Movie Review: Blazing Fists

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Blazing Fists smashes punches and tears in Takashi Miike’s latest propulsive action film
by Jeremy Fogelman

Cast: Mikuru Asakura, Kaname Yoshizawa, Danhi Kinoshita, Anna Tsuchiya, Mariko Shinoda, Gackt, Chikashi Kuon

Rating: ★★★

The legendary Japanese director Takashi Miike has directed over a hundred films since he started -- and he’s still pumping them out! So indeed, I’ve only seen a fraction of them, but he is known in more recent years for brutal and violent pieces. I think I have enjoyed 2019’s First Love a bit more than the rest, but there are a lot of interesting films to choose from. Ahead of this year’s Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, here’s a chance to get a taste of what Miike can do.

Blazing Fists is written by Shin Kibayashi and directed by Takashi Miike, based on the book Street Legend, the autobiography of MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura, who plays himself in the movie in a small but critical role. We follow our two main protagonists, young delinquents who meet in juvenile hall -- somewhat mild-mannered Ryōma Akai (Kaname Yoshizawa), pushed into crime by external forces, and chip on his shoulder tough guy Ikuto Yagura (Danhi Kinoshita).

They become friends quickly after Ikuto defends Ryōma against another inmate, but they are constantly being menaced by a corrupt security guard -- eventually a spark of something changes when Asakura visits the inmates, giving a speech about becoming something, and both Ryōma and Ikuto love the idea of being professional fighters and competing on the famed “Breaking Down” MMA event.

We also meet their mothers, Ryōma’s mother played by Anna Tsuchiya (as the snarky, somewhat supportive one) and Ikuto’s mother played by Mariko Shinoda (as the more subdued, secretly strong type). They play well against each other too, even if it’s just one of the little moments in this two hour movie -- a little too long because there are repetitive scenes and some dramatic ones where we simply hold on character’s pieces for minutes at a time.

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Still, the dramatic beats when incorporated into conversations become interesting, as new twists reveal themselves along the way. Initial villains, the biker gang Krishna, as led by the flamboyant, ultra violent Shizuka Midō (well known musician Gackt) lead the way for a more personal group, local tough guys led by Jun Kishōmaru (Chikashi Kuon), who has a personal connection to the two leads.

Our two aspiring fighters begin to learn how to fight in a real way, adding still more fun characters in a training gym -- the movie is very packed, but every side character gets at least one little enjoyable moment, keeping things memorable and fun. It all winds up to an epic brutal fight scene that ties it all together, and Miike knows how to film this sort of brutal, over-the-top violence.

The lead performances by Danhi Kinoshita and Kaname Yoshizawa, relative unknowns, hold up well, and they manage to convey seeming like real potential badasses. There’s even a touch of romance, although just a touch, as the movie swaps between fight scenes and dramatic reveals over time -- and ensuring that almost everyone, except for the worst bad guy of all (an overzealous prosecutor) has layers.

If you’ve seen Miike’s movies of this type before, it’s another strong one in that genre -- it has well choreographed fight scenes and fun character beats. It does stretch on a bit long in the first hour at times, but the last half of the movie jets along at an engaging pace. So ignore the subtitles if you can, and appreciate how much people are willing to push themselves on screen, especially in some of these fight scenes -- an enjoyable time.