Dead Sushi Review
By Bill Gordon
“There’s something fishy going on”
Who here likes sushi? I know I do. If you love sushi like me, ‘Dead Sushi’ is right up your street. Noboru Iguchi (The Machine Girl, The ABCs of Death “F is for Fart” segment) directs ‘Dead Sushi’, a comedy-horror that follows ‘Keiko’, a female trainee sushi chef that finds her kung fu skills are called upon when chemically infected flying sushi starts attacking. Sounds crazy right? What else were you expecting from the guy who directed the “F is for Fart” segment? I’d like to mention that the review copy we were given was an America-dubbed version. Usually I prefer subtitles and steer away from any dubbed films, but the stereotypical and over-acted American dub really helps boost the hilarity of this, already crazy, concept.
The film starts off with ‘Keiko’ learning the ways of making sushi through a sushi-martial arts montage (no, really…), before abandoning her destiny of being a sushi chef. Who knew the Japanese took sushi making so seriously? The best way to watch ‘Dead Sushi’ is to have your tongue firmly placed in your cheek, a beer in your hand and all your friends by your side.
The Japanese really do have some crazy ideas; you just have to look at ‘Tokyo Gore Police’ and the killer hair extensions horror ‘EXTE’, which are some well-known examples. So really, it’s about time we had a zombie-sushi-horror. The dubbed voice acting makes the film sound a lot like ‘Team America’; delivering laughs by saying something as simple as the name “Nosaka” in a hard-core American accent or simply by the voices not being in sync with the lip movements. Obviously none of the acting is good, but I highly doubt they’re trying to be good with the source material provided, besides, do you really care when there is flying sushi with teeth trying to eat the flesh off the living? Obviously, ‘Dead Sushi’ wastes no time messing about with dialogue and a decent story (who wants that?), instead we are given our first death…. Death by flying squid! And so it begins…
Some of the special effects are so poor it makes those used in a SyFy channel movie look like a Michael Bay film, but strangely enough it adds to the charm. When there aren’t special effects that look like they were done on windows movie maker, there are some hilariously imaginative practical effects, which, despite being comical, are actually also pretty gross. Lets not forget the ground-breaking effects used when ‘Keiko’ befriends some egg sushi, which communicates through a little voice which is heard while the egg slaps up and down against the sushi rice.
If you ever wanted to see a film where sushi sings or a man eats a piece of sushi that makes his HEAD EXPLODE or a man is reborn… as a Tuna… or people fighting martial arts style using sushi equipment or where a man is kicked so hard he flies into the air and EXPLODES into fireworks *deep breath* or where people turn into zombies with sushi rice frothing out of their mouth… then ‘Dead Sushi’ is the film for you. But behind all of the silliness are themes of overcoming your fears, accepting your destiny, standing up to bullies… and that sushi is F*CKING awesome. ‘Dead Sushi’ is like a live action R-rated Japanese cartoon show; hilarious, violent, immature and just down-right weird (sometimes maybe a little too weird). There will be people who will hate it, but there is a home for ‘Dead Sushi’, and I can guarantee that there will be a huge cult following. Dubbed or not, ‘Dead Sushi’ is bound to be an entertaining and surreal ride, leaving you with your sides aching. And just remember… no matter how bad things get, egg sushi will always be there to help you kick some ass. So… anyone want to go get some sushi?
3/5
UK DVD/Blu-Ray release – 23rd September 2013
We’d also like to thank Monster Pictures (@MonsterPicsUK) for providing us with the review copy of ‘Dead Sushi’.
Follow Bill on Twitter: @2FlashGordon7
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