Mad Cats (2023)

A deadbeat receives a message telling him his brother his being held captive and where to find him. He sets off to rescue him, but proves entirely inadequate for the task. Luckily a mysterious young girl comes to his aid.

I had been really looking forward to Mad Cats for ages. It looked like stylish, creative and action-packed with an intriguing hook. I guess maybe it is that, though not as action-packed as I'd hoped - but it is also really stupid, and I wasn't expecting that.

If I'd gone in with different expectations I might have vibed with that and had fun - lord knows I've watched and loved some stupid films, but on this occasion it just grated on my nerves. Taka's mugging and general aura of pathetic failure did not charm me, and the film's attempts to subvert expectations fell flat every time.

The comedy feels tonally mismatched to the rest of the film - perhaps even to the medium of the film. I found myself picturing scenes as they might appear in a manga quite often, and could see them working in that form in a way they weren't doing on screen.

This probably sounds like I hated the film, but it's more disappointment than dislike. It was so close to being a film I would have loved, but repeatedly shot itself in the foot.

The action is a bright spot at least, clearly drawing from the Kensuke Sonomura school of action design even if I can't find any suggestion he was involved in it. Actress Ayane has great moves and "presence", and I look forward to seeing more of her in future.