Writer/director Sakichi Sato brings the much-loved Laurel and Hardy style zombie invasion Manga of the same name to the big screen with mixed results. Marketed as a Japanese Shaun of the Dead, and released hot on the heals of the British hit, it’s a film that shows loads of promise early, but ends up biting its own foot with a frustrating tonal shift half way through that undoes all its hard work.
Tokyo Zombie is essentially two films in one – a witty, slapstick zombie invasion and an unsuccessful look at a post-zombie society. The first half – which deals with the impending invasion – is by far the best, introducing us to two bumbling fire extinguisher factory works with a love of jujitsu who must use their martial arts skills to escape a zombie hoard. Told with a wry wit and buckets of blood, the oddball buddy movie is fresh and funny and held together by a lovable pair of screwball lunatics.
But following the zombification of one of the main characters about 45 minutes in, the film then shifts nine years into a stark Mad Max: Thunderdome meets Land of the Dead style society where the rich have enslaved the surviving population – and zombies – and use them for a series of bloodthirsty fighting games for their entertainment. While potentially an interesting film in its own right, the futuristic vision lacks the biting humour of the previous act, missing the buddy act that made the story so engaging.
Tokyo Zombie is brimming with potential, but for all its efforts it never quite gets there. Still, with its trademark style, including an anime interlude, and mostly fun mix of screwball humour it’s sure to find a home on cult cinema shelves.
Tokyo Zombie is released on DVD through Madman Entertainment. Extras include a making of featurette, Q and A session and original trailers.
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