DVD Review: Minoru Kawasaki's 'The World Sinks Except Japan'

Japan has often seen in the world’s eye as belligerent but due to circumstances it can now bask as the sole super-power of the world. For now if you want to survive in Japan you got to get your nose a little brown and endear yourself to your Japanese hosts. And Japan relishes in this newfound position of power. But fate has another plan for this solitary nation and Japan too will soon be dealt its sorry end. Despite their greatest of intentions power eventually corrupts the Japanese leaders as well. Japan soon loses itself in its own obsession with power and control.

Perhaps the sweetest revenge is the demotion of foreigners to slave labor and movie extras. Actors modeled on Willis and Schwarzenegger trade parlor tricks for money. Minoru Kawasaki also includes a Tom Cruise-like actor who, despite his [snicker] Oscar statue, cannot find lead roles in films and resorts to extra work in Kaiju films. American actresses resort to prostitution to make ends meet. Foreign leaders and dignitaries aren’t too far behind Japanese leaders and are even willing to forgive Japan’s history of occupation and oppression.

Kawasaki’s film is nearly critical of everyone. Not only does he poke fun at foreign countries and their deflated egos but his own countrymen do not escape his wrath. Now in power, the Japanese hosts soon loathe and despise their foreign guests as food supplies dwindle. They soon set up a version of secret police, Gaijin Attack Team (GAT) to police the unruly foreigners and deport the criminal element. Nightly news reports monitor foreigner migration patterns like the weather. Whale meat is back on the menu as there is no one left who dares cry foul about their whaling practices.

Ultimately though, I just didn't think that The World Sinks Except Japan was funny enough satire. It wanders about in unnecessary exposition and social critique. As brief as they are rare, moments of humor only come after slogging through stifled acting and dialogue. TWSEJ gets lost in its own attempt at political and social satire that one cannot help but wonder if indeed there was some merit to a comment made by a Japanese citizen, "I don't like Japanese movies, they look so cheap". Sure, self deprivation is great and all, but once you’ve lost yourself in it becomes quickly uninteresting.

Thankfully of all the countries that take a beating to Kawasaki’s scorn, we here in Canada escaped unscathed. Sure, I imagine we were underwater like the rest of the world but he didn’t make mention of it. Whew. We narrowly escaped with our reputations intact.

Now. About those whales.