Big Man Japan (2007)

Big Man Japan is a very clever mockumentary

And now a very different kind of superhero movie. Masaru Daisato (played by the film's writer/director Hitoshi Matsumoto) is the most recent member of his family line to take up the mantle of Big Man Japan, meaning that with just one simple massively unhealthy dosage of high voltage Masaru can temporarily grow into a dude taller than a skyscraper and defend Tokyo from whichever giant monster is trying to stomp it out this week. Problem is no one seems to give a shit about that anymore.

Once incredibly popular with the Japanese public, Big Man Japan is now a failing reality show star who is accused of causing as many issues as he purportedly fixes by his detractors, and endlessly shit-talked for his current perceived shortcomings by his "fans". Meanwhile the Big MJ's mild-mannered alter ego Masaru doesn't really have it any better: depressed, separated from his wife and struggling as a single dad, Masaru's essentially a burnt-out government employee with a job so controversial it's left him a complete social pariah, abused (a guy who can turn 30 m tall, abused!) and exploited by just about everyone from his greedy agent to the filmmakers behind the supposed documentary we're watching.

In reality tho Big Man Japan is a very clever mockumentary filled with sly & dry stabs of humor that periodically explodes in bizarre bursts of giant mutated monster fight CGI insanity whenever we finally actually get to see BMJ in action against his gallery of outrageous foes. The pacing of the film is so drawn out and patient during the extended sequences documenting the sorrows of civilian life that it only makes the inevitable giant monster fights in downtown Tokyo all the more jarring and funny. The movie's also smartly comic enough to work as a broader satire of the rise and fall of the entire Kaijū genre, with Big Man as the mainstream pop phenomenon that's now been relegated to being watched ironically by cult followers on late-night TV.

As really only a casual fan of the giant monster genre I was still pretty taken with this well-executed parody and would recommend it, but with a few reservations. The biggest one I'd extend to people is that Big Man Japan is a Mockumentary first and foremost, and a spectacle-laden kaijū film a distant second. It you go into this one hoping to see a bunch of high quality fight scenes featuring giant monsters whooping each other's asses, you might be sorely disappointed. Honestly those scenes are relatively short and take up a small chunk of the overall runtime, and also pretty limited by what appears to be a modest budget and the utilization of some computer animation techniques that are going to seem ridiculously ancient to certain viewers… but for me, the dated, wonky, and downright gonzo CGI fight scenes just added to the charm of it all. Keep an open mind with this one-of-a-kind faux-docu-creature feature and you might be charmed too.

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Do yourself a favor and watch this for the ending alone.

I remember when I first came across this movie. One day I came back to my dorm and there was my roommate watching this. Big Man Japan. I remember thinking: “what a catchy title.” Then the strangling monster proceeded to eject a giant spear then drip white pods into the cement. I asked him to shut it off shortly after.

Now here I am two films into the hoops and spoops. Of course I had to tackle this thing and you know what it’s glorious. The everyday man who leads us through the film is great. The comedy stems from not only the ridiculous cgi but also the mundane life of our hero. The music here, when I noticed it was also superb.

Also the ending scene makes everything in life worth it. Do yourself a favor and watch this for the ending alone.

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