Takashi Yamazaki is a leading Japanese filmmaker who received a lot of international attention in 2023 for his latest project, Godzilla Minus One, one of the strongest kaiju films of the last five years. His filmography goes far beyond monster movies, however. Over more than two decades, he has directed period dramas, animated adventures, war movies, sci-fi, and fantasy. In particular, he frequently adapts manga to the screen, most notably Always: Sunset on Third Street and Parasyte.
He's great at crafting action sequences and engaging plots, but also has a deep interest in Japanese history. World War II and its immediate aftermath feature frequently in his movies, along with themes of nationalism, patriotism, and Japanese identity. All of these are merged in Godzilla Minus One, which is a key part of its appeal. These are the finest of Yamazaki's movies, as ranked by the users of IMDb. Those who enjoyed Godzilla Minus One and are curious about his work should start here.
10 'Parasyte: Part 2' (2015)
IMDb Score: 6.5/10
This sci-fi is the second entry in Yamazaki's two-part adaptation of the popular manga series. It revolves around an alien invasion, in which extraterrestrial lifeforms known as "Parasites" take root in people's brains and gain control over their bodies. The main character is a high school student named Shinichi (Shota Sometani) who is afflicted by one of these creatures. However, because he was wearing headphones at the time, the Parasite fails to take over his brain and instead latches onto just his right hand.
Shinichi slowly befriends the entity, and its presence provides him with new abilities. Part 2 picks up where the first left off, with Shinichi hunting down and eliminating malevolent Parasites. While far from Yamazaki's best work, the Parasyte movies serve up some gruesome body horror worthy of David Cronenberg alongside a string of decent jokes. Nevertheless, those intrigued by the premise may want to check out the manga first.
Rent on Vudu
9 'Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura' (2017)
IMDb Score: 6.6/10
Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura takes place in an alternate version of Japan where humans coexist with spirits, gods, and all manner of magical creatures. The main characters are Masakazu (Masato Sakai), a popular mystery writer, and his wife Akiko (Mitsuki Takahata), who live in the vibrant city of Kamakura, one of Japan's ancient capitals. When Akiko's soul is accidentally sucked into the underworld, Masakazu must set out on an adventure to rescue her.
Destiny is a sweet family-friendly family movie, held together by an abundance of special effects and quirky creature design. Much of the CGI is memorable (if a little rough around the edges), particularly in the way Yamazaki and his team depict the afterlife. Narratively, the film tries to do a little too much and features some unnecessary subplots, but overall it makes for a pleasant mix of romance, mystery, and fantasy. While it doesn't rise to the heights of being the live-action Ghibli film it aspires to be, Destiny should still delight younger viewers.
Rent on Amazon
8 'The Great War of Archimedes' (2019)
IMDb Score: 6.6/10
This historical drama, adapted from a manga, tells the story of the construction of the Japanese battleship Yamato. One of the heaviest and most powerfully armed ships ever made, the vessel was commissioned during World War II and intended to give the Japanese fleet the edge over the Americans. The story delves into the political maneuvering, corruption, and deception involved in the ship's creation, which was hugely expensive and controversial, with some in the government arguing that aircraft carriers should be built instead.
Much of the plot centers on the character of Tadashi Kai (Masaki Suda), a talented and eccentric mathematician who tries to convince the authorities that building the ship is not worth the cost. He's up against a bureaucracy with its own agenda, however. The Great War of Archimedes is an unusual film and a surprisingly understated one. It may be a bit dry for many viewers, but it does make for an interesting study of war and patriotism.
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7 'Parasyte: Part 1' (2014)
IMDb Score: 6.8/10
Parasyte: Part 1 revolves around Shinichi's efforts to protect his community from violent Parasites. The creatures view him, in particular, as a threat, due to his symbiotic relationship with the Parasite in his hand, which he names Migi (Japanese for "right"). Meanwhile, a politician serving the Parasites runs for mayor, aiming to enslave the citizens, and a particularly vicious alien called Mr. A sets his sights on Shinichi.
Over time, the Parasites get better and better at blending into human society, making Shinichi's task all the more dangerous. He must also learn to work with his cynical and often disobedient alien hand. The result is a unique but uneven hybrid of sci-fi horror and high school comedy. It's certainly brutal at times, like the scene where Mr. A possesses the body of Shinichi's mother Nobuko (Kimiko Yo). However, many viewers felt that the movies didn't adequately explore the manga's themes of identity and human nature.
Rent on Vudu
6 'Lupin III: The First' (2019)
IMDb Score: 6.9/10
This 3D animated heist comedy is based on the popular Lupin the Third media franchise that began with a manga in the 1960s. It centers on the titular character (voiced by Kanichi Kurita), a gentleman thief renowned for his ability to steal anything. This time around, he and his team are on a mission to find a diary that is said to hold the clues to a great treasure. Their search takes them all across the world and into confrontations with rival thieves, Interpol and even Nazis.
This is a truly madcap adventure, like Indiana Jones crossed with The Adventures of Tintin but with five times the mayhem. It's a great blend of action, humor, and suspense featuring memorable characters, like the effortlessly cool protagonist. Visually, it's also a treat, with kinetic and gorgeous animation that pays homage to post-war comic strips. The whole affair is imbued with a sense of fun that one can't help but find infectious.
