Movie review: Oneechanbara: The Movie aka Chanbara Beauty (2008)

OVERALL: 6/10

Plot: 6/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Entertainment value: 6/10
Movie to wait for DVD: YUP Japan only~
Rewatchability: Once in a while…

This is a Japanese B-movie that’s surprisingly better than I expected it to be.  It’s genre contains western, sci-fi, action, and horror.  Sounds like a whole lot but it seems to be able to carry the film slightly above average.  Like I said this is movie a Japanese B-movie so dont have high expectation with the cinematography and the plot is based on a video game released in Japan only for the Xbox 360, nuff said.  Where I am getting at is the fights in this film, which I totally did not expect coming from a Japanese B-movie.  They usually are poorly choreographed and very slow as if they are afraid of hitting each other on screen.  So that’s why I say the fight is basically the only thing that shines in this film.  The SFX pulls off fairly well not the best, but I am sure would have kicked ass if this film was released 10 years ago.

So the plot is fairly simple since it is based on a video game.  Now mind you I have never seen or played the video game so I am going to just tell you from what I saw based on the film.  It takes place in the future 20XX and zombies walked the earth.  A coporation called D3 has developed this biochemical weapon that turns zombies into living dead warriors/soldiers.  This is how our heroine comes in, she is a wanderer with a cowboy hat, katana, and here is the best part wears nothing but a bikini.  Yes, you read correctly a bikini cowgirl with a sword!  She is teamed with her trusty side kick who is smart when he has to be and an attractive gun slinger.  They all have one motive revenge!(where is that gong when you need it!)  They are out to stop the mad scientist who’s using the zombies as his test subject by turning them into knife wielding zombie warriors.

Overall, I have to say I like the concept of this movie and did enjoy it for the fights.  There was enough fights and shootings that should keep you entertained from the lame story line.  I gave it the grade I gave because as we all know video game to movies are a really challenging and unfortunately unsuccessful most of the time, but this film manages to pull it off.  I am sure that if more funding and writer was placed into the movie it would do a lot better.