Tampopo

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1h 54m

Comedy

List

100%

57 Reviews

Tomatometer

93%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Two Japanese milk-truck drivers (Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ken Watanabe) help a restaurant owner (Nobuko Miyamoto) learn how to cook great noodles.

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Critics Consensus

Thanks to director Juzo Itami's offbeat humor and sharp satirical edge, Tampopo is a funny, sexy, affectionate celebration of food and its broad influence on Japanese culture.

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Pauline Kael

New Yorker

Itami uses his background in commercial art: every now and then, the characters assume shiny Pop poses, and the images have the slightly crazed look of heightened reality.

Sep 13, 2023

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Anupama Chopra

Film Companion

So you're watching all this amazing food being consumed, you're getting hungrier and hungrier and you're laughing harder and harder.

May 18, 2020

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

In Tampopo, every aspect of life is filtered through the prism of food - its rituals of preparation and consumption, its role as a social unifier or divider, its many healthy uses and perverse abuses.

May 2, 2017

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

What is it about food that brings out the best in filmmakers all across the globe?

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 10, 2022

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Pieter-Jan Van Haecke

Psychocinematography

Tampopo is a classic that shows that life, in all its diverse aspects, turns around food and the enjoyment it provides. A narrative that needs to be savoured!

Aug 11, 2020

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Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Itami's film is indefatigably sweet-hearted and whatever your level of entertainment derived from this effervescent time capsule, you're bound to leave with a pleasant glow.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 22, 2019

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harwee h

A true classic, as timeless as it gets.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/16/24

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John Y

They really turned the phrase Spaghetti Western on its head. Just a silly but wonderful take on life, food, and artistry. Visit your local Ramen place afterwards.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/10/24

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Richard

It is certainly high cinema in a lot of ways, artistic and boundary pushing. It also has moment of comic brilliance. But the weird factor or the missing cultural context for non-Japanese viewers may make it hard to appreciate some segments.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/01/23

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Irena

Insanely good acting and an unexpected story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/07/23

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Kyle C

As my partner eloquently put it, it's like Monty Python and Wes Anderson went to Japan. That pretty much sums it up. It's super weird and really funny. It gets a little slow at times but there are enough silly skits sprinkled in to keep it interesting even when the main plot is slowing down. Warning: do not watch while hungry.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/26/23

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Pulec T

I wanted some cheerful movie for our film club after some not-so-cheerful series of movies. This movie was the first result and it's absolutely glorious. While I don't approve of the absolute dedication and practically giving up on their life of most ramen owners and I probably couldn't tell the difference between bad, decent and glorious ramen, I just have to appreciate the "gang's" input in all this. And the seemingly unrelated "slice of life" stories are just legendary in all this setting.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/01/23

Full Review

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Synopsis

Two Japanese milk-truck drivers (Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ken Watanabe) help a restaurant owner (Nobuko Miyamoto) learn how to cook great noodles.

Director: Juzo Itami
Screenwriter: Juzo Itami
Distributor: New Yorker Films
Production Co: Itami Productions, New Century Productions
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 1, 1986, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Oct 21, 2016
Release Date (Streaming): May 4, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $224.1K
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Dolby
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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