Fantasia XXIX Review: In BLAZING FISTS, Choose Your Battles Accordingly

I came into director Takashi Miike’s new film Blazing Fists expecting something of a tournament thriller. At least that’s the vibe I got from it as it takes inspiration from the reality combat sport series “Breaking Down” which is also featured in the film, as well as one of its stewards, ex-MMA pro Mikuru Asakura who is also a producer on the film.

Alas, it’s moreso the case with Shin Kobayashi’s script dealing prominently in storied, urban coming of age drama, proffering a fair deal of the familiar delinquent fervor and gangbuster beat ’em ups that Miike is plentily known for in his work, namely the Crows Zero films. Blazing Fists even endures a small, albeit comedic nod to the manga on which those films are based, which we see when we first meet the roles of Ryoma (Kaname Yoshizawa) and Ikuto (Danhi Kinoshita).

Incarcerated at juvenile detention for their respective alleged crimes, the two strike an unexpectant friendship that coheses further when “Breaking Down” frontman Asakura (himself) contributes a motivational speech to the inmates. As the two are granted parole with jobs at a warehouse, Ryoma and Ikuto resolve to dedicate themselves to becoming professional fighters through the “Breaking Down” initiative, ultimately joining a gym owned by Takayuki (Susumu Terajima).

Bitter rivalries begin to surface when Ikuto clashes with gangster Jun (Chikashi Kuon) and his squad, revealing surprise connections to previous events that now culminate to settling their deep-seated differences in the gym’s boxing ring. When the members of a notorious biker gang led by the tough-as-nails Shizuka (GACKT) makes its move, Ryoma and Ikuto are forced to choose between opportunity, and honor.

This aspect of the film culminates much of what Blazing Fists delivers in terms of its story, whereas “Breaking Down” foundates the overall framework. Themes like overcoming trouble in youth, forgiveness, and endurance in hard times run consistent for the most part, particularly with Ikuto and his father, Daisuke (Katsunori Takahashi) whose own alleged murder case has him awaiting a judge’s verdict while behind bars.

Anna Tsuchiya and Mariko Shinoda additionally star as the respective mothers of Ryoma and Ikuto, Kaoruko and Haruka. The film also introduces Konatsu Kato in the role of Yukina, a schoolgirl and popular influencer who’s the apple of many delinquents’ eyes, including one whose proclivity for not taking no for an answer finds Jun stepping up and getting himself in a bind leading up to the film’s climactic battle.

Things move pretty slowly and gradually for the first half hour until things start picking up with the action. You can tell that Yoshizawa and Kinoshita, and the participating cast put some fair work into making themselves look and move fighting-fit for their roles, courtesy of stunt coordinators Masayoshi Deguchi and Keiji Tsuji. Co-star GACKT spends most of his involvement either lecturing or torturing his own men to their bloody hilt, before finally getting off of his villain throne and laying some of the good guys to waste, and finally standing toe-to-toe with Ikuto.

Where the film falls a bit short is probably one of the more exciting moments when Ikuto is challenged by another rival in a potential setup for what would’ve been a different final fight in a different movie. Thematically, it doesn’t make sense until the film plays out and you can get a big-picture sense of what was intended, and for what it’s worth, it works.

Told from Ryoma’s perspective and reportedly based on Asakura’s own autobiography, Blazing Fists largely testifies to Ikuto and the impact he leaves in the events of this story. Storied redemption with youthful vigor, and the kind of massive action setpieces you would expect from a Miike film are on the menu in Blazing Fists. If you’re a Miike fan and you’ve stuck around for this long, you’ll get a kick (or a punch) out of this one for certain.

Blazing Fists enjoyed its Canadian Premiere at the 29th Fantasia International Film Festival.

Lee B. Golden III

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Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!