Three years since his appearance in Sono Sion’s spectacular romp, Why Don’t You Play In Hell?, much has been ado over questions pertaining to cult action star Sakaguchi Tak’s stay or leave from the film industry altogether. Personally, I’d say it’s worth hoping he’ll stay while all his efforts in the last sixteen years have not been for naught, as young as his career still feels and the potential that still lies there.
Thus, his most recent foray into action brings us his latest film, Re:Born, and along with it, a trio of talent to spearhead the vision of action that’s been the major highlight of the film since its development last year through the inner workings of Japanese stunt and film companies, Worsal and U’den Flame Works. And to accomodate, a script by Benio Sakei that now sees our lead actor, otherwise rebranding himself as TAK∴, in the role of a store clerk whose violent past comes back to haunt his newfound small town life following a spate of gruesome murders at the hands of his former special ops commander.
The film is currently poised for an event screening with the cast in just over a few weeks at Kaga City Cultural Center marking the latest reuinion between TAK∴ and longtime friend and film cohort, action director Shimomura Yuji for his second take at the helm since the 2006 film, Death Trance. Both service the brutal, versatile, gorilla style of hand-to-hand and weapon-based commando fighting presented in the film as consulted through the expertise of CQC specialist, Inagawa Yoshitaka.
Rounding out the cast is young actress Kondo Yura, along with actresses Shinoda Mariko and Hasebe Hitomi, and actors Ishida Issei, Saitoh Takumi, Kato Masaya and Otsuka Akio. The first official trailer is finally online and you can check it out below, host to a haunting VO intro, and English-subtitles. And of course, full-on visual doses of TAK∴ taking on hordes of baddies armed to the fangs with knives galore, and it looks hella fun.
Here’s to hoping TAK∴’s new signature signals his return. He’s still in demand in my book.
Watch the trailer!
