Sukiyaki Western Django

Sukiyaki Western Django was perfectly cheesy and over the top. This is an English language spaghetti western from Japanese film maker, Takashi Miike. Ambiguously not really set in any time making it fully a western with a lot of Japanese influence sprinkled in and a pinch of post-apocalyptic. Quentin Tarantino introduces the film and also plays a cameo later in the story. American audiences may not know who Kaori Momoi, but her career in Japan gives this strange film some weight and she plays her role quite well. The action is great, the humor is good. The cinematography is as a western should be with long wide shots that hold for too long. While I long for it to continue as a series someday, the ending eludes to the film perhaps being an unofficial prequel to Django (the 1966 film by Sergio Corbucci). Not only is the title an obvious reference to the Corbucci film, but there are also many other references in the story and cinematography that suggest Miike looked to Django as a large influence.

I found Sukiaki Western Django to be very creative and entertaining. I'd like to see more from Takashi Miike.