Tokyo Zombie

Director: Sakichi Sato
Actors: Tadanobu Asano, Sho Aikawa, Erika Okuda
Year Released: 2005
Genre: Horror, Comedy
See Also: Versus, Battlefield Baseball
Otaku Alert: Prince Akiyama was played by horror manga writer Kazuo Umezu.
Availability Note: Import only.

I can't think of a movie that sounds better on paper than Tokyo Zombie. Tadanobu Asano in an afro wig! Sho Aikawa with a bald head! Director Sakichi Sato wrote Gozu and Ichi the Killer! Zombies in Tokyo! Humor! Blood! Erika Okuda in a short skirt! Unfortunately, the only one of those exclamation-pointed statements that manages to stay consistent until the end of the film is the length of Erika Okuda's skirt.

People are burying bodies at the massive Tokyo dump, nicknamed Black Fuji because of its resemblance to the mountain, and one day they come to life, seeking, as the zombie myth goes, fresh blood to satisfy their hellish cravings. Fujio (Asano) and Mitsuo (Aikawa) are two layabouts who'd rather practice jujitsu than work. Their wrestling skills soon pay off as they take zombie after zombie to the mat, and pick up the aforementioned short-skirted Erika Okuda in the process.

And then the movie goes off the rails.

Had the whole film been like the first 30 minutes, I'd be willing to call it a worthwhile campy satire of horror films, much like Zombie Baseball. But suddenly it's five years later, Mitsuo is long gone, and Fujio and Yoko (Okuda) are living inside a Land of the Dead-like rich person's compound. Fujio fights zombies professionally in the ring but never makes much money because his jujitsu skills are too good—the fights aren't flashy enough.

This is all fine and good, but the film ceases to be funny. In fact, it gets downright boring. Even the (expected) third-act return of Mitsuo isn't enough to save the film. A good idea—and two great actors—wasted.