From prolific filmmaker Takeshi Kitano comes Ryuzo and His Seven Henchmen, a slightly bonkers black comedy about an elderly bunch of Japanese Yakuza, who regroup when their ex-leader Ryuzo is bamboozled by a phone scam run by young rival hotshots.

This could have been a great Tokyo caper, with set pieces including a bus hijack, but is instead repetitive, with multiple bland restaurant scenes and visits to their adversaries’ headquarters.  The cast enjoy themselves and perform well, but are let down by a mediocre and sometimes tedious script – the rather puerile humour revolves around the old men’s farts and ‘fuck’s.

Despite starting off as a fresh, dark comedy, Ryuzo and His Seven Henchmen begins to lose steam in the middle and ends with a touch of Wild Hogs about it.

RATING: 2/5

INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: Takeshi Kitano

WRITER: Takeshi Kitano

CAST: Tatsuya Fuji, Ben Hiura, Kôjun Itô, Tôru Shinagawa

SYNOPSIS: Bored retired gangster Ryuzo, living with his disapproving son and family, is caught out by a phone scam when left alone in the house for a week. His old gang reunite to teach the new kids on the block a thing or two.