KAIJI THE ULTIMATE GAMBLER

(A.k.a. KAIJI: JINSEI GYAKUTEN GEMU)

Based on Nobuyuki Fukumoto's popular manga TOBAKU MOKUSHIROKU KAIJI.

Kaiji (Tatsuya Fujiwara) is a likeable teenaged rouge, prone to vandalising cars for fun and whiling his days away drinking now that he's finished school. Crucially, he also likes to gamble.

Fast-forward two years, and the affable chap is no less happy but has considerably less collateral to his name: he owes a fortune in gambling debts. Which is where the alluring Endo (Yuki Amami) comes in, appearing in Kaiji's path to collect what is owing.

Sexier than your average debt collector, Endo offers the skint Kaiji an alternative to spending the next decade paying his dues: the chance to change. He likes the sound of this. What she's actually offering is one night on board a casino boat, where Kaiji will have the opportunity to win back the money he owes - and then some.

There is certainly fun to be had onboard for a short while, as the chirpy Kaiji gets to work on pulling off card tricks to amass a handsome booty. But before long the predictable decline sets in, and he soon learns that below deck something sinister is afoot ... the most heavily indebted are being used as slave labour.

It's hardly a spoiler as this reveal comes in the films first quarter. From there, the tone - initially brisk and comedic - slows down and darkens somewhat. But the occasional gag still creeps through, and action sequences keep cropping up at regular but curiously ill-fitting intervals.

A fusion of techno beats and melodramatic film score (courtesy of Yugo Kanno) keep the pot boiling over even when the action lets up ... which, to be fair, isn't often. If one thing is indisputable about KAIJI, it's that it is a hyperactive little bugger.

I say little, but that's not truly apt. At 130 minutes in length it outstays its welcome by roughly half an hour. It's not that it's a bad film, but a breathless pace can only sustain itself for so long: fun is better in shorter bursts.

The film isn't small in terms of production values either. On the contrary, it looks great. The widescreen photography and stylish coloured filters are employed to attractive effect, while a healthy cast of background extras add to the already epic-seeming boat scenes. Tying in with the epic feel is the films central theme, that being the eternal rich-poor divide that blights modern Japan.

But, I go back to my earlier gripes. The film is too long and it's unevenly paced. It's also atrociously overacted by the leads (Fujiwara was great in BATTLE ROYALE and DEATH NOTE - he doesn't seem to know whether or not this is a comedy; Amami tries her best but ultimately isn't strong enough to overcome the fact that her character is unlikeable).

The fault must ultimately lie with director Toya Sato, whose pedigree is in the realms of television. He's out of his depth here. He ensures each frame is attractive and keeps the pace ticking over as best he can, but unfortunately drops the ball when it comes to directing his cast. And he needs to know that sometimes you've got to be cruel to be kind ... especially in the editing suite.

This promo disc is a very early screener variation of the DVD by the looks of things. For a start, there are no extras or even menus on the disc - it opens straight into the main feature.

The film itself is presented in non-anamorphic 2.35:1. This is the original aspect ratio, but I can't help but think the final article will be 16x9 enhanced. No matter. Images here are not too strong. There is considerable ghosting to be witnessed during livelier scenes, while blacks are unstable and colours are generally weak.

All told, this is a pretty poor presentation of a newish film (2009) and I sincerely hope 4Digital Asia's retail disc can offer a more solid presentation for the buyer's money.

The Japanese 2.0 audio offered on the screener disc was sufficient but not great, while easily readable English subtitles were burned-in.

One positive note is that the disc up for pre-order presently on Amazon (it's mid-July 2010 as I write) lists a trailer and Making Of documentary amongst the disc extras. So it does like I've been given a very early screener to review, and that it isn't necessarily indicative of the final product. Phew.

KAIJI is a solid, enjoyable film that has its flaws (chiefly its length and uncertain tone). Nicely priced on DVD by 4Digital Asia, it comes mildly recommended. But only if the retail disc is better than the screener disc (which I'm assuming it will be ...).

Review by Stu Willis