SYNOPSIS:
A mysterious drifter (Josh Hartnett) and an ardent young Japanese warrior Yoshi (Gackt) both arrive in a town that has been terrorized by outrageous and virulent criminals. Each is obsessed with his separate mission, and guided by the wisdom of The Bartender (Woody Harrelson) at the Horseless Horseman Saloon, the two eventually join forces to bring down the corrupt and contemptuous reign of Nicola (Ron Perlman), the awesomely evil “woodcutter” and his lady Alexandra (Demi Moore), a femme fatale with a secret past. This classic tale is re-vitalized and re-imagined in an entirely fresh visual context, set in a unique world that mixes skewed reality with shadow-play fantasy, a place where even the landscape can betray you. Heroes triumph here only because the force of their will transforms and transcends both space and time. The world of BUNRAKU is past and present, fantasy and reality, Samurai and Western all combined. Like SIN CITY and 300, it gives classic conflict a whole new graphically supercharged dynamic. Resonating through a wide range of cultures and showcasing a mind-blowing array of martial arts disciplines, BUNRAKU is a fresh arena for breathtaking fight action.
Bunkaku trailer
Bunraku is….I don’t know what it is. It looks like some sort of hybrid fusion of Dark City and Sin City and Dick Tracy (Dark Dick City?), except the stylized sets look very empty and generic, like they were built that day on the stage and the paint isn’t even dry. The city doesn’t look lived in at all. The plot sounds nuts (synopsis below), and though the trailer is trying to sell me on the things that should appeal to me, it just isn’t working. I’ll think I’ll wait on this one. It hits VOD on September 1st, and a limited theatrical run begins September 30th.