Review of Bunraku (2010) by Ola G — 17 Aug 2012

In the aftermath of a global war, guns have been outlawed but people still fight, using blades and fists.

Nicola the Woodcutter (Ron Perlman) is the most powerful man east of the Atlantic, a shadowy crime boss who rules with an iron fist and nine assassins called the Killers. His right-hand man is Killer No. 2 (Kevin McKidd), a cold-hearted, smooth-talking murderer with a red hat and a deadly blade. Along with his killers is Nicola's love, Alexandra (Demi Moore), a femme fatale with a secret past. The citizens live in fear of this gang and wait for the hero who can overthrow them. One night, a mysterious Drifter (Josh Hartnett) enters the Horseless Horseman Saloon and talks to the Bartender (Woody Harrelson). He wants two things: a shot of whisky and to kill Nicola. Soon, another stranger enters, a samurai named Yoshi (Gackt). Yoshi wants to avenge his father by recovering a talisman that Nicola stole from his clan. Armed with crossed destinies and incredible fighting skills and guided by the Bartender's wisdom, the two eventually join forces to bring down the corrupt reign of Nicola..

The title Bunraku is derived from a 400-year-old form of Japanese puppet theater, a style of storytelling that uses 4-foot (1.2 m)-tall puppets with highly detailed heads, each operated by several puppeteers who blend into the background wearing black robes and hoods. The classic tale is re-imagined in a world that mixes skewed reality with shadow-play fantasy. Its themes draw heavily on Samurai and Western. I reckon Guy Moshe tried to create a world similar to "Sin City" but manages to fail on all levels compared to "Sin City" in my opinion. This is just a mish mash of poor acting, poor story, poor action, poor effects and poor level of excitement with a cartoonish backdrop. Fail, fail, fail.