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- Pyrokinesis - Japanese DVD -

Synopsis:-

'Junko Aoki' was born with a type of Telekinetic called 'Pyrokinesis' which means she
can control fire and cause things or people to burst into flames at will ever since 
she was a small child. She is now a young adult who works in an office building and 
she lives by herself. She's a loner who is considered weird by most people. This 
changes when she meets 'Tada Kazuki,' who almost immediately falls in love with her.  
'Junko' also befriends 'Kazuki's' teenage sister who longs for a "sister". 
Shortly after this, 'Kazuki's' sister is tortured and killed by a group of wealthy 
teenage scumbags, who brag about it because they can't be punished, due to their age.  
'Junko' tells 'Kazuki' about her powers and takes revenge with the encouragement of a 
group of psychics called 'The Guardians.'  But there's an underlying agenda which is 
controlled by the unlikeliest of sources. 


Story/plot:-

The story is good -- not too simplistic nor too complicated. It sounds like a comic 
book, at first, but it is more than that. It's similar to Stephen King's "Firestarter" 
and the director says it's in homage to it. It's definitely interesting.


Atmosphere:-

The atmosphere is one of revenge. Several characters want revenge. It's not too tense. 
It's set in a modern Japanese city and it's crowded as many Japanese cities are. 
There are apartments and warehouses everywhere so the atmosphere doesn't affect the 
horror. It's all character and story development.


Cast/characters:-

The acting is good. No one stands out as bad.
Akiko Yada plays 'Junko Aoki,' the woman with pyrokinesis. Her character reminds me 
of the girl with the powers in "The Ring" (aka "Ringu") but her mother was supportive 
of her and taught her how to get along in normal society. But she's somewhat sheltered 
and lives alone without friends. Others think she's weird. She's strong-willed and 
vengeful when innocent people are hurt. Akiko Yada is great as the main character. 
She show emotions well and you really care about her.
Hideaki Ito plays 'Tada Kazuki,' the boyfriend of 'Junko.' He starts out vengeful 
for his sister's death but then changes because he doesn't want to stoop to the 
killers' level. He really does care for 'Junko.' Good acting.
Masami Nagasawa plays 'Kaori Kurata,' the teen girl with pyrokinesis. She's been 
living in a children's home since a baby and doesn't talk much to anyone. She's a 
good kid.
Hidenori Tokuyama plays 'Masaki Kogure,' one of the cocky teenage killers.
Toshiyuki Nagashima plays 'Yoshihiro Hasegawa,' the police captain.
Kaori Momoi plays 'Chikako Ishizu,' the female police detective in charge of the 
investigation of the burned teens. She also very strong-willed and wants to do the 
right thing.


Cinematography:-

The cinematography is good and clear. There's a few special techniques used which 
are cool.


FX, Sound, etc:-

The FX are pretty good although a few of the close-ups of the people burning up 
(one scene especially). The explosions are all real but the CGI doesn't always 
look 100% realistic. FX aren't used enough to detract from the story. The sound 
is great as is the music.


Final Thoughts:-

I really enjoyed this movie. It has action, love, a good story, good acting and 
some good FX. It also questions moral judgements about revenge and society. 
Check it out. There's subtitled and dubbed versions.

4/5 stars 

Reviewed By Wolf By Night

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