Finally a Japanese Schoolgirl Action-Flick starring a girl who can actually kick.
Check out that really nice, wee little Teaser, which teases a lot, here.
By the way, Happy New Year everyone!
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HIGH KICK GIRL (Japan)
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diceman
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HIGH KICK GIRL (Japan)
Finally a Japanese Schoolgirl Action-Flick starring a girl who can actually kick.
Check out that really nice, wee little Teaser, which teases a lot, here.
By the way, Happy New Year everyone!
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HungFist
- Bruce Lee's Fist
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- Joined: 14 Dec 2005, 15:50
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Yi-Long
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- Location: Alkmaar, Holland
Promo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWwy-NxYhj0
Cant say it looks all that promising, just from watching that low-budget step-stop-punch-kick-step promo... but hopefully the actual movie will look a whole lot more decent.
Cant say it looks all that promising, just from watching that low-budget step-stop-punch-kick-step promo... but hopefully the actual movie will look a whole lot more decent.
I was there, the big BNB blackout of november, 2008. We lost many that day...
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diceman
- Pedicab Driver
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- Joined: 20 Nov 2008, 16:10
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HungFist
- Bruce Lee's Fist
- Posts: 11922
- Joined: 14 Dec 2005, 15:50
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diceman
- Pedicab Driver
- Posts: 244
- Joined: 20 Nov 2008, 16:10
- Location: Germany
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HungFist
- Bruce Lee's Fist
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- Joined: 14 Dec 2005, 15:50
- Location: Japan
- Contact:
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HungFist
- Bruce Lee's Fist
- Posts: 11922
- Joined: 14 Dec 2005, 15:50
- Location: Japan
- Contact:
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HungFist
- Bruce Lee's Fist
- Posts: 11922
- Joined: 14 Dec 2005, 15:50
- Location: Japan
- Contact:
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HungFist
- Bruce Lee's Fist
- Posts: 11922
- Joined: 14 Dec 2005, 15:50
- Location: Japan
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Re: HIGH KICK GIRL (Japan)
Enjoy some great behind the scenes footage of Takeda training for the fight scenes. These are also on the dvd, in much longer form. I'll try to get something posted next week.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Is6fBZKhb0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Is6fBZKhb0
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HungFist
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Re: HIGH KICK GIRL (Japan)
"She is more than just a cute high school girl. She is a master of Karate!"
High Kick Girl delivers what it promises. Idols on wires are out, High Kick Girl is a vehicle for its 17 year old lead, Rina Takeda, who, like most of the film’s cast, is a real life karate practitioner and a black belt holder. Fuyuhiko Nishi, promoted from action choreographer (Black Belt, 2007) to debut director attempts to deliver a relatively authentic karate-movie with no wires, special effects, or other gimmicks, such as proper storyline.
There should be little need to explain why a 17 year old girl kicking men in the head is a concept worthy of a movie or two. High Kick Girl does, however, differ to its advantage from most other high concept movies and genre pastiches of the recent years. The self aware cleverness that has plagued many of such movies is not to be found here. Takeda’s karate circus is a straight face show that exists for itself, and where cinematic clumsiness is entirely unintentional. This is how genuinely cool movies are being made.
The plot is quick to summarize. Kei’s (Takeda) sensei Matsumura (Tatsuya Naka from Japan Karate Association) refuses to grant her with a black belt due to lack of training. The frustrated girl walks out and takes an entrance exam for The Destoyers – an immoral karate gang for hire. She passes the test but discovers their next target is her own master. Time switch sides again.
High Kick Girl consists of three things and three things only: training scenes, fight scenes, and short dialogue scenes placed between the other two. Occasionally Takeda exhausts the viewer with angsty teen dialogue, although not in as bad manner as in the trailer (“I get kicked for real! That’s me! Ore ga atashi!”). Thankfully the next fight scene is, without an exception, waiting right behind the corner. That’s good, as things such as acting and directing would not keep the film from sinking. Teen girl karate on the on the other hand is first rate entertainment by theory alone.
The biggest of the film’s problems is that its brilliancy is often theoretical. The fights suffer from heavy ongbak-syndrome – the highlights are always seen twice. In the hands of a director proud of his performers this equals to countless long replays that efficiently take away fluency and potential tension in the fight scenes. A record amount of slow motion doesn’t help either, as most performers no doubt would convince more with their speed than cinematic style. On the positive side, the slow motion does make it obvious the fights are relatively real: no stunt doubles, and no quick edits to bluff the eye.
Takeda is a convincing kicker but does tend to get overshadowed by her supporting stars. Naka’s skills are naturally on a whole different level, which was also observed by the director… to the extent Takeda eventually becomes a supporting star in her own movie. The enemy league also features some stand out performers, of which the acrobatic Aya Sugiyama is without an equal. Jumping around the room like a circus performer she may look harmless, but you’ll be quick to change your mind when she lands on your face and uses your back as a trampoline.
