Difference between revisions of "Arch Angels"

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Movie: Arch Angels
Romaji: Warau Mikaeru
Japanese: 笑う大天使（ミカエル）
Director: Issei Oda
Writer: Izumi Kawahara (manga), Issei Oda
Producer: Dai Miyazaki, Kazunari Shibata
Cinematographer Hirofumi Okada
Visual Effects Supervisor: Issei Oda
Release Date: July 15, 2006
Runtime: 92 Min.
Comedy: Comedy / Adventure / Fantasy
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot

Every high school has its misfits, its square pegs, its rebels. St. Michael’s Academy, nestled on an impossibly pretty and strangely remote Japanese island, is no exception. In fact, given the atmosphere of strictness, propriety and even subtle menace looming over the elite, aristocratic, Catholic boarding school, it’s no wonder Fumio, Kazune and Yuzuko quickly bond over their dislike of the place (and their mutual love of chicken ramen noodles… how déclassé!). With rumours of rich girls being kidnapped in the region, the wards—and even more so, their legal guardians, including the school’s enigmatic headmaster, Mr. Lawrence, and Fumio’s stoic, controlling brother Kazuomi—are suspicious and on alert. Then an accidental and inexplicable unleashing of magic power infuses the girls with spectacular abilities. When the truth about the kidnappings is revealed, they’re going to need them!

Cast

Juri Ueno - Fumio Shijo
Megumi Seki - Kazune Saiki
Airi Taira - Yuzuko Sarashina
Yusuke Iseya - Kazuomi Shijo
Kei Kato - Takashi Sarashina
Rinko Kikuchi - Nobuko Sakurai
Toshinobu Matsuo - Shunsuke Wakatsuki
Kanako Miyauchi - Sakurako
Aimi Satsukawa - Shizuka Marikoji
Mitsuki Tanimura - Jinchoge
Aoi
Kimiko Fuchiuchi
Erina Hayase
Nanase Iwai
Haruka Kudo
Rinako Matsuoka
Tomomi Miyashita
Natsuki Okamoto
Tokuma Nishioka
Mayu Kitaki
Shuko Ito

Trailers

Image Gallery

Array

Film Festivals

2008 (7th) New York Asian Film Festival - June 20th - July 6th - New York Premiere

Comments

AB Nov 30 2021 4:27 pm This film is like an endless fever dream. Then, it ends and the thought "what did I just watch?" lingers. Almost every type of ridiculous thing you can think of, this film has at least a passing reference to. There's so much going on all the time, it's an overload of laughs.

Trying to deconstruct it for social critique would be as meaningless as to assign interpretations when watching paint dry; if you watch paint dry, nothing happens and all meaning is therefore found within minutiae; however, in this film so much happens that all meaning could be found within any second of it and it becomes meaningless to interpret it. You must turn off your brain and enjoy the ride.

One of the most bewildering parts of this film, is the decision to use CGI when practical effects would clearly have been both easier to do and also would have looked better. The CGI, even by 2000's standards, is not good. However, this adds very much to the fever dream quality. Better CGI would reduce the overall quality of this film, so, it's good that it looks so unrealistic and "out of place". It's impossible not to appreciate the madness when it's ever-present.

Juri Ueno is a shining star, as always. Her expressiveness enhances the film to a level that would be impossible without her. In addition, cute girls galore: all of the actresses in this film are cute, and/or beautiful. Handsome men, too, though not every male actor in this is handsome (the old ones are not). But, though the acting of everybody is not perfect, and at a few parts there are awkward pauses where it almost seems like they very briefly forgot their lines (for example when the guys talk at the party, there are two such pauses), yet, it doesn't seem like this actually is the case with the otherwise consistent rapid-fire pacing. Probably it's a stylistic choice, to enhance the atmosphere.

Is this a masterpiece? This question's answer depends on your interpretation of the meaning of a "masterpiece". If film that fits the phrase "so bad it's good" and has nothing but pure crazy entertainment value can be a masterpiece, then this must be called a masterpiece. Otherwise, not. For "high society" people, probably at best it's a waste of time to watch... but, if you can turn off your brain and want a non-stop laughing rollercoaster of fever dream action, this film is perfect.

Juna Jun 21 2014 11:33 am weird movie with beautiful girls ......

Difference between revisions of "Arch Angels"

Latest revision as of 22:38, 3 December 2018

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