Review: Returner (*** 1/2)

RETURNER
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2003 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2


E.T. is back in Takashi Yamazaki's RETURNER. Well not exactly, but this
live-action import from Japan does feature an adorable little alien who is
the spitting image of E.T., only slightly smaller. An energetic action
picture that's a wonderful homage to your favorite sci-fi films (including,
but not limited to, E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, THE TERMINATOR, THE DAY THE
EARTH STOOD STILL, THE MATRIX and STAR WARS), it has a story that's as fresh
and exciting as the movies whose material it draws from.



Ann Suzuki (the young Japanese-American girl in SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS)
gives an endearing performance as Milly, an unlikely action hero who is sent
back from the year 2084 in order to save the world. In the future the
humans are holed up in the mountains of Tibet, fighting one last losing
battle against the aliens who are taking over the earth. Milly, as
mankind's last hope, is sent back to 2002 in order to stop the event that
started the war that pitted the aliens against the humans. A spunky and
charismatic kid in her mid-teens, Milly recruits thirty-year-old Miyamoto
(Takeshi Kaneshiro, a handsome hunk from CHUNGKING EXPRESS) to help her.
Since he doesn't believe a word of what she says, she plants a cellophane
tape bomb on his neck in order to force his involvement. Their wonderful
chemistry together will remind you of Princess Leia and Han Solo from STAR
WARS.



Goro Ki****ani plays Mizoguchi, one of the best screen villains in some
time. A ruthless killer, he and Miyamoto were locked in a deadly battle
until Milly came on the scene and changed their agendas. While most people
fear the aliens that in 2002 have just landed, the nefarious gangster
Mizoguchi thinks that he can somehow harness their weapons for some awesome
"real power."



RETURNER is an action packed picture with equal measures of sweetness and
violence, like a delicious sweet-and-sour sauce. It's also quite funny.
But, most of all, it's a lot of fun.



THE RETURNER runs 1:58. The film is in Japanese and Mandarin with English
subtitles and in English. It is rated R for "violence" and would be
acceptable for teenagers.



The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, October 17, 2003.
In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas.



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