Big Man Japan (Dai-Nipponjin)
Year: 2007
Director: Hitoshi Matsumoto
Studio: RealProduct / Yoshimoto Kogyo Company
Stars: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Riki Takeuchi, Ua
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 113 min.

While the year date of 2007 may make this out to be an older film, it has simply taken its sweet time getting to screens near us. An independent, though impressively done, film, Big Man Japan can only be found in the most 'artsy' theatres in the US. This is both appropriate and deeply ironic, as Big Man Japan is an uproariously hilarious art-piece, a lowbrow character study, and a retro homage all mixed together.

The film is shot in a faux-documentary style, following (and interacting with) the life of Masaru Daisato. At first glance, he appears to be a simple mild-mannered middle-aged Japanese man, living in a decently-sized but dilapidated house, and separated from his wife. But we soon find out that he is not always Daisato. When subjected to vast amounts of electricity (through jumper cables attached to his nipples), he becomes Big Man Japan, a multi-story giant tasked with defending Japan from all manner of monstrous beings. This is both his only skill and his biggest (pun intended) problem. The sixth in his family to be Big Man Japan, Daisato is outdated, out of place, and outright hated by most of the population. His garden wall is covered in negative graffiti, the news coverage of his exploits is relegated to the timeslot after the infomercials, and his wife only lets him see his daughter twice a year. There's not much more I can say without giving away scenes that are best as surprises, so I'll get on to the dissection.

First off, the look of the film. A majority of the shots are handheld, in keeping with the documentary/reality show premise, but it's mainly pretty subtle, nothing that would bother even the most motion-sensitive viewers. There is also a generally polished feel to the film, the doc feel comes across without being too cheesy or pushy. It also makes use of the 'awkward moment', similar to how The Office does it, but (if it's possible) even more awkwardly, because this is the character's entire life, not just his day job. It can be a bit slow in places, but in my opinion, this just makes what follows even better. I can't say too much, yet again, but at the screening I attended, the last fifteen minutes of the film elicited multiple bouts of applause from the audience.

Big Man Japan and all the monsters he deals with are CGI, which works quite well. The animation is detailed enough to mesh with the rest of the live action film, but obviously isn't meant to be 100% realistic. The bestiary of creatures he comes across is varied and completely insane. They range from a combination mannequin/comb-over/bungee cord to an Elvis head on a muscular jumping leg that constantly screams 'Sei'. Yeah, it's not a realistic movie. It's better.

One of the things that makes this movie especially notable is that, though it took a full crew to make, it is nearly a one-man show. Hitoshi Matsumoto wrote, directed, and stars as Daisato. This is extra-impressive, given that Daisato, or his CGI counterpart, is in 90% of the shots in the film. The only exceptions are the reality show-style interviews with other characters/the man on the street. Matsumoto gives a strong performance as the unassertive and humble Daisato. The character has shoulder-length hair, and you will soon recognize his attempts to avoid probing questions by his preoccupation with pulling his hair behind his ears. This may seem a simple act, but Matsumoto is somehow able to pull all the pathos of the character into that one movement.

Overall, I would give this film an A-. I went into the theater with high expectations, and came out thoroughly pleased, which doesn't happen all that often. While the film's off-the-wall nature might turn some people off, if you find the premise the least bit interesting, I recommend you go see this movie immediately. Unfortunately, that won't be an option for most people, as it has had an incredibly small release in the US. Luckily, it hits DVD on July 28th, so put it at the top of your rental list.