Fudoh: The New Generation was Takashi Miike's first cross-over success in the West (whether in America or just on the festival circuit I can't say), and it's no wonder- it's the perfect calling card, a work of ferocious energy and sincerity with comedy and drama, extreme violence and heart, kitsch and the bizarre. A lot of things that one would expect to find in the given Miike yakuza can be found here in spades: a blood battle involving brothers, the corrupt old incumbent yakuza, the vicious and surreal thugs out to get their just deserts, and of course in style with carefully composed shots and startlingly edited scenes of action, with deliberate scenes of dialog and actors staring at one another. It shouldn't work, but it does, and to a point that had me laughing, gasping, and sure that even if things worked out "alright" (and alright in the sense of a bloody tale of twisted revenge) it would leave a lasting impression, long after seeing nearly a couple dozen other Miike films.It's emotional core, for one thing, is exceptional for a Miike film, which helps in springing out the demented comedy, as unlikely as that is. A yakuza kills one of his sons to pay a debt to a gangster- a debt which he crazily relishes as he plants his son's head on the table and laughs maniacally- leaving the living son completely bewildered but swearing on his late brother's honor. Cut to ten years later, as the father barely acknowledges he ever had another son, and Riki Fudoh is now gathering up a small army of outcast teens like him (one girl who can shoot out darts from her privates, little kids with handguns, a big huge lummox who killed his parents, and a hermaphrodite, cause, why the hell not) to get payback by killing off as many yakuza as possible. Crazy? It just might work, after the vicious, grotesque deaths of four council members (the car scene especially is vintage Miike).You don't have to be completely queued to the artistic aesthetic Miike had with Gozu, or always have a smile on your face ala Katakuris, but Fudoh marks its place in the upper-level of the director's oeuvre by allowing for the low-budget cast to shine through. This goes for scenes that could, by any other director, be deemed unnecessary or even just cruel (i.e. the death of one of the girls by the hands of the North Korean killer Fudoh Sr hires to kill his son, and the hermaphrodite sex scene). In Miike's hands, he treats them like it SHOULD be considered art, not simply exploitation of genre or going for dopey extremes with exit wounds and vaginas. And it is, for those who want it, a success as a comedy, one that allows you to laugh your head off at the kinds of things that would give the squeamish nightmares for weeks. And for those looking for a work that goes even further than Hamlet, here it is! And, of course, where would a great Miike flick be without a sneering Riki Takeuchi? It's a lot of fun and a truly substantial dramatic effort too, and it's not a bad place to go if you're just getting into the director's elephantine body of very contemporary work.

Japan's Takashi Miike has made some of the most strange, violent, and compelling movies of the last ten years, and whilst I won't pretend to have understood or even enjoyed all of those that I have seen, I salute Mr. Miike for his ability to consistently turn out innovative work; one simply finds it impossible to predict his next move.Fudoh: The Next Generation takes a standard tale of warring Yakuza and adds so many bizarre elements and madcap characters that it is unmissable for fans of weird Asian cinema. It would definitely appeal to those that have enjoyed the similarly OTT Dead or Alive and the bloodthirsty Ichi the Killer.Two rival gangs, the Nioh and Yasha, are on the brink of gang war. As a peace offering, Iwao Fudoh of the Nioh offers his son's head (literally!). Unbeknownst to Iwao, Riki, his youngest son, witnesses his brother's gruesome death.Ten years later and Riki is the leader of his own gang, whose members are made up from primary-school hit men and deadly schoolgirl assassins. Riki Fudoh and his gang have been busy bumping off the Nioh bosses in order to gain complete control of the area; but his father has other ideas, getting his illegitimate son Gondoh to start slaughtering Riki's gang.Unlike some of Miike's other films, the narrative is fairly simple to follow, meaning that one can relax, kick back and enjoy the crazy antics that pack this terrific movie. With it's killer children, a hermaphrodite who shoots darts from her cooch, a giant of a bloke who gets blown up but returns wearing a cool metal mask, a bad guy with metal rimmed boots, and a sexy leather-mini-skirt wearing teacher, Fudoh boasts an incredible roster of unusual characters. These maniacs slice, chop, shoot and dissolve (there are a couple of juicy acid attacks) each other without hesitation meaning that this film is a dream-come-true for gore-hounds.If you're after a truly unique viewing experience, then you really should check out this extremely outrageous and bloody movie, 'cos it's a winner from start to finish.

Although this was his first hit, this is not Miike's best. It lacks the humanity of Blues Harp and the Shinjuku Triad Society trilogy, but is squeezed full of imaginative violence and wicked slaughter.This is the closest Miike has ever got to making a Fukasaku film, which is not in itself a good thing - Miike is, in terms of strings to his bow, a superior director to Fukasaku, whose films are shallow and hectic marathons of murder. FUDOH is an enjoyable romp, but offers little more than a quick blast of action and horror. It is as wooden and cartoon-like as The City of Lost Souls - an arguably superior picture - and as blackly vicious (as well as less confused and one-dimensional) as Battle Royale. An ideal film if you're looking for some no-holds-barred carnage, and you're bored of John Woo's endless slo-mo.7/10

Fed up with the mainstream, uninspired Hollywood action movies? Hey, I don't blame you… Therefore, I strongly suggest turning your head towards the Asian film industry and search for Takashi Miike in particular. Miike is a very busy and ambitious movie-freak who already surprised the world with a couple of ultra-violent (on the edge of ‘sick') and hard-boiled thrillers, such as the ‘Dead or Alive'-series, Itchi the Killer and Visitor Q. But this film – Fudô – remains his very best achievement in my opinion. Simply put, Fudô is action from start to finish…stuffed with dared ideas, taboos and some of the darkest humor you'll ever see. It's about a young and good-looking boy who single-handedly wipes out the top of the Japanese drugs-mafia. With a little help from his classmates and a wide imagination, he avenges his brother's dead. A strong stomach and an eccentric sense of humor are required when watching Miike's film…bullets; blood and chopped-off heads are flying around constantly. The film's high tempo lowers a bit during the second half, as the story becomes slightly more sentimental and moralistic…but even then there's a lot of absurdity and joy to discover. Like the most bizarre sex scene ever, for example! Miike doesn't seem to care about all the social values and that's his strongest power. I'm sure that, if someone would release a film like this in my country, there'd be tons of angry parents and worried sociologists complaining because of the involvement of children in Fudô. It just isn't ‘politically correct' to portray 8-year-olds with firearms but THAT is what makes Miike's film so unique. If you're not too easily shocked, you should check this film out. It's Miike's best since I wasn't that much a fan of his manga-playground ‘Itchi'. Now…anyone up for a game of vagina-darts???