Retribution

Fascinating as it completely summarizes Kurosawa's previous work, going so far as to copy, shot-for-shot, a glorious scene from Pulse. But it's not so much a retread as a potent embodiment of the director's obsessions. The murders are merely a parenthesis in a story of urban decay, moral morass (pun intended) and a worldview - closer here than ever before - about to teeter off the edge towards a personal and grand apocalypse. Very recommended.

This was just a jumbled mess of a movie with some really bad effects and rear projection.

Kinda like if Cure was a conventional horror movie but instead of scary moments there was a whole bunch of unintentional comedy. Seriously, I can't believe the same guy directed both movies.

"Retribution" could just as well have been entitled "Recapitulation," since it returns to all of Kurosawa's themes, not only reiterating but enriching them. This time, however, the narrative is a little clearer, the cinematography richer in palette and more conventionally noir, and somehow these changes make the film slightly less disturbing--and therefore less effective--than "The Cure" and "Tokyo Sonata." As an introduction to his work, however, this may be the best place to start.

At times ominous and eerie, but some moments are distinctly ineffective, with some elements that seem quite unoriginal. The relationship between the main narrative concerning guilt and the apparent underlying theme involving urban desolation seems rather loose and unconvincing. The alternative ending included as an extra on the DVD would probably have been a better choice, though perhaps still inadequate.

Honestly, just love J-horror ghosts, and Kurosawa films them like no one else does.