Tuesday, June 14, 2016

WTF Japan?!?: Japanese Frankenstein (aka The Last Frankenstein)

It is only fitting to cover an allegory for technological advancement when the Review is delayed by technology.  

Today's Film is The Last Frankenstein, a 1992 Film from Japan.  I love this Country.  Even getting past the cliches we have of their craziness (Panty Vending Machines, Anime in general), they continue to find new ways to be crazy.  
Who else could make Dead Sushi, a Film with Zombie Sushi?  Who else could give Yakuza Apocalypse, a Film in which people are turned into Yakuza Vampires?  
Who else could Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead, a Film about...well, guess?  

Speaking of the dead/undead, this Film features both.  You see, those Films listed above are pretty recent, whereas this one comes to us from 1992. 

 Ah, the good old days of when The X-Men were Animated and people actually liked Gambit.  You got your work cut out for you, Channing Tatum!  

This Film is ostensibly an updated Version of the Mary Shelley Story, but takes some pretty radical departures.  For example, you don't even hear/see the word 'Frankenstein' until more than 1/3 of the way through!  The Plot involves so much random nonsense that it is going to be a challenge to actually talk about it without getting completely-sidetracked.  
Since I'm a Professional, I'll do my best!  

To note, the Film is Written and Directed by the same guy who made it a Play.
  His later works include...nothing, according to IMDB.  Joy.  To find out how this all turns out, read on...
So Tokyo is apparently full of lots of random, crazy things happening in 1992.  I'm supposed to say that it is different now, but...

Anyhow, there's this guy who leads a Death Cult.  This was before the Subway Gas Attack of 1995 by a similar Cult, so...awkward.
In addition, there's an epidemic of Suicides.

  This lady- with her child there- is asked by a News Anchor about it and has this odd reply...
Later still, a supposed Protagonist goes home to...this.

I could try to explain the floating doll, but...it wouldn't help much.
After over forty-minutes of nonsense, our Hero is told to find Dr. Frankenstein (must be his German Mother's name).

  To up the random, he does this while the guy is walking backwards, so he follows suit.
In addition to the Suicide Plague, there is also a rash of people with Psychic Powers.  

Okay then...
FINALLY our Hero meets with Dr. Frankenstein, who says some nonsense about society being doomed and him wanting to create perfect life.  

Keep being creepy!
So all of this supposedly ties together by the Doctor explaining that he has harnessed psychic power and the energy from the Death Cult (or something) to create his Adam & Eve.  

He tries to force them to socialize and learn human behavior.
Ultimately though, this Adam rejects society and life by walking into the Ocean.  So what about the Suicide Plague (which our Hero supposedly got affected by) and all those Psychic girls?

It doesn't matter!  They do find time for a teaser with the giant embryo coming to life though.  The End?
The worst kind of silly nonsense.  This Film is supposedly super-deep and serious...if you believe the 3 positive Reviews on IMDB.  It is both dense and ridiculous if you believe this Review from me.  The ideas in it...don't really belong. 

 Why drag Psychics, a Suicide Plague and Death Cults into your Frankenstein Film?  They add nothing, save for making the Film nearly 2 Hours long.  I honestly don't get it.  Is there some subtle message I'm missing during Scenes with a Hunchback running around on a Beach or a man talking to a floating doll?  
This is seriously-random and not even done all that well.  For example, the Death Cult is pushed heavily in the early part, reappears later and vanishes until they appear one last time with Frankenstein...and commit mass suicide.
  What did that add?!?  

Frankenstein's wife acts bizarre and this also leads to nothing.  The whole thing is just a big pile of WTF and it just kind of lost me.  After 90 minutes of this, can you blame me?  If it was supposed to just be funny, it is too long and bizarre for that.  If it is supposed to be enlightening, it is too random and bizarre for that.  I don't know what this is really.  Kind of like how they zoom in on the TV apparently playing Porn...which they blur out...
Next up, Dracula makes his way to Japan. Will his adventure bite or be tasty?  Stay tuned...

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