No Memory, No Problem: The Non-Stop Action of Dead Leaves
Japanese movie titan Production I.G Inc. has been a cornerstone in the country’s movie and television industry, producing blockbusters like Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Psycho-Pass: Sinners of the System, and Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion.
Their entire repertoire is as diverse as it is expansive and from their collection comes a certified classic: Dead Leaves.
Released in 2004, Dead Leaves combines science fiction and a dystopian world with uninterrupted action. The animation style is overwhelmingly stimulating and the story takes viewers on a whirlwind through a futuristic Tokyo and into space. The music production for the movie is amplified by furious synths and booming bass that fully engrosses viewers in the entire experience.
The movie follows Retro and Pandy, an unlikely duo who wake up on the streets of Tokyo with no memories and no other goal than mayhem. Their antics land them in Dead Leaves, a maximum security prison on the half-destroyed moon.
There they are subjected to the prison’s inhumane conditions and forced to witness the unholy genetic abominations the deranged prison warden produces, driving the pair to orchestrate a mass prison break. Armed to the teeth and with bizarre allies, like a prisoner with a drill in place of his jewels, a probable shoutout to Tetsuo: The Iron Man. Retro and Pandy must fight to escape and regain their memories.
Dismissing this movie due to its time of release is a disservice and a huge missed opportunity for an audiovisual trip of a lifetime. Vibrant character design, grotesque humor, and rapid-fire combat collide to form the discordant journey Dead Leaves takes viewers on. With the increase in the popularity of retro media and the spotlight on electronic music, Dead Leaves fits right in with the contemporary and scratches the itch for film enthusiasts and casual viewers alike.
Author Bio:
Seb Paez was born and raised in the Philippines before coming to Tokyo. He thinks you’re pretty cool.
