Alive (2002)

Starring:
Hideo Sakaki - TenshuYashiro
Ryô - Yurika Saegusa
Koyuki - Asuka Saegusa
Shun Sugata - Matsuda
Erika Oda - Misako Hara
Tak Sakaguchi - Zeros
Jun Kunimura - Kojima

Based on a popular Manga by Tsutomu Takahashi ("Sky High"), "Alive" combines the tension of Vincenzo Natali's "Cube" and Kitamura's own "Versus". For the brutal murder of his girlfriend's rapists, Tenshu is sentenced to die in the electric chair. Resigned to his fate and unmoved by his actions, he survives the lethal high voltage punishment. He is then given the choice to burn again, or take part in a vicious experiment pitting him against another prisoner and a mysterious alien life force. Here is where the true punishment begins.

OMG! This movie was totally kick butt. Not what I expected. I was expecting some serious gross out, so that delayed my viewing pleasure.

I will admit the movie is terribly slow. So how come I think the movie rocked? I can't explain it. It was wicked. It sort of reminded me, visually, of Miike Takashi's Big Bang Love, Juvenile A. It was dark. The colors were black, grey, smokey, some white and red and that was it.

A few flashbacks of Tenshu's life as to why he was sent to prison for murder. I got a little confused because they said he killed his girlfriend but yet I got the impression she killed herself. Not sure about that part but the rest of the story was ironically stunning.

You will, at first, feel sorry for Tenshu but the feeling never goes a way. The story won't let you. You catch yourself routing for Tenshu.........

The end had some nice sequenced action scenes with an ending that leaves you blinking.........

Sakaki Hideo