Death Trance

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iDeath Trance/i is a so-so neo-Japanese action flick.

Summary

This is a really mixed bag. On the plus side, perhaps the best Capoeira fight scene in a martial arts movie I've seen... with some breaking thrown in. Nice cinematography and aesthetics. On the downside, the acting is pretty flat all around and the plot isn't bad, but manages to seem contrived. A lot more telling than showing.

It's not the kind of movie you expect too much from, but it still ends up falling short in my view. The guy who's devoted his life to seeking the best fighter in the world just doesn't seem like he's all that good when it comes down to it. The mysticism never really plays out in any interesting way and despite the world on the hook premise, there's never any tension.

All in all, it just doesn't add up. It feels like everyone spent so too time on the costumes and left everything else just a bit too rough. If you enjoy martial arts movies in general, or the goth aesthetic, or neo-Japanese cinema, there's nothing in the film to keep you from enjoying yourself so long as you don't expect too much.

Details and Notes

Okay, WTF's up with the penis sword? The magic sword that plays a central role in the movie... there's no question: the hilt is a dildo. Other than that, the costumes, set, and general look of the film are all top notch. Very costumed/live action anime feel, but successful in that.

You would never expect a lot from this kind of movie, and there's no one point of failure. Flat acting isn't deadly when the characters are mainly posed action figures. A fairly contrived plot is acceptable when dealing with a mystical end of the world scenario, bad-ass boys action movie. The action isn't the best I've ever seen, but there is at least one choice scene.

As I say, there's a few bright spots and a lot of mediocre in the film, but the only thing that's really bad about it is that it constantly seems like it's going to get better but never does. It's like you expect the film to break out at any moment and deliver some really exciting quirkiness. Instead, it just keeps plodding along. If you happened to get taken in by the promise, the film can become annoyingly disappointing pretty fast.