Forum - View topicREVIEW: Tokyo Godfathers
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GATSU
Posts: 15573 |
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"I describe this as a family comedy,"
Um no, it is not. It's more like a foul-mouthed version of Three Men and a Baby. It's definitely not family friendly, unless f*ggot can be considered a family friendly term. In some ways, it's more of an arthouse film than Millennium Actress and Perfect Blue. "(this would be the most religious depiction of Christmas I've ever seen in an anime, which is largely a secular holiday in Japan)." I wouldn't say secular. It's pretty big over there, although they incorporated different cultural traits into it. "Even if the movie is not overtly complex, there are certainly enough subtle undertones to write some good academic papers on this film after its release." Not exactly a good way to sell anime. Well to non-Evangelion fans anyway. "Satoshi Kon has created another masterpiece, at the same time creating something family-friendly and commercially accessible." I disagree once again. It's as commercially accessable as Takashi Miike's City of Lost Souls. It's less Japanese than his other work, but still more regional than his other work as well. "Like Spirited Away this film is something to which you can take your children or parents." Are you crazy?! It has dysfunctional families, and psychotic women! It's something you can take children or parents if you love Jerry Springer. "This bodes well for its eventual release in the United States, and I can only hope it enjoys the same success. " It bodes well as long as GLAAD doesn't get offended. |
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Big K
Posts: 65 |
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I'll agree with Gatsu, it is a mistake to classify this movie as family-oriented. Not JUST because of the word, f*ggot, or the but because of other, more criminal and violent, ill-wills some characters engage upon others.
I, for one, really enjoyed this movie and think it deserves the praise it will get. Watch it. 
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Dan42
Chief Encyclopedist
 Posts: 3792 Location: Montreal |
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I completely agree with Krissy's review of Tokyo Godfathers. The movie is a comedy. It's a crowd-pleaser. And it doesn't have any really questionable content. So what if there's a little swearing? So what if it has dysfunctional families? It's all done in a very humorous way. Are those things forbidden in family movies? Do you think family movies should be sterilized, politically-corrected into meaninglessness à la Disney? When that kind of movie appears you're one of the first to bitch against it, Gatsu. And now you say TG can't be a family movie because it isn't squeaky-clean. As usual, you are being your typical fanboy self: complain complain complain complain complain complain complain complain complain... for no other purpose than complaining.
BTW, Christmas *is* a secular holiday in Japan, as in "worldly rather than spiritual" |
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Cassandra
 Posts: 1356 Location: Birdsboro, PA |
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Speaking as a parent: Cursing in a movie means it is NOT "family friendly." Family friendly means my 18 month old can sit and watch a movie with us....I wouldn't be showing her a movie where they are dropping the f-bomb or anything. Family friendly includes movies like: My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service...shows that small children can watch. Now...I'm not saying parents should shield their children from swearing or violence or anything. However, those movies should be reserved for older children who can understand the difference between fantasy and reality. But that doesn't classify the movie as FAMILY friendly. |
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GATSU
Posts: 15573 |
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Dan: "I completely agree with Krissy's review of Tokyo Godfathers. The movie is a comedy. It's a crowd-pleaser. And it doesn't have any really questionable content."
