Another disappointment from Miike, whose heart simply doesn't seem to be in the production. This has a great premise, similar to 16 BLOCKS, in which a serial killer must be transported to another city with a bounty on his head. But after an average first half, it descends into repetitive tedium. The plot twists are obvious, the characters dull, the dialogue just drags and drags. Fujiwara I've loved since BATTLE ROYALE, but even he can't make much of his role here. No wonder this one vanished without a trace soon after release.
Review of Shield of Straw
