Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Crows Zero Blu-ray Movie Review

Who in the what now?

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 26, 2012

“Crows Zero” requires the utmost in viewer concentration, though it never quite earns such devotion. An adaptation of Hiroshi Takahashi’s best-selling manga, the feature is blizzard of names and motivations, creating an ideal sensation of screen immersion for fans of the original work, while outsiders are left to question the half-realized subplots and wild tonal changes. It’s not a terribly interesting motion picture, though the effort has been dutifully colored by the insanely prolific director Takashi Miike (in the time I took the write this sentence, he just made another movie), who brings a loaded sense of style and intermittent blasts of ultraviolence to the idiosyncratic film. The helmer flexes his visual muscles on occasion, slapping the screen with chaotic fight choreography and exaggerated character designs, but he’s oddly powerless when it comes to the glacial pace of “Crows Zero,” unable to bring it up to the awe-inspiring speed a few superlative scenes hint at.

Genji (Shun Oguri) is the son of a top Yakuza boss looking to establish his reputation, with hopes to lead the criminal organization one day. To prove his worth, Genji announces his intention to rule the Suzuran All-Boys High School, a dilapidated campus overrun with all sorts of eccentric punks and troublemakers. Piecing together a gang through favors and displays of force, Genji finds his intentions blocked by Tamao (Takayuki Yamada), a Suzuran legend with his own collection of misfits. As the two battle for control of the school, life gets in the way, with fringe characters facing their own personal troubles and ominous futures, leaving Genji and Tamao conflicted as they build their forces to an ultimate showdown.

“Crows Zero” is actually a prequel to Takahashi’s original work, with the production looking to create an origin story for the misfits before their adventures take to the page. Keeping with the insider feel of the production, Miike (who’s worked in the field before, most notably with 2001’s “Ichi the Killer”) and screenwriter Shogo Muto build an immediate intimacy with the characters, casually establishing these corrosive personalities in the scattered opening act of the movie. To those unsure of the dance steps, “Crows Zero” isn’t impossible to follow, but it takes a certain frequency of fandom to correctly tune in to the double-crosses, plans of revenge, and haunted interpersonal relationships that make up the majority of the picture. Miike keeps the effort clouded with hazy backstories and intentions, forming a bizarre mix of hostility, slapstick comedy, and melodrama -- a nuanced brew created primarily for those who’ve already developed a taste for the material and the director. Simplicity isn’t essential when approaching this community of gangsters and hallway bruisers, but there’s no entry point for the casual viewer, rendering the film specialized product for a specialized audience. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that approach, it dilutes the fun for those on the other side of the fence wishing they could join the wild party Miike is throwing with his gifted ensemble.

While “Crows Zero” carries a heavy storyline that doesn’t stimulate the moviegoing senses, there’s quite a display of style here to help paint the conflicts in primary colors. The Suzuran School is made up of various gangs and outlaws, each class maintaining a uniform look to spotlight their coolness and commitment. Miike introduces a leather jacket mentality to the costuming that helps the actors to triumphantly peacock around, showing off their outlandish hairstyles and detailed costuming, generating attitudes and levels of threat without a line of dialogue uttered. “Crows Zero” is actually highly amusing to watch at times, especially when the action cranks up and takes full advantage of Miike’s stylistic choices, enjoying the retro rockabilly push of pompadours and sneers rubbing against a modern twinge of tracksuits and popped collars. The look of the film is superb, but only in bits. Miike strangely holds back from pure insanity, slowly growing to love these characters, which tempers the beguiling eccentricity the first half of the film is quick to embrace.

Although the opening of “Crows Zero” promises a swift gangland massacre carried over two hours of screentime, the material is more interested in acts of strategy, observing the gangs figure out the best possible route to potential allegiances and school dominance. This is not a tale of war, electing a more introspective route when expressing the concerns of the thugs. Beneath the hair products and tough guy accouterments, there’s a sensitivity in play that prevents “Crows Zero” from taking flight. These shifts in concentration can be jarring, especially in the case of Tokio, a friend to both Genji and Tamao, who encounters a life-threatening medical situation in the middle of the film, introducing soap opera atmosphere to an otherwise hardened feature. Miike shows difficulty managing the speeds of drama, which ends up destroying the natural pace of the picture. “Crows Zeros” has a tendency to be all over the place with its characterizations, suffocating what appear to be sincere asides with troubled personalities.

Crows Zero Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.84:1 aspect ratio) presentation on "Crows Zero" carries a troublesome feel for shadow detail, with great amount of detail lost when the story carries into low-lit areas. Textures on costuming and hairstyles are erased to solid blacks, also ruining set design nuances. When the screen action finds a brighter position in the daylight, the viewing experience grows more expressive, displaying fine details with clarity, great with facial particulars concerning make-up and accelerated displays of panic and strength. The print is clean with mild softness, capturing a comfortable grain structure. A few brief moments of banding are detected. Skintones are primarily natural, perhaps a bit too red on certain occasions. Colors are acceptable, favoring a muted palette that brings out a stylized representation of the source material, though certain hues do cut through the glaze, including a full sense of blood red.

Crows Zero Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA Japanese audio mix carries out the film's sonic goals with a comfortable sense of circular movement and brute force. Directional activity remains interesting throughout, with environmental changes holding steady (rain is enveloping), while distances retain echo and club visits carry a pleasing sense of crowd depth. Action sequences also bring forth satisfactory surround energy, with zooming cars and bikes roaring around the soundstage, while off-screen character entrances also introduce a little rear bustle, pulling the listener in. Dialogue exchanges are suitably managed, with a respectable central presence to bring intensity to the dramatics, also capturing what passes here for comedy cleanly. Scoring (which sounds more French than punky Japanese) is supportive without stepping on the action, while soundtrack cuts show extra strength, pushing louder to assist in the "hip" factor of the film. Low-end is quite nice, finding a workable thump for the music, while the fight sequences maintain a secure bassy punch.

Crows Zero Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Interview with Takashi Miike" (5:41, SD) sits down with the legendary filmmaker for a brief chat about "Crows Zero." Miike doesn't seem very comfortable with a position of self-explanation and directorial analysis, stumbling through his thoughts on creative intent and manga inspiration. Again, it's a short discussion about the movie, valuable only for its chance to study the man in motion.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:35, HD) is included.

Crows Zero Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While "Crows Zero" slowly drains of urgency, Miike attempts to restore a clenched-fist attitude with the grand finale, staging a massive gang war that eats up nearly 20 minutes of screen time. It's too little too late in terms of revitalizing the effort, but the climatic display of rage is diverting enough to hold attention, nicely ornamented with smashmouth fight choreography that keeps the boys concentrated on exhaustive, never-back-down beatings (a theme of the movie). Of course, this aggression is preceded by frightening medical diagnoses, two incidents of premature ejaculation, a scene of human bowling (a flash of pure fantasy in a film that could use more of it), and numerous cries of forgiveness. "Crows Zero" packs a lot into its run time, but rarely does it come together as the carnival ride experience Miike is shooting for.