Zebraman

A footling superhero comedy which does nothing to rescue Miike from his current dull patch. It's set in the Yachiyo district of Yokohama in 2010. Shinichi Ichikawa (Aikawa in his 100th screen role) is a ground-down primary school teacher whose family is on the verge of falling apart, sustained only by memories of a TV superhero show he watched as a kid. The 'Zebraman' series was cancelled after only seven episodes, but Ichikawa still likes to dress up in the costume and roam the night streets in search of alien foes. But there really is an alien invasion, and Ichikawa really does turn into Zebraman to defeat it. The script takes its time belabouring the contrast between grungy 'real life' and zappy 'fantasy life' and dances on the spot with sub-Men in Black jokes about aliens and secret government operatives. Miike directs with due care and attention and comes up with the odd striking image, but the material is so inert that nothing can stifle yawns.