Audience Member
Zebraman 1 was more of a mock origin story of a school teacher who is trying to save the world, so knowing the previous I wasn't expecting anything more then a continue of what happens next. That where I was wrong. Zebraman 2 throws everything previously known out the window and plays around with an anarchistic futuristic society on overdrive. Like the previous, zebraman 2 has fun making fun of itself. The characters are way over the top and the story is terrible but that's where zebraman 2 becomes great. If your looking for a morality super hero movie your going to find yourself scratching your head, but if your looking for a fun action comedy then this ones for you.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/25/23
Full Review
Audience Member
The story is that Zebraman, the hero from the previous film, is now outed and turned into an object of media obsession, until he somehow wakes up some 15 years later to discover he has amnesia, and Tokyo has become a dystopia.
From the get go the plot is kinda forshadowed in such a way that a child can guess the plot twists and revelations that are coming a mile away but the characters make it enjoyable to move forward. Also despite the semi cheesy plot, the acting isnt bad, magnified by the ability of the director and crew to add tension and hidden moments to more scenes than not.
Zebraman 2 at its worst moments seems to suffer from identity crisis. It has a comic book syled plot but there are at times a highly serious and cinematic value that it can be taken seriously despite the fact that the movie is almost comedicly called, Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City. These moments appear more at the end of the film and if you can forgive these moments or learn to accept them, then the movie works.
The other potential jarring aspect of the film can be how disjointed the first act feels. A person who is not prepared for the unconventional nature of this super hero film may feel lost and confused and just not buy into the plot.
At its best, its got strong characters, if not somewhat two demensional, and while predictable, that doesnt stop it from being a marvel. The first intro music video sung by a character who is basicly introducing herself as the diva that runs Zebra City, aptly calling herself Zebra Queen, is still fresh in my mind and almost rivals most of todays pop culture music videos.
Ultimately, you are left with a movie that is clearly made to be entertaining while trying to be stylized and original. Sure plenty of plot elements are recycled from a hundred stories but there are some true gems in the movie and with Miike at the helm, you can't help but sense the darker aspects of the film come closer. In the end, it is entertaining, I laughed, I got invested with these characters, and the catchprases, while completely corny, are memorable which is the exact point of the film.
I liked this movie and I would only recomend it if you are accepting to the concept of japanese super hero action films with sci fi twists, the non Hollywood budget, and something that borderlines between a kids movie one moment, and a movie for mature audiences the next. The ending can be hard to swallow as it changes the tone of the film but overall, a good movie.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/24/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Cinq ans apres un premier episode gentiment barre, revoila l'homme-zebre sauveur du Japon dans un nouveau film, cette fois pourvu de ressources consequentes qui lui permettent de se hisser facilement au pinacle technique des Blockbusters nippons. Cette debauche de moyens se retourne neanmoins souvent contre cette "Contre-offensive sur Zebra City". Malgre une excellente idee de depart (reduire la criminalite en autorisant tous les debordements cinq minutes par jour), "Zebraman 2" evacue le cote ouvertement satyrique du premier volet et sacrifie a l'obligation d'en flanquer plein-la-vue, jusqu'a se donner les allures et la pretention d'un Sentai de luxe effroyablement sentencieux. On peut heureusement toujours compter sur Takashi Miike pour deraper a un moment donne et pour caler quelques uns de ces elements improbables dont il a le secret (nain sadique et couineur, blob extraterrestre petomane, clip de J-pop Ladygagaesque,...). De quoi equilibrer l'appreciation qu'on portera a ce second episode plus "hollywoodien" que son predecesseur mais egalement plus previsible et formate.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/05/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City is set in 2025. Zebraman is captured and put in a giant centrifuge splitting him to 2 seperate entities, meanwhile evil forces have taken over Tokyo and turned it into Zebra City, featuring their own Zebra laws and everything. Basically, there's a daily 5-minute window where all crime is justified and you cannot be prosecuted for killing, raping and doing other nasty things. Zebra City thrives, but Zebraman is slowly regaining memory of his former duties. If that sounds a little weird and all, don't worry, it's supposed to.
Story-wise it's a pretty straight-forward sequel, firmly set in the same realm as the first movie and expanding on the original story. But the feel of Zebraman 2 is completely different. Sho Aikawa has returned from the first movie featuring bleached hair for the occasion. He's a great actor who appears a lot in Miike's movies with a rare talent to bring humour to a straight-faced performance. It's a unique combination that makes him quite perfect for his role. Naka Riisa does a pretty good job of opposing Zebraman as the Zebra Queen, bringing a lot of attitude and power to the table. The songs she sings are quite catchy too. They both hold up extremely well amongst all the silliness.
Zebraman 2 is not all that easy to recommend. Depending on what you expect or demand from a sequel, it's either a missed opportunity or a definite improvement over the first movie. It's doesn't follow the same path as the first Zebraman so people expecting to return to the same atmosphere will be a little disappointed. I still found it very amusing.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
01/20/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City is set in 2025. Zebraman is captured and put in a giant centrifuge splitting him to 2 seperate entities, meanwhile evil forces have taken over Tokyo and turned it into Zebra City, featuring their own Zebra laws and everything. Basically, there's a daily 5-minute window where all crime is justified and you cannot be prosecuted for killing, raping and doing other nasty things. Zebra City thrives, but Zebraman is slowly regaining memory of his former duties. If that sounds a little weird and all, don't worry, it's supposed to.
Story-wise it's a pretty straight-forward sequel, firmly set in the same realm as the first movie and expanding on the original story. But the feel of Zebraman 2 is completely different. Sho Aikawa has returned from the first movie featuring bleached hair for the occasion. He's a great actor who appears a lot in Miike's movies with a rare talent to bring humour to a straight-faced performance. It's a unique combination that makes him quite perfect for his role. Naka Riisa does a pretty good job of opposing Zebraman as the Zebra Queen, bringing a lot of attitude and power to the table. The songs she sings are quite catchy too. They both hold up extremely well amongst all the silliness.
Zebraman 2 is not all that easy to recommend. Depending on what you expect or demand from a sequel, it's either a missed opportunity or a definite improvement over the first movie. It's doesn't follow the same path as the first Zebraman so people expecting to return to the same atmosphere will be a little disappointed. I still found it very amusing.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/19/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This movie was good. It looked a lot better than the first. A lot more disturbing. Every day there is a free time where people can do whatever they want. Killing, etc. Is legal. It gets more and more weird, the fighting is pretty good, though.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/25/23
Full Review
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