The film
begins with the carnage that struck the powerful Gosekai Yakuza gang 20
years earlier (the conclusion of GONIN)
and moves forward from that life-changing moment, concentrating on two
boys who lost their gangster fathers on that day [emphasizing their challenge
against the new underworld empire that grew from the ashes]. Filmmaker
Takashi Ishii builds on the foundation of his 1995 cult movie and delivers
precisely what a sequel should be: A CONTINUATION.
The first half hour reconstructs the narrative, probing deeper into the
characters - the children, the widows, the opportunists - who survived
the massacre. Then the new story begins, unfolding around a generation
of fatherless Yakuza kids who want vengeance against everyone who betrayed
their allegiance. The goal of these gonin rebels is bloody revenge
against the new Clan bosses who stole their heritage and and a massive
cash steal to sweeten the pot.
There are a lot of characters and storylines that ultimately accentuate
unclear rivalries. This is Ishii's planned purpose. Like life itself,
nothing is black and white. Nor should it be. Simply pick a character
and hold on. Confusion will eventually shift to clarity, moments before
the excessively bloody climax.
To date,
Takashi Ishii has delivered 20+ movies and has won numerous Best Picture
awards. He found International success with the aforementioned GONIN,
the female assassin BLACK
ANGEL and the FLOWER
AND SNAKE films. The recent cinema of Takashi Ishii continues
to explore the dark extremities of sexual behavior (SWEET
WHIP) and he revived his Angel Guts franchise in
2013 with ANGEL
GUTS: MY DOLLY GIRLFRIEND.
A
Japanese film with English subtitles, uncut 129 min,
widescreen, encoded for ALL REGION, playable on any American DVD machine
Extras include original theatrical trailer.
Graphic
Violence/Drugs/Nudity/Sexual Brutality
Intended for Mature Audiences
