Dead or Alive 2: Birds has been billed as a Comedy/Action/Fantasy flick. There are elements which are relevant to the premise of the film. Where as Dead or Alive had Takeuchi and Aikawa at each other’s throats, in this film they are old school friends who happen to be in the hitman business. Through a chance meeting, they meet up and reminisce about the old days, and their hope and dreams of the past.
As this is only a sequel in name, Takashi has create a different and better story with the sequel. It is both a more melancholy and better paced film than it’s predecessor. The locations are more interesting and varied and the film takes on a more laid back approach to the violence. There is less of it, but it’s more cohesive and better executed.
Takeuchi has killed people under the guise of his friend, Aikawa. Aikawa doesn’t mind so much, but he is partially annoyed. The fact that he has met up with someone who grew up with negates this annoyance, and they put that behind them. Visiting another child hood friend, they decide to rest there for a while, while they decide what they are going to do with their lives, and what will be the next steps they take.
The violence of Japanese vs Chinese continues, as the opening scene sees Takeuchi killing a mafia leader. This fuels the feud between the Japanese and the Chinese, and results in bloody set pieces where many die. The mistake that Takeuchi and Aikawa make is in killing someone in particular. Takashi’s shock comedy comes in the form of the victim being a guy with penis the size of his torso. The woman is the lover, and also a gang leader of sorts, I guess, as she requests three hitmen to find the Takeuchi and Aikawa and execute them. They watch in amusement as she strokes the huge penis on her cushion, which has been dismembered from the owner.
It’s is a good film, with a well paced plot, and several interesting sub plots which don’t take away the original premise
Takeuchi and Aikawa’s relationship is well developed during the tale. Their accommodation with their third friend provides moments of laddish behaviour and recollections of when they were kids and the stupidity they pursued, such as getting off on climbing a pole and rubbing it against their crotch to achieve and erection. What they do as kids they repeat as adults, and it’s amusing and stupid to watch. The relive those years, knowing that whatever comes will be worse.
During their time with their friend, Takeuchi becomes ill, throwing up blood on a regular basis, but he keeps this to himself. They take part in the local school play, much to the amusement of everyone. The owner of the school has heard of their reputation of demonstrating profanity, sex and violence during plays they taken part in in the past.
They assure him it won’t be so. The sexually suggestive play is rather humourous, however, had a scene like that taken place in an English speaking film, there would no doubt be an outcry of offensive material and a sickening example to young children. But then, Japan’s private openness about sex is perhaps reflective in having the lowest rate of crime, especially sexual crime, whereas the West is a completely different story.
In any case, after their stint at their friend’s pace, they decide to move on. They make a pact to stick together and kill the bad guy’s of the world. As Aikawa makes his speech about how 1 death of a bad guy can result in 100,000 people being able to afford a vaccination in the third world, it is interjected with scenes of famines and death in those third world regions. It’s unexpected, but it does add weight to his comments, almost in a justifiable way. It is then that they agree to donate all their money from killing the bad, to those that are poorest and suffering the most.
As this is only a sequel in name, Takashi has create a different and better story with the sequel
Dead or Alive 2: Birds uses more visual metaphors than it’s predecessor. Their executioners turn into young children, Takeuchi and Aikawa themselves turn into children themselves, and at several points wings grow out of their backs. Several points in the film are presented with rushes of black and white birds in CGI, representing the colour of the wings for Aikawa and Takeuchi respectively. Again, Takashi creates something original and different, which can either be taken as something serious with meaning, or as just another effect for the sake of it.
It’s is a good film, with a well paced plot, and several interesting sub plots which don’t take away the original premise. The violence is well executed, and trimmed to keep the focus on the two main characters. They themselves are well developed and play their parts well, Takeuchi as the sullen dead pan character, and Aikawa as the more eccentric and outlandish person. They both compliment and contrast each other equally.
Once more, the ending is open to interpretation, but Takashi gets away with it in this film as several of the elements in the film are presented as fantasy, and therefore there is a consistency in the approach. Takashi doesn’t spring the ending on you like he did in Dead or Alive, and therefore the fantasy ending is acceptable, even if many may find it incoherent and illogical. It is amusing overall, and perhaps makes more sense than the end of Dead or Alive.
Verdict: Enjoyable, tender and violent. One of Takashi’s better examples.