Kids Return (1996)

Some things I liked some I did not.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Underlying message of the movie is to not let bad seeds, doubters, downers, and peer pressure hamper your progress to become great -- they are tests to see if you have what it takes to push forwardKitano's comeback film after his suicide attempt Follows two friends from high school who bullied kids . One fateful day they get jumped by a boxer and decide to adjust their lifestyles with the heart (some passionate some timid) of champions

uhm what I am suppose to say. After the accident in 1994, there are people think that Kitano Takeshi could never direct or become an actor again. But he has come back from the death and tell us what life is all about. If you read his biography, watch his films in time order, you feel like you are watching his lifetime. You would see how Kitano portrays life and death from his own experience in real life.Take his accident in 1994 as a mark. Before his accident, Sonatine and Violent Cop are bleak and sad. They showed life affairs that can not be escaped. The whole world wants to swallow our heroes, but they are too tough to be gobbled. But in the end, the heroes choose death to end this permanent fight against the brutal world. After the accident, in Kids Return, it's not how to die to escape, its about how to live to face this brutal world. Remember the time when he made Kids Return, the Japanese still haven't recognized his talent and he had to endure many critics that had lead to his self destruction. But after he left the hospital, he appeared in Gonin The Five as an actor, directed Kid Return.( Kitano could drop directing and become a comedian again becuz Japanese like him as a comedian, that way is easier, but he didn't do as they wished) Kitano Takeshi has never lose his belief in himself. In Kids Return, I feel like Kitano wanted to begin his life again, left behind all the critics and desire to be recognized by Japanese. No matter how things get bad, life just begin when you feel that you are ready. It's never late to begin your life, yes never.One more thing I want to say, after this film, Kitano made Hana-bi which received the Golden Lion at Cannes. Japanese started to recognize him as a director. At that time, he's 50.

Shinji looks up to his friend Masaru, who doesn't seem to worry about the future nor his education... instead he spends his time pulling pranks on fellow students and teachers.They don't bother looking for a purpose in life unlike many of the other characters, who all seem to have personal agendas or desperately seeking meaning.Obviously they are failures in the eyes of overachieving Japanese society.After a series of events they eventually find their goal in life. Shinji becomes a talented boxer and Masaru is making a fast career within the local yakuza.This is a very personal and honest 'Kitano', an underdog story filled with moments of humor, melancholy, cynicism and realism. In life there are no real winners or losers, choices are made and often we fail.In the end there is a moment of genuine Kitano magic, (like in most of his movies) where in one line one of them says it all.Superb ! 9.5/10

Spoilers!Takashi "Beat" Kitano had already made "Violent Cop", this was his masterpiece, Kitzu Ritan (Kids Return), is a story about two boys who smoke, drink and skive school, then one gets hit by a local bully and starts boxing, the other one is rubbish at it, but one is less angry (than his friend, who is, angry about the punching incident, cue throwing the bully out of the ring). Kitano makes his most detailed observation, whilst appearing at his most casual, this is not, as you may think it is, like "Rocky II", or "Max Keeble's Big Move", this is a melancholy, story of two kids, one joining the Yazuka, and one becoming a boxer, eventually getting screwed up by taking "Champion Pills", maybe the down and out meant to do him in with them, anyway, like I said, better than "Battle Royale" (only just though).Superb, ****/****