Plot: What’s it about?
The realm of mankind has faced numerous challenges, but none as fierce as the alien invaders it now battles. The fighting has been harsh and non-stop, the kind of war that can only end when one side is eliminated. After decades of brutal battles, with immense casualties and destruction, an end is soon to come to the conflict. The alien hordes have attacked mankind without mercy, but been fended off with some degree of success. The losses have been massive, but the humans have managed to stave off the aliens, at least for the time. But now the invasion forces have crushed most of the resistance, which means the end of mankind is within reach. No peace treaties will be signed, no white flags will be waved, as the aliens will not hold back their attacks until mankind is extinct. This means even drastic action wouldn’t be enough, but one human guerilla soldier name Milly (Ann Suzuki) is determined to make one last, desperate move. She engages a Time Shifter and is sent back through time, to three days before the initial alien attack. She soon enlists the help of Miyamoto (Takeshi Kaneshiro), but she has to trick the skilled gunman into her cause. A local crime lord holds a captured alien spacecraft, as well as its pilot. Can Milly and Miyamoto somehow divert the attacks, or is mankind doomed to be demolished?
Returner seems to have all the needed elements to be a dynamic, blockbuster action movie, but are the parts more than the whole? One thing is certain, Returner is a popcorn action flick taken to the extreme, with liberal doses of sci/fi tossed in. You’ll see wild shootouts, blood soaked battles, alien invasions, transforming robots, and of course, leather trenchcoats. But in the end, Returner tuns out to be an imbalanced experience and that’s a shame. A movie with this much wild content should be brisk and a blast to watch, but this film spends too much time on talk and leaves the action scenes few and far between. I don’t mind exposition and character development, but Returner should have been all out action mayhem. Whenever the focus is on action or wild situations, Returner is loads of fun, but that doesn’t happen often enough. I also know some folks complained about how this movie draws on numerous other American genre pictures for inspiration, but given Hollywood’s reliance on Asian action in the past, that can be overlooked. The performances are solid in most cases, but like I said, too much focus in placed on development. I do think this could have been one of the best popcorn action movies ever, but Returner settles for being passable. The visuals and off the wall atmosphere elevate above most middling films of this kind, but unless you’re already a fan, I think a rental is in order
Video: How does it look?
Returner is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a great looking presentation, one that allows the film’s wild visuals to shine through. The print is in excellent condition, with only some light grain to mention. I did see a few instances of debris, but nothing serious and on the whole, the print looks terrific. The vivid colors stream across the screen, with hues that are rich and bold, just as the material demands. I saw no signs of errors with the colors either, so even the richest reds are flawless here. No concerns with contrast either, as black levels have perfect balance and shadow depth is superb. A few minor flaws keep the score down a little, but rest assured, Returner looks awesome.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original Japanese soundtrack is preserved here, via an active and immersive Dolby Digital 5.1 option. And the audio track here is a real gem, lots of surround use and a myriad of directional usage, very impressive indeed. I was very pleased with this track, as it places you right in the midst of it all, a very immersive experience from start to finish. Whether the effects are loud and booming or more subtle, this track handles them well and ensures they’re placed just right within the mix. One of the better mixes I’ve heard of late, this one doesn’t disappoint in terms of musical score or dialogue either, as both elements are well mixed and presented with no flaws in the least. This disc also includes English and French language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The best of the supplements is an hour long video production diary, which is a collection of behind the scenes materials. This is candid stuff, not the usual planned visits to the set and fluff interviews. Instead, the piece really opens up the production and lets us see how Returner was brought to the screen. You can also listen to audio comments from director Takashi Yamazaki and star Ann Suzuki, a session which provides even more insight. This disc also includes a trio of brief behind the scenes featurettes, as well as the film’s trailer.
