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Dead or Alive 2 – Birds (2000)

Director: Takashi Miike

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Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Was the end of the world in the first Dead or Alive all a dream? Maybe not, because this time Aikawa and Takeuchi are back as angels. More exactly, they're boyhood friends and rival hitmen who run into each when both are hired to kill one racketeer. They figure it's time to retire from the yakuza fray and take a slow boat back to the island where they were both raised in an orphanage, reminiscing about the good times, the bad times and their favourite noodles. The only narrative issue of any consequence is how and where they will die this time. Miike's film (this time written to order) parodies its own predecessor, rhymes gunplay with conjuring tricks, considers the morality of Christian retribution and ponders the exhaustion of the yakuza genre. It might be best to file it under 'avant-garde'.

Author: TR

Time Out Film Guide

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Bouzu Machura said...

Posted on May 23 2009 01:03 The Dead Or Alive 2 movie has NOTHING to do with the Dead or Alive games AT ALL. The first dead or alive movie wasn't even directed by Takeshi Mike, it was directed by Corey Yuen. There are NO GANGSTERS WHATSOEVER in the Dead or Alive games. I honestly think you have the Dead or Alive mixed up with the Dead OR Alive 2 movie, not think, know. I play the games, I know this to be true. The first dead or alive movie the main characters aren't even asian and, save for one character, the others aren't even asian. There faces were airbrushed to look asian. You have anything to say to me about this comment feel free. To each their own opinion but this movie has nothing to do with the first DOA at all. Nor does it have anything to do with the DOA series at all.

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