of society as a whole is invoking.
Bottom Line: Watch the anime if psychological thrillers are up your alley, its not drawn in typical cheesy anime style, nor is it cliché! Don't watch this film unless you have seen the anime, it will probably be a horrid experience! I recommend both Kaiji and the creator's earlier manga/anime Akagi. Both are extraordinary pieces of work in the otherwise cliché and worn out world of Japanese Animated television series.
This film is a prime example.
As far as some of the reviewers above who have made presumptions of Japanese culture portrayed in the film, stating that Japanese people don't 'act' like the characters portrayed in the film, are making ignorant remarks. The original piece of work (either the anime series or the manga) is a psychological thriller, with great attempts made at in-depth analysis of the thought processes of the characters. The commentary made on the greed of society as a whole is invoking.
Bottom Line: Watch the anime if psychological thrillers are up your alley, its not drawn in typical cheesy anime style, nor is it cliché! Don't watch this film unless you have seen the anime, it will probably be a horrid experience! I recommend both Kaiji and the creator's earlier manga/anime Akagi. Both are extraordinary pieces of work in the otherwise cliché and worn out world of Japanese Animated television series.
Brilliant!
george_a_romero25 July 2010
The colourful cast of Death Note (2006) reunite for this inspired manga/anime adaptation. It is a riveting sizzler of a movie made with nerve-jangling Japanese brutality. Kaiji is a down and out thirty-year-old blue-collar loser who has no luck in life. He is bored of his dead-end job at the hypermarket, irritated that pompous and prosperous people drive around in Mercedes and depressed that he never has enough dough to rise above his comatose lifestyle. One day, a debt collector arrives at his flat to offer him the chance to change his empty existence: go on a cruise with other down and outs, gamble, and repay his debts in the ultimate game of deception. If you win, you start your life afresh, if you lose, well, you will never want to fool around with rock-paper-scissors again because Brave Men Road is the only way to escape 15-years of forced underground slave labour.
Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler (2009) examines the languor of Japanese consumer culture: work, devour, and squander your verve in an everlasting cycle of mass suppression that upholds the lower-class/upper-class divide. This regimented Metropolis style nightmare comes to fruition in the symbolic utopian underground kingdom that blue-collar slave workers must construct for aristocratic city-dwellers. The languid masses march in union, take showers together and buy beer and munchies with their meagre pay to nullify and distract themselves from their authoritarianism. The moral at the heart of Kaiji is simple: if you want to achieve your dreams in this hum/drum existence, you have to wake up, fight, and live recklessly. Would you be willing to walk across an electrified beam between two skyscrapers to pay off your debts while superficial business executives watch you on television screens? If you want to rise above your own worthless comatose lifestyle, why not take up the challenge, you could win lots of money because that is what Brave Men Road is all about, or is it Verdict: This riveting Battle Royale intoned masterpiece is made with nail-biting suspense, brain-teasing intelligence and mind-blowing wit:-
Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler (2009) examines the languor of Japanese consumer culture: work, devour, and squander your verve in an everlasting cycle of mass suppression that upholds the lower-class/upper-class divide. This regimented Metropolis style nightmare comes to fruition in the symbolic utopian underground kingdom that blue-collar slave workers must construct for aristocratic city-dwellers. The languid masses march in union, take showers together and buy beer and munchies with their meagre pay to nullify and distract themselves from their authoritarianism. The moral at the heart of Kaiji is simple: if you want to achieve your dreams in this hum/drum existence, you have to wake up, fight, and live recklessly. Would you be willing to walk across an electrified beam between two skyscrapers to pay off your debts while superficial business executives watch you on television screens? If you want to rise above your own worthless comatose lifestyle, why not take up the challenge, you could win lots of money because that is what Brave Men Road is all about, or is it Verdict: This riveting Battle Royale intoned masterpiece is made with nail-biting suspense, brain-teasing intelligence and mind-blowing wit:-
Worthy of over 7
anh-9301027 December 2021
*The film is underrated.
-The film is about poor people playing a game to change their lives. Those who fail will be brought to the ground as slaves.
-The film is about poor people playing a game to change their lives. Those who fail will be brought to the ground as slaves.
- The squid game movie takes a few ideas from this movie : People who need money to play the game, Game across the bridge , Game for balls instead of cards ,An old uncle is a teammate ,Get the main thing meet an old acquaintance ,....
- The film is really emotional than "Squid game" . I don't know why the movie "squid game" is more appreciated than this movie.
Jan-Ken-Pon & E-Card
exodusman11 July 2015
Kaiji is an awesome movie. It shown how to play Jan-Ken-Pon (Rock- Paper-Scissors) in Japan which very popular games. Which under the debt pressure, he join the other play in Espoir ship (means Hope in French). This is where he lost, work underground as slave, pay with underground money called Peria, and challenge to join Brave Road (to survive and return above ground).
When he made an final, he should play card with Tonegawa. Play E-Card (Emperor-Slave-Citizen) to win his freedom and clearing his debt. He lost because of Tonegawa using cheap trick. Using Chip that control and know the users heartbeat, but he lost cause Kaiji too excited winning the last round and make Tonegawa fallen on his own trick.
When he made an final, he should play card with Tonegawa. Play E-Card (Emperor-Slave-Citizen) to win his freedom and clearing his debt. He lost because of Tonegawa using cheap trick. Using Chip that control and know the users heartbeat, but he lost cause Kaiji too excited winning the last round and make Tonegawa fallen on his own trick.
Cant find it
christophersanchez-2675212 December 2021
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