Ichi the Killer

Miike layers a blood-stained commentary on a toxic world in which men offer protection to men but really end up dooming them to exist within a spasmodic, shambolic, and hypermasculine sphere of violence.

Unhinged even for Takashi Miike, Ichi the Killer suggests a bloody and ejaculate-stained Rorschach inkblot, reveling in ultraviolence that can be interpreted to flatter any adventurous audience's sensibilities.

Even hardy gonzo-cinema auds will likely find the hectic pace overstimulating to the point of numbed-out tedium.

The torture is strictly for kicks, which spoiled this for me, but less skittish viewers may enjoy this as a stylish and tightly wound genre piece.

For those with an appreciation for weirdness, this is an extremist on form.

Miike’s twisted gangster tale, adapted from the manga by Hideo Yamamoto, is the Niagara Falls of gushing blood cinema, a depraved, demented exercise in excess.

"Ichi the Killer" is a must-watch for all fans of cult cinema, a true ode to violence and the soon arriving edition by WellGo USA is definitely the best edition of the film out there.

Takashi Miike's Ichi the Killer suffers from a heavily-meandering storyline, resulting in a tedious and stretched-out film that marks a low point in the director's incredible career.

Ultra-violent action from Japan's leading cult director that plays fast and loose with genre conventions to deliver an innovative -- and frequently revolting -- work of cult Asian cinema.