High Kick Girl’s shortcomings in terms of action come as a disappointment, as the crew has clearly shot superb fighting footage for the needs of a straight forward karate movie. The punch has only been weakened in the editing room. If the director was to remove all slow motion and replays, High Kick Girl would be a clearly better movie. Nevertheless, it must be admitted the film is, in many ways, a lot of fun. Its merits are not based on cinematic achievements but rather displaying realistic karate. And to some extent, school uniform. Everyone can make their own conclusion based that that.
Disc 1
Video: 1.78:1 Anamorphic widescreen (progressive)
Audio: DD 5.1 Japanese (448 kbps)
Subtitles: Japanese
Film length: 81:12
Extras: Trailer
Disc 2
Action making of (24:36)
Tatsuya Naka’s karate technique(21:30)
Rina Takeda’s action technique (5:44)
The Making of High Kick Girl (28:38)
Round table discussion (20:31)
Film premiere (6:15)
+ 8 page booklet
Screencaps: Film
Screencaps: Extras
Verdict: If karate and school girls are your thing, this is a film to own, despite its cinematic shortcomings. Sony's 2 Disc release is a great package with extras superior to the main feature. A R1 release has been announced for March 2010, but details are still unavailable.
High Kick Girl delivers what it promises. Idols on wires are out, High Kick Girl is a vehicle for its 17 year old lead, Rina Takeda, who, like most of the film’s cast, is a real life karate practitioner and a black belt holder. Fuyuhiko Nishi, promoted from action choreographer (Black Belt, 2007) to debut director attempts to deliver a relatively authentic karate-movie with no wires, special effects, or other gimmicks, such as proper storyline.
There should be little need to explain why a 17 year old girl kicking men in the head is a concept worthy of a movie or two. High Kick Girl does, however, differ to its advantage from most other high concept movies and genre pastiches of the recent years. The self aware cleverness that has plagued many of such movies is not to be found here. Takeda’s karate circus is a straight face show that exists for itself, and where cinematic clumsiness is entirely unintentional. This is how genuinely cool movies are being made.
The plot is quick to summarize. Kei’s (Takeda) sensei Matsumura (Tatsuya Naka from Japan Karate Association) refuses to grant her with a black belt due to lack of training. The frustrated girl walks out and takes an entrance exam for The Destoyers – an immoral karate gang for hire. She passes the test but discovers their next target is her own master. Time switch sides again.
High Kick Girl consists of three things and three things only: training scenes, fight scenes, and short dialogue scenes placed between the other two. Occasionally Takeda exhausts the viewer with angsty teen dialogue, although not in as bad manner as in the trailer (“I get kicked for real! That’s me! Ore ga atashi!”). Thankfully the next fight scene is, without an exception, waiting right behind the corner. That’s good, as things such as acting and directing would not keep the film from sinking. Teen girl karate on the on the other hand is first rate entertainment by theory alone.
The biggest of the film’s problems is that its brilliancy is often theoretical. The fights suffer from heavy ongbak-syndrome – the highlights are always seen twice. In the hands of a director proud of his performers this equals to countless long replays that efficiently take away fluency and potential tension in the fight scenes. A record amount of slow motion doesn’t help either, as most performers no doubt would convince more with their speed than cinematic style. On the positive side, the slow motion does make it obvious the fights are relatively real: no stunt doubles, and no quick edits to bluff the eye.
Takeda is a convincing kicker but does tend to get overshadowed by her supporting stars. Naka’s skills are naturally on a whole different level, which was also observed by the director… to the extent Takeda eventually becomes a supporting star in her own movie. The enemy league also features some stand out performers, of which the acrobatic Aya Sugiyama is without an equal. Jumping around the room like a circus performer she may look harmless, but you’ll be quick to change your mind when she lands on your face and uses your back as a trampoline.
High Kick Girl’s shortcomings in terms of action come as a disappointment, as the crew has clearly shot superb fighting footage for the needs of a straight forward karate movie. The punch has only been weakened in the editing room. If the director was to remove all slow motion and replays, High Kick Girl would be a clearly better movie. Nevertheless, it must be admitted the film is, in many ways, a lot of fun. Its merits are not based on cinematic achievements but rather displaying realistic karate. And to some extent, school uniform. Everyone can make their own conclusion based that that.
Disc 1
Video: 1.78:1 Anamorphic widescreen (progressive)
Audio: DD 5.1 Japanese (448 kbps)
Subtitles: Japanese
Film length: 81:12
Extras: Trailer
Disc 2
Action making of (24:36)
Tatsuya Naka’s karate technique(21:30)
Rina Takeda’s action technique (5:44)
The Making of High Kick Girl (28:38)
Round table discussion (20:31)
Film premiere (6:15)
+ 8 page booklet
Screencaps: Film
Screencaps: Extras
Verdict: If karate and school girls are your thing, this is a film to own, despite its cinematic shortcomings. Sony's 2 Disc release is a great package with extras superior to the main feature. A R1 release has been announced for March 2010, but details are still unavailable.