Z-Reviews || Movies || Review

Returner is director Takashi Yamazaki’s sophomore effort. The movie, which was a big success in Japan, has been ripped apart by many critics here in the USA. In my opinion, I think most of the critics are a bit harsh. Sure, this movie blatantly rips other movies; but hey, most movies are unoriginal as is. At least this movie takes the best concepts from a bunch of cool movies and makes a very entertaining, albeit unoriginal, movie out of them.

Before going in, you have to toss any time travel logic out the window and just enjoy the movie for what it is and try not to think too hard about it.

In the future humans are at war with an alien race known as Daggra and the last few remaining humans are hiding underground in Tibet. A solider named Milly (Anne Suzuki), who's more of a girl than a fighter, goes back 80 years in time for her mission - which is to try and prevent the future war by hunting down an extraterrestrial that is believed to have started the whole mess. She enlists (by way of force) the help of Miyamoto (Takeshi Kaneshiro), the super cool suave “matrix-like” (by way of clothes) gangster to help her go in search of the alien that is the supposed cause of the future war. However, Miyamoto also has his own agenda - which is to get revenge for a childhood friend by killing Mizoguchi (Goro Kishitani), who is a seemingly typical crime-lord type, though there are some nuances which make him cool. With his spiky blond hair and funny remarks, it’s kind of hard not to partially like him, even if his solution to most problems is a bullet in the head. Everything ties in nicely with this movie since Mizoguchi hopes to use the alien to further his position in power - the same alien Milly is hunting down with Miyamoto.

Those who thirst for lots of action and blood may be a bit disappointed with the action sequences in this movie. However, I think the fact that they aren’t so over laden with blood and other typical action stuff is what makes these fight scenes so enjoyable. Honestly, who doesn’t like seeing bullets zip by in slow-motion leaving cindering mists of white smoke in their trail?

The future and the past parts are very different in feel. Scenes in the future are in English (poor English) and have the same look as a Sci-Fi channel TV movie, or an episode of Stargate, albeit bloodier. Thankfully, the bulk of the movie takes place in the past/modern day... which is much more interesting and better looking, and just all around better. There's some good action, humor, and sadness. Oh, and the bad guy was awesome!