Returner

One of the most underrated Sci-Fi movies When CGI was being pioneered.

"Returner" is a Japanese over-the-top sci-fier that aims to please and succeeds by far. It is a mash-up of a variety of sci-fi (and other) movies that you know and love:"Independence Day" (big giant spaceships that hover over earth and small alien craft that are extremely fast and powerful)"Transformers" (large jumbo jets and jet fighters that transform into alien spaceships)"E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial" (lost and dying single alien just wants to return home)"The Matrix" (slo-mo gun battles & flowing, black trenchcoats elegantly worn by lead Takeshi Kaneshiro as Miyamoto)"The Terminator" (a girl, Milly, goes back in time to stop the alien invasion from wiping out mankind and creating a dystopian future)"Back To the Future" (time travel plotline gets a little love when we see that our heroine has traveled back into the past more than once...)"King Kong Escapes" (Mizoguchi the villain, a kooky gonzo gangster that you'll love to hate, is played with incredulous verve by Goro Kishitani, an actor with facial features and white hair make-up that channels KKE's villainous Dr. Who in both looks and maniacism)"The Godfather" (internal strife within a triad/ mobster's holdings leads to death)"Pretty Woman" (Milly, all slovenly dressed and streaked with dirt and sans makeup, is ecstatic to get a makeover)"Mission Impossible 2" (John Woo style slo-mo gun ballets with a scene of a backward-flipped motorcycle drawing a gun on its pursuers)"The Replacements Killers" (Miyamoto is an assassin who takes on, begrudingly, Milly as his client)And more! There are so many movie tropes from so many different types of movies (say, Hong Kong gangster flicks or karate revenge yarns) that the "Returner" is just fun to watch and try to figure out what movie they stole a particular scene or idea from. That being said it works surprisingly well on its own merits and storyline. A fun movie to watch and one you'll want to revisit, with friends, from time to tme. Let me know what movie you spot in this one! Have fun.

English voiceover and also English subtitles. The voiceover is much, much more informative than the subtitles. Lots of bang, bang and boom, boom. Indestructible villain and hero. The villain has a revolver, large caliber, .45 maybe, that never needs reloading. I guess he got it from an old Hollywood western. He endures all manner of mayhem, but of course he falls in the end.The aliens are so very close to completing the first step in their plan to take over Earth. The time traveling heroine keeps trying to speed up her ‘back-in-time’ partner. Then, by golly, they find time for a makeover and a new outfit, which is both badly written and stereotypically sexist.Our heroes have no trouble gaining access to the top-secret aerospace building and wander unopposed until they find the alien craft, after which they find the capsule holding the captive alien. The bad guy, meanwhile, has his own personal SWAT team which easily takes over this same top-secret aerospace office complex. Then they just drive away with the alien and his spaceship. The only opposition is two gate guards waving their arms in the air. It’s a good thing there isn’t anyone else on the roadways – no other cars at all, no, none. Reality, anyone? Just a small dose would do.This film packs a lot. There are tributes to Transformers and Matrix and probably others I didn’t catch. Well, there was a Terminator-like segment, but the traveler didn’t arrive naked. Too bad. There is even some other type of time travel thrown in for good measure. What’s not to like? The acting wasn’t bad, and the production values were good. The story had some flaws which I could live with, but there is a cheap trick at the end that just really threw a lump of poo into the mix. The movie just tried to do too much, and occasionally left me scratching my head.

This movie is among the best. Has it all Time Travel, Mafia, Hitmen, Friendship and Aliens.

The Japanese audio track and English subtitles actually play out a shade better than the English dubbed version, but the English dubbed version is still very good== this combines elements of time travel, alternate reality, and Alien Invaders with shape shifting mechanical fighting devices, something like taking elements of several science-fiction and fantasy stories to blend it into one pretty good "a whole lot less money spent than it looks like on the screen" action movie.The spoilers would include the advertised fact it is science-fiction, time travel, and Aliens Attacking Earth (all in caps) with a totally unprepared young woman as the ultimate hero of a battle to save our world.The actors are well chosen, and when you watch the DVD extras it only makes you realize how good they are-- there was almost no wire work, and the impossible leaps are shown in the practice sessions so you can see how they did them.Okay, it may not be the best movie of this kind ever made, but even if the movie isn't a world beater, the DVD extras are worth the cost as you get to see how they made X yen look like X time ten yen on the screen..

I was pleasantly surprised at this movie. Acting was well above average, as were the sets and effects. Interesting plot, and the space aliens were well done. If I had one complaint--and it's not a big one--is that the film is dubbed in English (that was good), but then the subtitles were in Japanese and English--but the subtitles didn't necessarily match the actual dubbed dialogue. Very distracting, and somewhat annoying. Still, worth watching, for sure.

One thing I really detest is foreign language films dubbed, I don't understand or see the reason why. I enjoy hearing the language (the tones/expressions) and have no issue with subtitles, allowing for a more authentic experience of the film; so imagine my great disappointment to learn this film had been dubbed over with silly corny American accents (which didn't even remotely resemble the accent of the actors). It was like watching a film from the 70s, nonetheless, I watched the film. It was good to see Takeshi Kaneshiro in an action sci-fi role, which he pulls off quite convincingly. The story centres around time travel, where a young girl from the future travels back in time to return a kidnapped alien which is what causes a future war with the aliens. All the characters are quirky and comic like, completely non-believable, but it is what it is. An okayish film which would have been better received in its native language.

This cousin of the Terminator saga, is as improbable as allsuch adventure films are, but it is superior to the Hollywood drivel:It deals with the issue of child slavery and/or organ harvestingthat Hollywood-catering to the PG-13 clientele-won't touch.It slows down its frenetic action long enough to developthe main characters, and shed a tear or two.It keeps the romantic interest muted and ambiguous.Last but not least, it makes us think about ourselves:Does a species which abuses and victimizes children deserve savingfrom extinction?

I watched this on TV Late one night and for some reason I really enjoyed it. Found on DVD and readily parted with my cash. It has dated a bit, but still has a lot of the charm I remember from the first time round, Bit of healthy nostalgia and there is nothing wrong with that. Recommended as long as you don't expect a block buster movie.

One of my all time favourite films. Underrated classic. And quite rare now.

A brilliant film.