Dead Sushi (2012)

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

It's hard to describe this film, other than as bizarre.If you are a fan of the early BBC Red Dwarf and The Young Ones TV series, then the humour, acting quality and animation quality are on that sort of level, except in Japanese - but with a Martial Arts, zombie and sushi food twist.It's not high art, it's not high quality, and I watched it with a horrified fascination about where it was going to go.Fans of the foodie Japanese classic Tampopo will recognise the egg yolk scene, and fans of The Way of the Dragon might see a tribute to Bruce Lee's showing off with Nunchaku - except in this film they are made from zombie sushi that the heroine has neutralised by removing the nervous system.Yes, it really is that strange.I have the benefit of speaking and understanding a very little Japanese, so about 5% to 10% of the dialogue made sense, without the subtitles.Well, as much as any of the dialogue made sense. It's a very strange film, but I did watch it in horrified fascination that anyone could make such a film let alone persuade actors / actresses to take part in it, It's of a quality with the Red Dwarf episode Back To Reality, in terms of animation, FX, acting and storyline - but with Japanese dialogue, and with zombies, flying (and talking) sushi and a vagrant that transmutes into a human tuna.If that's not enough to whet your appetite, then you probably have far too much common sense, and no sense of the utterly ridiculous. You have to have an appreciation of those qualities in order to appreciate this film!

I must start out by saying that "Dead Sushi" ("Deddo Sushi") is not a movie that will appeal just to anyone. Why? Well, because this movie is very odd, unique and special, it is extreme to the point where it becomes hilarious and ridiculous. But it works out so well, because this Japanese horror/comedy really is good entertainment and a great laugh.In this movie you will find flying sushi, man-eating sushi, sushi nunchaku, a man-tuna, rice-zombies, and other equally bizarre things. The outrageousness of it all is what makes the movie work out so well. The dialogue is equally outrageous, but funny at the same time.The story in "Dead Sushi" is about a Keiko who flees the hard tutoring of her father in the ways of sushi making and martial arts. She runs away from home and ends up taking a job at an old inn run by a married couple. A group of visitors come to stay at the inn, but they carry a secret with them, and once unleashed, the sushi comes to life to wreck havoc on the humans. This time people becomes the food...This particular genre of comedy/horror movies is unique to Japan, and you either love it or hate it - you either get it or you don't. As with other movies in the similar genre, "Samurai Princess", "RoboGeisha", "Tokyo Gore Police", etc. then you are in for extremities in abundance. If you enjoy this particular genre of movies, then "Dead Sushi" is definitely well worth checking out.And with similar movies, you know what kind of acting you are getting right from the very start. It is not award-winning performances, of course, but still, good enough all-round performances and action.

Here comes another twisted and outrageous movie from the mind of Noboru Iguchi. His previous movie was grotesque without being all that fun. But this one is kinda entertaining and sort of humorous. It's mostly messed up and crude humor but that is basically this directors trademark. It's clear the he got a lot of his inspirations from "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!", "Piranha 3D" and "Piranha 3DD" except this one can be a bit more messed up because of certain areas. There is romance between a sushi chefs daughter and a sushi. This movie has a very low budget and everything looks fake from the CGI to the props and make up. But that sort of makes a flick like this a bit more humorous. Because you can't take any of it seriously, which works for a movie like this. It's a movie you can't take seriously but for good reason. Everything just seems so random but that is the direction Iguchi tries to go and he seems to know what he is doing. Or he just ended up going that direction and it worked out at the end. From start to finish I wasn't really bored with this movie. And actually found it to be quite entertaining. The acting is over the top as it gets but it adds to this movie in a positive manner. This is one of those movies that is so bad it's actually good kinda flicks. The story is very simple like a lot of Iguchi's movie. Basically about a sushi chef's daughter that leaves and ends up working at a inn. Serving business men but a guy that has a grudge against the business men infects the sushi and turn it into flying mutant zombie sushi. Then crazy and messed up stuff starts to happen. 6.9/10

You should know one thing: This is OTT high camp, that only has one goal: To be as crazy as it can be. If you read the outline, you know what you let yourself into. Fun and silly, nothing more and nothing less. We shouldn't talk too much about acting in this movie of course. I think for a comedy of this sorts, it's more than decent. Something you can expect to see in here.If this is the first Japanese over the top movie you're going to watch, you're either in for a treat or you will very soon find out that this isn't your cup of tea (or sake for that matter). Of course I'm not suggesting you should get drunk for this ;o) (though that might be an idea for a sequel .. Dead Sake!)