Ichi the Killer

An exploitative spectacle without any sense, which, although it delights here and there with a juicily perverse idea or catchphrase ("Just a little torture.") and presents truly brutal violence in a highly original and deliberately entertaining way, fails on all fronts as a coherent piece of filmmaking with a cogent narrative and thoughtful scene continuity. The initial confusion over the constant interweaving of scenes and dreamlike flashbacks admittedly wears off over time, but Miike again reveals himself not as a capable storyteller, but as a first-class pervert whose concept of gore may be unconventional, but its frequency, extreme nature, and gradual unoriginality only hurt everything and make the plot terribly uninteresting. Moreover, the characters are all extremely unlikeable and normal people have no chance to find their way to them, and as a result, the final battle of man against man lacks any charge or emotion. For me it's below average, but for fans of extreme ketchup violence I can't recommend it enough – you'll probably drool with joy. (19.08.2015)

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! Yes, you too, the lady with those adorable twins! And you, the gentlemen trying to hide your beer in the newspaper! Don't be afraid and come on in! You're in for a unique circus like you've never experienced it before! You'll see vertical violence, horizontal violence, cutting, stabbing, crushing, and even a few times the smell of gunpowder will waft through the audience! Don't worry madam, there will be violence against women too... But guys, no shoving, everyone will find a seat. Don't be afraid to laugh out loud! You're in for a spectacular story about Ichi, a brutal killer who doesn't want to be a killer, but is forced to be one by past traumas and it is expected of him! You don’t know this story? I don't believe it.... (09.06.2013)

A film that has become a legend in itself. It is one of those Japanese films that are definitely not accessible to everyone, primarily because in terms of violence and what is depicted in the film, it is truly something you don't see every day. Takashi Miike showed how great of a madman he is in filmmaking, and demonstrated that violence can be portrayed extremely bloodily and realistically. One could almost say that he was exceedingly generous to the audience in terms of guts and blood. I enjoy violence in films, it's just how it is, violence is part of life, unfortunately, but here I felt that the story was somewhat forgotten. True, some gore scenes will leave a lasting impression on you and the Japanese show how great masters they are in it. Of course, there are also perverse scenes involving sex and its strange forms, because they wouldn't be the Japanese without them. (25.01.2014)

Ichi the Killer is for me just a messy combination of violence, the most disgusting black humor, and brutal action, with several perverse scenes that made me wonder if the director is mentally ill. Only the original visual aspect saves it from being rubbish. (09.07.2005)

The plot is a slightly confused explosion of violence, which in itself is truly diabolical and detailed, but on the other hand the pace is quite uneven in places, some parts of the film put me to sleep, others I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. Anyway, it has to be admitted that Ichi is an above average affair, you don't see many such films, the direction is inventive and the atmosphere is great. (19.09.2004)