Casshern (2004)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Kazuaki Kiriya

Writers:

Kazuaki Kiriya (screenplay)
Dai Sato (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

24 April 2004 (Japan)

Genre:

Adventure | Action | Sci-Fi | Drama

Tagline:

Reincarnated with an invincible body to fight an iron devil. If Casshern does not do it, who will?

Plot:

Live-action sci-fi movie based on a 1973 Japanese animé of the same name (Shinzo Ningen Casshân). Theme song by Utada Hikaru.

Plot Keywords:

Mutant | Loss Of Eyesight | Future War | Cyborg | Airplane

Cast

Yusuke Iseya	...	Tetsuya Azuma / Casshern
Kumiko Asô	...	Luna Kozuki
Akira Terao	...	Dr. Kotaro Azuma
Kanako Higuchi	...	Midori Azuma
Fumiyo Kohinata	...	Dr. Kozuki
Hiroyuki Miyasako	...	Akubon
Mayumi Sada	...	Sagurê
Jun Kaname	...	Barashin
Hidetoshi Nishijima	...	Lieutenant Colonel Kamijo
Mitsuhiro Oikawa	...	Kaoru Naito
Susumu Terajima	...	Sakamoto
Mayu Tsuruta	...	Burai's wife
Ryô	...	San Ikegami
Tetsuji Tamayama	...	Sekiguchi
Yôko Moriguchi	...	Luna's mother
Hideji Otaki	...	General Kamijo
Tatsuya Mihashi	...	Dr. Furoi
Toshiaki Karasawa	...	Burai
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kôhei Kitajima
Ei Morisako	...	Runa
Gorô Naya	...	Narrator

Directed by
Kazuaki Kiriya

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kazuaki Kiriya		screenplay
Dai Sato		writer
Shotaro Suga		writer
Tatsuo Yoshida		characters

Produced by
Hideji Miyajima	....	producer
Chiaki Noji	....	associate producer
Toshiharu Ozawa	....	producer
Makoto Tanaka	....	associate producer
Toshiaki Wakabayashi	....	producer

Original Music by
Shirô Sagisu

Cinematography by
Kazuaki Kiriya		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Kazuaki Kiriya

Production Design by
Yuji Hayashida

Art Direction by
Yuji Hayashida

Set Decoration by
Yoshihito Akatsuka

Costume Design by
Michiko Kitamura

Makeup Department
Ryoji Inagaki	....	hair designer
Ryoji Inagaki	....	makeup designer

Art Department
D.K.	....	conceptual designer
Shinji Higuchi	....	storyboard artist: action scene

Sound Department
Masahito Yano	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Toshiyuki Kimura	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Toshiyuki Kimura	....	visual effects supervisor
Kôji Nozaki	....	visual effects supervisor
Haruhiko Shono	....	CGI supervisor

Editorial Department
Motoyuki Kawase	....	assistant editor (US video version)
Junya Sakino	....	post-production assistant (US video version)

Music Department
Hikaru Utada	....	composer: theme song "Dareka no negai ga kanau koro"

Other crew
Shinji Higuchi	....	action scenes supervisor
Yuta Morokaji	....	action director

Production Companies

• Casshern Film Partners
• Tatsunoko Productions Company
• Shochiku Company
• Progressive Pictures

Distributors

• Shochiku Company (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Bright Angel Distribution (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Momentum Pictures (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• DreamWorks SKG (2005) (USA) (all media)
• Go Fish Pictures (2005) (USA) (all media)
• I-On New Media (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Momentum Pictures (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Paris Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paris Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Rialto Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (DVD)
• Total Film Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Total Film Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universe Laser & Video Co. Ltd. (2005) (Hong Kong) (DVD)

Special Effects

• EEN (motion capture)
• N Design
• VFX studio Loop Hole (matte painting)

Other Companies

• Continental Far East  Dolby consultant
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Imagica  digital film recording
• Imagica  digital intermediate
• Kodak Japan  film stock supplied by
• Nihon Shomei Co.  lighting equipment supplied by
• Pivotal Post  Avid editing equipment provided by
• Sanwa Cine Equipment  camera equipment supplied by (as Panavision Digital Imaging)
• Toho Sound Studio  post-production sound studio

Also Known As:

Kasshân (Japan) (alternative transliteration)
Casshern (Finland) [fi]
Casshern - Reencarnado do Inferno (Brazil) [pt]
Kyashan - La rinascita (Italy) [it]

Runtime:

142 min | USA:117 min (cut version)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-15 | Italy:T | South Korea:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Japan

Company:

Casshern Film Partners

Trivia:

In the original TV series, the antagonists were androids brought to life by a lightning strike a la Frankenstein. All were male and bear the same names as in the 2004 remake - with the exception of the Burai. The android Burai is based upon was originally named "Burai King Boss". In the making-of-Casshern DVD, director Kazuaki Kiriya and all conceptual designs continue to use the name "Burai King Boss" until well-over halfway into the shoot.

Quotes:

[before a fight]
Barashin: My name is Barashin!
Casshern: And mine is... Casshern!

Movie Connections:

References "Mahha GoGoGo" (1967)

Soundtrack:

Requiem

A great film

After reading the comments on IMDb I was second guessing getting the DVD. It was getting average scores, and many complained about the lack of action. I actually went into this film expecting some nice effects and that's about it...

Luckily I was wrong. The story was actually pretty entertaining. There were a couple of minor points I would have liked more information on, but living in North America I'm used to brainless plots because of Hollywood. In the end I thought the story was more than acceptable, and shouldn't cause anyone to pass by this film. It was the best attempt (at least it my eyes) thus far in creating an Anime movie with real actors.

I've been an avid fan of Asian cinema for a little over eight years now. I've seen a lot of good films, and a lot of bad ones. This is one of the good ones, and I hope people take time to view this film.

It's really a shame that crap like Azumi can score a 7.5 or higher on here, and something as beautiful and jaw dropping as this gets a lower score.