Leofwine_draca TOKYO TRIBE is another quite incredible movie from Japanese cult director Sion Sono, a man whose has overtaken Takashi Miike as that country's supreme director of trashy, anything-goes cinema. I've previously experienced the delights of such films as GUILTY OF ROMANCE and LOVE EXPOSURE among others, but even they didn't prepare me for this high-energy musical that has to be seen to be believed.The story is set in an alternate universe Tokyo, one that is dominated by rival gangs. The tale sees a pair of super-villains teaming up to commit murder, only to find themselves opposed by the rest of the gangs who gather together to combat them. The result is an incredible concoction of martial arts action, sexuality, and generally cool characters doing intensely cool things. I loved every demented minute of it, and that's coming from somebody who doesn't even like rap music. It says something about Sono's efforts that I ended up loving the music here, even if it is just for this movie.

Jack Kin I love how the Japanese are not afraid of the human body and nature and moved forward while back in America retarded corporation bans leggings!!! This is by far the best Japanese movie and possibly the best Sono movie to date. It is up there and it deserves to be. Everything paid off in this film and I don't even like rap. It is emotional. It is explosive. It has heart. It is sexy. This is everything anyone who is young or young at heart has wanted in a futuristic film. By the end you will feel like humanity has progressed and it becomes hard to say goodbye. Don't get me wrong it is dystopian, but has a happy ending. The final scene in this movie was one of the most powerful scenes and that and the beautiful flaunting add up to a masterpiece and the fact that human haters are angered make it perfect

Tom Dooley Shion Sono ('Love Exposure') started his career as a poet before entering film making. Here we have both talents to the fore. This is an alternative or futuristic Tokyo where the areas of the City are ruled and controlled by 23 gangs or 'tribes'. If you like 'The Warriors' then you will get this angle. They are all fairly distinct; except the thing they all have in common is rap music and hip hop (or hippitty hoppetty to the older out there amongst you). *May contain mild plot spoilers*. There is a lot of nudity on display with a plot line that seems to have forgotten to take its Ritalin and has let the imagination go wild – I was reminded a few times of the wonderful Peter Greenaway. The plot is all around taking control of Tokyo, sexual exploitation, cannibalism, sado masochism, bizarre outfits and hair styles and some 'wicked beats' – as the 'homies' say on the streets. The characters are all over the top, there is tons of fighting – using everything from Martial arts wire work to blinged up AK – 47's oh yes and a Gatling gun. There is a lot of English used in the raps – mostly the profane sort but also some rather brilliant portmanteaus such as 'wan – ksta'.It is endlessly inventive in terms of the violence and the props as well as the lurid imaginations of all the over the top performances.This is enough to make you like hip hop – that is if you are not already a fan. Also I was a bit disappointed at first as I wanted this to be the usual type sci-fi violent film. However; once I had given it some time I just could not get enough. This is one I shall be raving about for some time to come. This is what cinema should do – excite, challenge, break the rules, make up some new ones and have a bloody good laugh – screamingly recommended.

OverlordFresh Sion Sono seems to be entering a new phase in his career that is just incredible. With 6 films set to be released in 2015 alone, and putting the insanity of Why Don't You Play In Hell and Tokyo Tribe into consideration, I think it's safe to say that Sion Sono is the new Takashi Miike. Only better since Sono actually writes his owns movies.If you are asking "where can he go after doing Why Don't You Play In Hell?", the answer is Tokyo Tribe. The movie is an instant cult classic and one of the most ambitiously original films of his career that I doubt any other director could pull off. He dubs it as "the worlds first battle rap musical", and it definitely is. Over 90% of the dialog is rapped. Most of the shots are in long masterful takes. While it's not as gory as Why Don't You Play In Hell, the action is nearly non stop and absolutely mind blowing. The sets in this film are truly a site to behold. He said at TIFF that he employed a lot of students to make them. The all around visual style of this film is just unreal. The only film I could compare this to would be Sogo Ishii's Burst City. Both are musicals that chronicle Japanese music scenes of the time with a very loose plot connecting it all together. Like Burst City, it's not about the plot, it's about the visual and musical experience. Sion Sono took a risk that most film directors of his calibre wouldn't even dare and he pulled it off masterfully. Love Exposure will always be his supreme masterpiece, but I can safely say that I rank Tokyo Tribe among his best films, and i've nearly seem them all.Some people who hate hip hop may hate this movie. I myself am a major hip hop nerd but I don't see that as bias, If anything It made me more concerned before watching but wow. This movie rules and is the best musical in ages and the only good hip hop musical ever produced.Neva Eva Die