Watch on Hulu
5 'Always: Sunset on Third Street '64' (2012)
IMDb Score: 7.1/10
Always: Sunset on Third Street '64 is the third entry in Yamazaki's period drama series set in post-war Japan, based on a long-running manga series that began in 1974. This film takes place in Tokyo around the time of the 1964 Olympics. It's a family drama revolving around father Chagawa (Hidetaka Yoshioka), a writer, his breadwinner wife Hiromi (Koyuki), and their adopted son Junnosuke (Kenta Suga).
Chagawa grows frustrated when a rival story published by a mysterious writer begins competing with his own work. Little does he know, his rival author is his own son. Always: Sunset on Third Street '64 is a warmhearted and nostalgic journey that transports the audience to Japan at a time when major social and cultural changes were unfolding. It's rather bloated, clocking in at almost two and a half hours, but it does reveal Yamazaki's knack for sensitive engagement with his country's past.
Always: Sunset on Third Street '64 is not available in the U.S.
4 'The Fighter Pilot' (2013)
IMDb Score: 7.3/10
"I don't want to die." The Fighter Pilot (also known as Kamikaze and The Eternal Zero) is another war drama, this time following a young man named Kentaro (Haruma Miura), who learns that his grandfather Kyuzo Miyabe (Junichi Okada) was a kamikaze pilot in World War II. He is confused to hear that his grandfather was notoriously timid and yet volunteered for this most deadly of assignments. The film cuts between the present, with Kentaro tracking down and speaking with Miyabe's former comrades, and the past, with Miyabe's experiences during the war.
With the project, Yamazaki returns to his signature themes of war and nationalism, as well as his fascination with WWII and post-war Japan. The Fighter Pilot was hugely commercially successful in its home country, although some criticized it for being overly patriotic and sympathetic in its depiction of kamikaze pilots. Yamazaki dismissed this critique, saying, "The film depicts the war as a complete tragedy, so how can you say it glorifies war?"
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3 'Always: Sunset on Third Street 2' (2007)
IMDb Score: 7.5/10
The second chapter in Yamazaki's post-war drama series is set in the late '50s and explores the lives of several characters living on Tokyo's Third Street. Chagawa is still striving to make it as a writer. He hopes to win a literary competition and use the prize money to help his family, but his work at a candy store consumes most of his hours. At the same time, his love interest Hiromi secretly works as a burlesque dancer.
Their lives intersect with those of various side characters, including an apprentice mechanic and a spoiled cousin. Although the plot drags at times, Always: Sunset on Third Street is bright and optimistic throughout, making it solid viewing for anyone in need of a pick-me-up. Intriguingly, the film features a Godzilla cameo (the monster's first CGI appearance in a film outside of his own series), hinting at Yamazaki's eventual work in the series.
CloseAlways: Sunset on Third Street 2 is not available in the U.S.
2 'Always: Sunset on Third Street' (2005)
IMDb Score: 7.7/10
The first part of the trilogy, Always: Sunset on Third Street unfolds from the perspective of Chagawa, then a young and aspiring writer, who moves to Third Street to pursue his dreams. He soon falls for Hiromi, the owner of a local sake bar, and crosses paths with Mutsuko Hoshino (Maki Horikita), a young woman who moves from the countryside to the city to work as a mechanic, only to find that her new workplace is a rundown repair shop. As the characters try to make sense of their personal challenges and dreams, the movie paints a vivid portrait of 1958 Japan.
Always: Sunset on Third Street is essentially a well-made soap opera, jam-packed with cheesy moments and sentimentality. This is also its charm, however, and many viewers will enjoy its feel-good sensibility. Indeed, the film was critically acclaimed in Japan, winning the Japanese Academy Awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay. It was thus a pivotal project in Yamazaki's career, helping to enable the bigger films he would go on to direct.
Watch on Plex
1 'Godzilla Minus One' (2023)
IMDb Score: 8.4/10
Yamazaki's most ambitious and most successful project is Godzilla Minus One, his take on the most iconic of the kaiju. Here, he reconfigures the Godzilla mythos, portraying the creature not as a hero or misunderstood creature but as a straight-up villain. Mutated by American radiation, Godzilla is a force of pure destruction, seeking to lay waste to all of Japan. It's up to kamikaze pilot Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) to stop the lizard before it's too late.
The story begins near the end of World War II, and that conflict looms over the whole narrative. Yamazaki elevates the project with social commentary and a meticulous recreation of 1940s Japan, making this one of the most authentic and believable Godzilla flicks in years. However, Yamazaki never lets up on the action either, turning in one terrific set piece after another. The result is a new high for the franchise that's in serious competition for the best Godzilla movie of all time.
Godzilla Minus One
PG-13Release Date December 1, 2023 Director Takashi Yamazaki Cast Ryûnosuke Kamiki , Minami Hamabe , Yûki Yamada , Sakura Andō Main Genre Sci-FiBuy Tickets Now
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