Believe me, it's either a PG 13 or a soft R. Unlike Millennium Actress, I would be very concerned if Tokyo Godfathers got a PG. And the only crowd it would please are people into gay-bashing. "So what if there's a little swearing? So what if it has dysfunctional families? It's all done in a very humorous way." spoiler[You call a girl stabbing her father, and another girl attempting suicide and then kidnapping a child "humorous"?!] "Are those things forbidden in family movies?" No, but they're not the kinds of family movies you would show on tv, unless it was on HBO. "Do you think family movies should be sterilized, politically-corrected into meaninglessness à la Disney?"" No, but like Miike, Kon has a sort of warped, albeit cuddly, view of family. But that doesn't mean I want anyone under 10 seeing Ichi the Killer any more than Tokyo Godfathers. At BAAF, there were younger girls(around 12-14, based on how they sounded)who were gasping in surprise whenever they uttered the "F" word for gays. Now if they can't handle it, I'm not exactly sure it's marketable to the rest of mainstream America outside of an R rating. I usually hate the MPAA f*cking over movies for trivial reasons, but in this case, I wouldn't call the reasons trivial. "When that kind of movie appears you're one of the first to bitch against it, Gatsu. And now you say TG can't be a family movie because it isn't squeaky-clean." Look, I'm ok with more realism in family movies and tv shows. But that doesn't mean I want Full House to suddenly have South Park-style swearing or adult material in it. Because then it's just the opposite side of the same coin. If Tokyo Godfathers actually had character development, and not just cheap pot-shots at people's sexual preferences or psychological problems, then I might actually be able to recommend it to the kiddies. But this is not in the same league as Spirited Away, or even Millennium Actress, and needs to be treated as such. "As usual, you are being your typical fanboy self: complain complain complain complain complain complain complain complain complain... for no other purpose than complaining." My purpose is to provide a service to fans who may have been misled by a sugar-coated review. "BTW, Christmas *is* a secular holiday in Japan, as in "worldly rather than spiritual"" Yeah, yeah... [EDIT - Spoiler tags added. -C] |
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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To be totally honest with you, I thought Satoshi Kon's newest work demanded more than a 5-paragraph, half-page rundown. I'd rather see a more complete dissection of this film. If anyone wants to do it, please volunteer.
-Z |
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LordByronius
ANN Columnist
 Posts: 861 Location: Philippe for America! He is five. |
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I agree with Gatsu. Kinda. I haven't seen the movie, but from the sounds of things, this isn't the family-friendly little film the short review makes it out to be. Transsexuals and murder? Last I checked, Spirited Away, a fine family film, just contained a few wierd looking monsters. World of difference there.
Regardless, I think Gatsu is taking things a bit far with the whole R rating thing. I would honestly hope to GOD that one utterance of the word "f***ot" does not automatically disqualify younger teenagers from being able to see something; last I checked, they were smarter than that. A PG-13 should be more than sufficient. In summation, little kids probably shouldn't see Tokyo Godfathers, but there's no reason to go out of our way to make sure that they can't through superflous ratings. Last edited by LordByronius on Thu Sep 18, 2003 8:53 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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GATSU
Posts: 15573 |
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Zac: Well that's another thing. You can't say much about the film, because it's only 90 minutes(Although it seemed longer because they took forever for seating and they kept screwing up in the projection room...) , and as I said before, more incomplete than it looks.
Byron: The subject matter's deals with a little bit more than just curse words. I doubt teens could really relate to these characters anyway, if it got a PG 13. |
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Big K
Posts: 65 |
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Gatsu, one of the main protagonists, Miyuki, I think her name was, is a teenage runaway who hates her father. I'm sure there are teens who could relate to that. As for the review, it's definetely wrong about TG being family-friendly. I think most of us are agreed on that. There are shootings, beatings, and a cop-a-feel that might warrant an R rating for the movie. But those are minor events that is overshadowed by the movie's overall story and humor which is safe for young teens. If the movie was more focused on homeless beatings and gay-bashing THEN I might be worried but that's not the case with Tokyo Godfathers. |
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GATSU
Posts: 15573 |
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K: Yeah, but the fact that she hangs out with people older than her is something most teens can't relate to.
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sakiihana
Posts: 6 |
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I LOVE this movie.
I find it touching and heart-warming and simply amazing. sure sure, people curse, people are not so nice, but its that contrast between all the bad things with the sweet inoccence of the baby that makes the movie all the more better. It brings into focus 3 homeless bums that are trying to save that sweet inoccence and the things they discover about themselves along the way. |
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abunai
Old Regular
 Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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When you posted in this thread, sakiihana, I am sure you were treated to an automated warning that this was a very old discussion, and reminded that any post you might intend to add had better be important.
Unfortunately, you didn't choose to heed that warning. Locked for insufficiently relevant necroposting. - abunai |
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