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Just perfect...

Good movie but grossly overrated

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Smuggler is a live action movie based upon a Japanese manga series by Manabe Shohei that stands out with an eclectic genre mixture and a fusion of extremes that is quite particular for Japanese cinema. The movie follows three main plots that complement one another. The most detailed one focuses on an indepted former young actor who accepts to work with a tough man that could be his father and a weird elder that could easily be his grandfather. They work for an organized crime syndicate and clean up crime scenes, dispose of the victims' bodies or transport prisoners from one place to another. The second story line revolves around two pitiless extravagant contract killers who get betrayed by a partner and end up being the hunted instead of the hunters. The third story line tells the story of a woman who is married to the boss of a Yakuza clan who decides to betray the family in order to become more powerful. The three story lines get intertwined rather quickly and the viewer follows them from three different perspectives.Just like many other live action movies, Smuggler is a quite vivid genre mixture. It could be categorized as a coming-of-age drama as it follows a young man dealing with constant failure who desperately tries to hold on to his dreams. It's also an action film with slasher elements as the two contract killers are quite pitiless as they are working with both passion and precision. The torture scenes in the last third of the film are quite tough to watch, so don't watch this with your kids. Smuggler is also a black comedy, including many absurd scenes with strange situation comedy and weird dialogs, for example when the trio who is transporting the bodies of yet another massacre gets controled by the police. In a certain way, Smuggler is also a thriller as one tries to figure out who backstabs whom and especially who orders the different murders.The movie has quite a few shifts in tone but its vivid weirdness actually keeps it together and reminds of Japanese V-Cinema of the nineties and early millennium. The protagonist is depicted as a naive loser, becomes a lowly estimated criminal meandering between cleverness and clumsiness and ends up being tortured and torturing in a very graphic way. This character development exemplifies this vivid movie perfectly.Obviously, this type of cinema isn't for everyone but those familiar with Japanese cinema will definitely like smuggler. The story is so complex and rich that one could easily watch this movie on several occasions. It's an energizing ride that keeps getting better and better. It's difficult to give it a higher rating because the movie is all over the place but I enjoyed watching it and would definitely recommend it to those who like directors like Miike Takashi or even Quentin Tarantino.

I go to TIFF every year in search or exciting, crazy, innovative new movies to watch that I would normally not have the opportunity to do so. Well I am glad to say that this is just one of those films. the story, mixed with the script, the acting and of course the fight sequences left me breathless. I have yet to see one Asian movie at TIFF that has disappointed me. But like I always tell people you better have a strong stomach and be prepared to see some things on the screen that might make you queezy. besides that grab a big bag of popcorn take your date and be prepared to be shocked till your hearts content. At the screening I was at a few girls did ave to leave the theatre so be prepared and don't say I didn't warn you.

Smuggler is definitely a movie that doesn't receive the accolades it deserves. The humour is as black as the blackest pudding and the storyline and violence is something that stays true to the crazy side of Japanese Cinema.Takashi Miike would be proud of this effort. The insanity of the whole situation is very reminiscent of films such as Ichi the Killer and Dead or Alive. I wouldn't be surprised if this director is a fan of Miike's, which will please fans of the legendary director. If you are prepared to laugh at horrible situations, then you might just receive a massive surprise with Smuggler. I know I did!

Although offering one of the best action sequences I ever saw ,,Smuggler''quickly looses its fascination at the other half of the film ,crossing the viewer's line of pain tolerance thanks to the unnecessary torture scenes. Having watched ,, Ichi the Killer '' that would not be of a problem if there only wasn't the unsatisfying other half of the plot, ending abruptly and disappointedly mundane. Added the too superficial ,,new'' characters , especially the one played by Hikari the film looses its initial potential. Long story short: Smuggler is a entertaining film ,but you can miss it . The strong first half promises something outstanding , enhancing the viewer's disappointment of the other half. 2 hours lenght , some more character depth ,less torture and this would surely be a ,,9''. Overall I can advice you ; better watch Ishii's Shark Skin Man if you want to see something really outstanding or if you can tolerate extreme violence and disturbance ,,Ichi the Killer '', which has partially the same plot and similar characters.