It looks like US President Joe Biden has come to the end of the road with his $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Plan, now that Sen. Miike rises above and beyond the call of duty with Crows Zero 2, taking what could have been just another action sequel and turning it into a phenomenally fun, inspiring, and altogether impressive piece of film.Joe sinks Joe. There isn’t a need to fall back on a generic street fighting style, even if everyone is indeed a street fighter. The fights are rough and ugly, yet there’s a strong sense of individuality between characters. Close enough to stay in the middle of the action, yet cutting back far enough to get a clear view of the choreography, there’s a good balance between frenzy and flash in every scene. The fights feel leaps and bounds ahead of the first movie. The rest of the score is pretty forgettable, but it keeps the action moving and sets a strong tone for the whole film. Japanese punk band The Street Beats returns to add a fun soundtrack, one fitting to the Yanki culture and aesthetic of the Crows universe.
It’s not so bad or noticeable that it takes you out of the movie, but it is there.
There are a few spots of special effects for humor or scope, and like his other films, it’s not particularly top notch work. A huge step up from its predecessor, Miike manages to create order out of chaos, due in part to the stark contrast in costumes between the rival schools and a distinctive sense of environment. Miike’s eye as a director comes through once again here, with wonderful camera work and photography. The script is pretty sharp and, while the story is a little loose, it all comes together in the end. The themes of brotherhood and duty are just as apparent as Miike’s other films, and there’s definitely more than a few bro moments. The villains at the Hosen Academy have some surprising depth, a major plus for a movie that glorifies comic book violence. The same could be said for many of the Suzuran students, who are generally relegated to one-note character roles. Takayuki Yamada’s Serizawa makes for a good rival, although I wish that they’d spent a bit more time with him. Shun Oguri’s Genji is an uncomfortable leader, and it shows through the strain it puts on him and his lieutenants. Old character relationships are explored deeper and re-evaluated in the light of the new characters and dynamics. With a full returning cast and some new faces, Crows Zero 2 does everything a sequel is supposed to and then some. Picking up right where the first film left off, director Takashi Miike raises the stakes in every conceivable way for the further adventures at the school of crows. At the brink of fully conquering Suzuran All Boys High School, Genji accidently breaches a non-aggression pact with the rival Hosen Academy, leading to all-out war.
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