153) Crows Zero (2007) Dir: Takashi Miike Date Released (DVD): May 2009 Date Seen: May 31st, 2009 Rating: 3.25/5
Rather than bow down before Takashi Miike's ability to represent punk mentality, I will say this: the man certainly knows what punks like to think they are. Crows Zero is like a punk's comic book fantasy, a story where inarticulate young thugs scowl, put their hands in their pockets and act out because hyper-stylized violence and factionalism is fun. At least, it's certainly fun to watch in bits and spurts.
After a while, Crows Zero loses momentum and the plot feels like a means to an inevitable epic schoolyard ass-kicking. Miike proves he can be serious about something as inconsequential as the raging hormones that leads up to a contest of adolescent tough guy wills and makes a fun, if not seriously drawn-out, movie about and for young punks. If you've been hankering for a J-pop, manga pose-filled final fight, make yours Crows Zero.
