Nihon igai zenbu chinbotsu (2006)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Minoru Kawasaki

Writers:

Yasutaka Tsutsui (novel)
Masakazu Migita (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

2 September 2006 (Japan)

Genre:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

Plot Keywords:

Assassination Plot | Xenophobia | Geologist | Oppression | Japanese Culture

Cast

Kenji Kohashi
Shuuji Kashiwabara
Masatoshi Matsuo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cynthia Cheston	...	Mother
Blake Crawford	...	Jerry Cruising
Hiroshi Fujioka
Delcea Mihaela Gabriela
Arthur Kuroda
Takashi Matsuo
Takenori Murano
Ryôji Okamoto
Gregory Pekar	...	Club Singer
Dave Spector	...	Gaijin
Hitomi Takashima	...	Shopping Housewife (as Hitomi Takashima)
Yasutaka Tsutsui

Also Known As:

The World Sinks Except Japan (International: English title)

Runtime:

Japan:98 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Klock Worx Company, The

A well done film adaption of the parody of the hit novel Nihon Chinbotsu

A hilarious film adaptation by Kawasaki Minoru of a parody of the famous 1970s novel Nihon Chinbotsu. Nihon Chinbotsu is the story of the Japanese people losing their homeland and being dispersed throughout the world. Nihon Igai Zenbu Chinbotsu is the opposite: the whole world sinks except Japan. The world's survivors all scramble on the small little archipelago occupied by the xenophobic Japanese. With Team America-like line of characters, all extreme stereotypes of their nation, you can't stop laughing. No one escapes the directors critique, from the traditional Japanese guy (who takes advantage of the situation and eats whale), to the Chinese/Korean leaders who suck up to Japan's Prime Minister, to the American Secretary of Defense who regrets not having started a coup d'etat in Japan, and etcetera.

Of course, the story is just incredible. Of course there are going to be those who are going to criticize this movie saying the science behind the disaster is unrealistic, the economic situation of the foreigners would not happen, and that's fine. People who are going to criticize this movie for reasons like that just don't get that they need to suspend their disbelief when watching comedies like this one who's primary focus is not to tell a believable story but a ridiculously funny one.

Then there may be those who claim this is a nationalistic film, but again, those people are the same people who thought Team America was a nationalistic film. They just didn't get the masochistic humor. This movie is critical of not just its own nationality but even the movie itself ("I don't like Japanese movies, they look so cheap").

Finally, this movie will shock you with a surprisingly funny, yet touching end (well, as touching as a comedy can get). I wouldn't say it's a must watch, but it's a good complement to Nihon Chinbotsu as well as being a good stand alone film as well.