Casshern (2004)

Live-action sci-fi movie based on a 1973 Japanese animé of the same name (Shinzo Ningen Casshân). Theme song by Utada Hikaru.

Director:

Kazuaki Kiriya

Writers:

Kazuaki Kiriya (screenplay), Dai Satô

Stars:

Yûsuke Iseya, Kumiko Asô, Akira Terao

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yûsuke Iseya	...	Tetsuya Azuma / Casshern
Kumiko Asô	...	Luna Kozuki
Akira Terao	...	Dr. Kotaro Azuma
Kanako Higuchi	...	Midori Azuma
Fumiyo Kohinata	...	Dr. Kozuki
Hiroyuki Miyasako	...	Akubon
Mayumi Sada	...	Sagurê
Jun Kaname	...	Barashin
Hidetoshi Nishijima	...	Lieutenant Colonel Kamijo
Mitsuhiro Oikawa	...	Kaoru Naito
Susumu Terajima	...	Sakamoto
Mayu Tsuruta	...	Burai's wife
Ryô	...	San Ikegami
Tetsuji Tamayama	...	Sekiguchi
Yôko Moriguchi	...	Luna's mother

Storyline

In a world with an alternate history, a great war finally comes to an end leaving the earth diseased and polluted. The geneticist Dr. Azuma vies for support from the government for his neo-cell treatment that he claims can rejuvenate the body and regenerate humankind. The government leaders, guarding their own deeply entrenched powers, turn down the professor. Driven to complete his work, Dr. Azuma accepts a secret offer from a sinister faction of the powerful military. After an incident occurs in Dr. Azuma's lab, a race of mutant humans known as the Shinzo Ningen are unleashed upon the world. Now only the warrior known as Casshern, reincarnated with an invincible body, stands between the Shinzo Ningen and a world on the brink of annihilation.

---

Plot Keywords:

mutant | human experimentation | dystopia | biotechnology | warrior | 

---

Taglines:

Reincarnated with an invincible body to fight an iron devil. If Casshern does not do it, who will?

---

Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

24 April 2004 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Casshern - Reencarnado do Inferno

Filming Locations:

Japan

Box Office

Budget:

JPY 600,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$344,218 (Japan), 7 May 2004, Limited Release

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tatsunoko Production, Shochiku Company, Progressive Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

142 min 117 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the original TV series, the antagonists were androids brought to life by a lightning strike a la Frankenstein. All were male and bear the same names as in the 2004 remake - with the exception of the Burai. The android Burai is based upon was originally named "Burai King Boss". In the making-of-Casshern DVD, director Kazuaki Kiriya and all conceptual designs continue to use the name "Burai King Boss" until well-over halfway into the shoot.

---

Quotes

Kotaro Azuma-hakase: You have no idea what war is like.

---

Connections

References Speed Racer (1967)

---

Soundtracks

Requiem
By The Back Horn

User Reviews

Beautifully convoluted fairytale

I have just finished watching Casshern and overall it was a visually stunning feast for the eyes with a beautifully woven fairytale at its heart. Unfortunately the fairytale was somewhat drowned under layer upon layer of heavy handed and mostly unnecessary exposition that ponders on for two long and mind-numbing hours, the result being that I am baffled by the entire experience. On the one hand I loved the movie; the style of the film was exceptional, every aspect of the world the director had created strained with the quality that is lacking in most western films. The cinematography was perfectly executed, the design work was breathtaking and the idea at the core of the narrative was ingenious. On the other hand these qualities cannot make up for the script, which is overly long and excruciatingly convoluted; taking an unnecessarily long and ponderous route to a conclusion that, in the hands of a better writer, could have been much more straightforward without necessarily losing any of the emotional complexity of the narrative or its characters. I would recommend seeing this movie if just to experience the spectacular visual feast that it is, but I can't help thinking that the story could have been treated so much better.