DCSIMG
 
 

Ichi the Killer (2001)

Ichi the Killer (2001)
Member Rating:  
Maverick auteur Takashi Miike spins this unsettling, blood-soaked yakuza yarn adapted from Hideo Yamamoto's cult manga Koroshiya 1. When mob don Anjo mysteriously disappears, his protégé Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano) vows to find the people responsible. Sporting a blond head of hair and a yawning, pierced slash for a mouth, Kakihara is no ordinary gangster and his methods are equally unorthodox; he impales one poor suspect's naked body on a series of meat hooks and then dumps hot oil on him. Meanwhile, a shadowy character known as Jijii (played by director Shinya Tsukamoto) deftly manipulates, for his own nefarious ends, Ichi (Nao Omori), an unbalanced but ruthless killing machine clad in a superhero suit. Pining for the sadistic abuse of his boss, Kakihara learns of Ichi from a Hong Kong hostess (Alien Sun) and sets out to find this fabled butcher, hoping he can inflict the pain that Kakihara craves. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival as a part of the Midnight Madness program. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

 Read More


Starring:
Tadanobu Asano, Nao Omori, (more)
Director(s):
Takashi Miike
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R
Format(s):
DVD  |  Blu-ray
View All Versions to rent and buy
 
 
 
 
 
 

Synopsis of Ichi the Killer

Maverick auteur Takashi Miike spins this unsettling, blood-soaked yakuza yarn adapted from Hideo Yamamoto's cult manga Koroshiya 1. When mob don Anjo mysteriously disappears, his protégé Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano) vows to find the people responsible. Sporting a blond head of hair and a yawning, pierced slash for a mouth, Kakihara is no ordinary gangster and his methods are equally unorthodox; he impales one poor suspect's naked body on a series of meat hooks and then dumps hot oil on him. Meanwhile, a shadowy character known as Jijii (played by director Shinya Tsukamoto) deftly manipulates, for his own nefarious ends, Ichi (Nao Omori), an unbalanced but ruthless killing machine clad in a superhero suit. Pining for the sadistic abuse of his boss, Kakihara learns of Ichi from a Hong Kong hostess (Alien Sun) and sets out to find this fabled butcher, hoping he can inflict the pain that Kakihara craves. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival as a part of the Midnight Madness program. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
124 mins

Complete Cast of Ichi the Killer


Director(s):
Takashi Miike
Writer(s):
Sakichi Sato
Producer(s):
Dai Miyazaki, Akiko Funatsu
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R(Drug Content, Not For Children, Profanity, Gore, Rape & Sexual Abuse)
Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

Looking for special editions of Ichi the Killer?
See All Versions
Subtitles:
Check All Versions
Closed Captioning:
Check All Versions
 
 
 
 

BY MAIL

Monthly Subscription
 
Buy New  from $12.99
 

IN-STORE

 

ON DEMAND

Blockbuster Instant Video

Watch thousands of movies instantly on your TV, tablet, mobile phone or computer with no monthly subscription. You pay only for what you watch.
 

What's Your Take?

Add to FavoritesIn Favorites  |  Share:     Email to a friendShare on FacebookShare on Twitter
    YOUR REVIEW
    WRITE A REVIEW
     
    1000 
     
    Member Reviews
    Read all (30)
     
    Triston M.

    This film is undoubtedly one the bloodiest, most painful films I have ever seen. However, one should expect nothing less from an exploration of human sadistic and masochistic behaviors. Takashi Miike links these together with the concepts of hero and villain to create a multi-layered and powerful film. Ichi is a "bad" hero simply because of this, and Nao Omori's acting fits the part perfectly. All of the acting is for the most part very well done. Although certainly not a "scary" film (it was never intended to be, since it isn't a horror film anyway) it is well-made and one of my favorite Miike films along with Audition. If you want to see a bizarre, blood-soaked film with yakuza, this may be the film for you, but it also offers so much more in terms of depth and complexity, as well as Miike's trademark dark humor. Oh, and if the dubbing is unbearable (which it usually is) then there's always the option of subtitles, thank goodness.

    Yes   |   No

     
    Lisandro C.

    This movie had it all. It had the gore, violence and rape scenes that were extremely graphic. They were so graphic its shocking, which is what Takashi Miike accomplished. It also had a few comedy scenes which were too funny (you need to see some funny stuff after you witness blood gushing out of someone's throat like a showerhead). What made me mad was this: It's a 2 hr 5 min movie and the first hour and fifty-five minutes were great its the last ten minutes that left me scratching my head. WHAT THE F*&*? The movie was disgusting, perverted, and violent, PERIOD?. After you see the ending, it just messes it all up and it didn't make any sense? I recommend the movie given the fact that its just plain nasty to watch. Just don't be disappointed if it doesn't make any sense, I FAIRLY WARN YOU ABOUT THAT!!!! Otherwise, enjoy this movie.

    Yes   |   No

     
    Matt C.

    To the untrained eye, "Ichi" can be summed up in three words: Gore, Gore and Gore. The notorious japanese director Miike produces some VERY unsettling images of torture, pain and inhumanity. We're talking real torture here, not stuff you see in american horror movies. Picture this: a yakuza cuts the tip of his own tongue off to appease a boss. And that's one the tamer portions. There is a message to this movie, but it can be overshadowed by Miike's emphasis on violence and bloodshed. Problems with this movie, the dubbing is in this TERRIBLE british accent, so all the characters sound like a bunch of british lords instead of kick a$$ yakuzas. Also, Ichi is one of the worst "heros" (can u really call him that?) of all time. It's a pretty dumb character. However, Khakihara is awesome (the guy on the cover). If you're looking for a good Asian movie, rent "AUDITION" instead. It's Miike's best and a truly horrifying movie.

    Yes   |   No

     
    Read All 30 Reviews
       

      Rating Systems

       

      Blockbuster

      Find Us Online: BLOCKBUSTER Blog - BLOCKBUSTER Widgets - BLOCKBUSTER RSS FEED - BLOCKBUSTER Facebook Page - BLOCKBUSTER Twitter Page - BLOCKBUSTER Wiki

      Email Exclusives

      BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
        2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.

      Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation.   2013 Rovi Corporation.