You'd be hard pressed to find a sequel more different than the original than DOA 2: Birds. It is not connected with the original in terms of plot although the same actors reprise similar roles. It reminds of the style of the original in certain places, however it's overall a sweeter, more heart-warming movie embedded with sudden bursts of violence. The plot is simple but very effective. Two hit men find themselves on the run after doing a hit on a local yakuza family. It turns out they are actually childhood friends and they go back to the island they grew up to hide from the police and vengeful yakuzas that are looking for them. The first half of the movie is startlingly peaceful (coming from Miike of all people) carrying a sweet air of nostalgia as the yakuzas revert back to a state of childhood, fooling around like they used to when they were kids. Flashback shots only add to the touching, humane feeling. Loss of innocence can be a very manipulative theme but it is in very good hands here as Miike pulls it off surprisingly well.
But seeing as this is a Miike film, violence and psychotronic weirdness can't be totally absent now can it? Of course not. There are sudden bursts of violence that become all the more chilling as they are juxtaposed with the serene feeling that precedes them. Intercutting is used to great effect in a scene where Miike cuts back and forth between a bloodbath shootout between yakuzas and Chinese triads and the two hit men performing in a small stageplay for children back at their island. There's almost a surreal quality to it as we see Riki Takeuchi bumping around in a big lion suit.
I have to say that Miike had the opportunity to make a great drama at the point where the true identity of the two hit men is discover by the pregnant wife of their childhood friend. But Miike being Miike, he simply refuses to play it straight. Instead the second half of the film is weirder, more confused (and slightly confusing) in tone but goes the extra mile to add to what makes DOA2 such a unique experience. Certain scenes such as a Mexican standoff that involves a midget and three hired goons that only communicate with each other through cell phones are as mind-boggling as they are awesome. Or what about the wife that discovers her TV star husband dead and hugs his giant penis (it's pixilated, so prudes have nothing to worry about) with forlorn sadness? And I haven't even mentioned our two hit men donating the money they get from whacking people to pay for vaccines for children in Africa. In the end it's Miike through and through.
If the comparison has to be made, the verdict is that DOA2 is simply different than its predecessor. Personally speaking I enjoyed it slightly more. It lacks the anything goes insanity of the first but makes up for it in other ways. There IS action to be found, it's just not the main attraction. Instead it's a weird, poignant, touching, occasionally violent film aimed more at the heart and soul than the gut.
But seeing as this is a Miike film, violence and psychotronic weirdness can't be totally absent now can it? Of course not. There are sudden bursts of violence that become all the more chilling as they are juxtaposed with the serene feeling that precedes them. Intercutting is used to great effect in a scene where Miike cuts back and forth between a bloodbath shootout between yakuzas and Chinese triads and the two hit men performing in a small stageplay for children back at their island. There's almost a surreal quality to it as we see Riki Takeuchi bumping around in a big lion suit.
I have to say that Miike had the opportunity to make a great drama at the point where the true identity of the two hit men is discover by the pregnant wife of their childhood friend. But Miike being Miike, he simply refuses to play it straight. Instead the second half of the film is weirder, more confused (and slightly confusing) in tone but goes the extra mile to add to what makes DOA2 such a unique experience. Certain scenes such as a Mexican standoff that involves a midget and three hired goons that only communicate with each other through cell phones are as mind-boggling as they are awesome. Or what about the wife that discovers her TV star husband dead and hugs his giant penis (it's pixilated, so prudes have nothing to worry about) with forlorn sadness? And I haven't even mentioned our two hit men donating the money they get from whacking people to pay for vaccines for children in Africa. In the end it's Miike through and through.
If the comparison has to be made, the verdict is that DOA2 is simply different than its predecessor. Personally speaking I enjoyed it slightly more. It lacks the anything goes insanity of the first but makes up for it in other ways. There IS action to be found, it's just not the main attraction. Instead it's a weird, poignant, touching, occasionally violent film aimed more at the heart and soul than the gut.