Death Trance (2005) - A Review

 

This movie doesn't get talked about much anymore in regards to great fight scenes.

Death Trance is a fantasy action movie released in Japan in 2005 starring Tak Sakaguchi, Takamasa Suga, Kentaro Seagal, Yuhki Takeuchi, Honoka Asada, and Yoko Fujita. Yuji Shimomura directed this movie, with Tak Sakaguchi in charge of fight choreography. Death Trance is based on the manga by Kana Takeuchi.

Tak Sakaguchi as Grave. This guy has the moves, and is a great choreographer as well!

In Death Trance, Tak Sakaguchi plays Grave, a master swordsman who has stolen a coffin from a temple. This coffin, legend says, grants any wish to the person who is able to open it. As you can guess, there are many other people who want that coffin. Ryuen (played by Takamasa Suga), an apprentice monk, is sent to get the coffin back and prevent the end of the world. The head monk at the temple tells Ryuen that opening the coffin will free the Goddess of Destruction, causing the end of the world as we know it. He is given a special sword that can only be unsheathed from its saya (scabbard) by the chosen one in order to stop the Goddess of Destruction.

Takamasa Suga as Ryuen. We find out the backstory through him.

Ryuen feels he is not ready for this task, but he goes on anyways. He meets Sid (played by Kentaro Seagal), a stylish loner who is also searching for the coffin. Uneasy allies, they search for the man who stole the coffin, together. A lot of fights occur, between which we find out the backstories of our heroes. What is Grave's ultimate wish? What does Sid wish for? Will Ryuen stop the end of the world from happening? Will the Goddess of Destruction be unleashed?

Kentaro Seagal as Sid. Yes, he is Steven Seagal's son.

Death Trance is a movie that had always been on my radar since my days on Asian cinema message boards back in the day. Everybody said how great it was, and when I finally bought it and watched it...I was underwhelmed. I only watched the DVD once or twice and never again...until recently. On this viewing, I was blown away by it! This movie rocks! I don't know why I didn't like it back then. This movie has some cool fight scenes! The story is very...manga/anime. Everything gets explained along the way, for the most part. I'm sure if you read the manga, you will know who all these characters are and what their deeper backstories and motivations are. Otherwise, some characters are quite mysterious.

I like the look of this movie. It's very otherworldly. A very cool setting, for sure. The characters look appropriately cool as well. There is a little girl in this movie that looks like a manga character come to life! Sid has such stylish hair as well! A lot of the music in Death Trance is done by Dir en grey, if you're into that. The movie is serious for the most part, but there is some crazy stuff that happens as well!

Tak Sakaguchi as Grave is quite mysterious in this movie. He doesn't talk much, but he kicks some major butt throughout! Takama Suga as Ryuen kind of represents the viewer as he encounters all of these crazy characters. Kentaro Seagal plays the tough yet stylish guy. He reminds me of an 80s European New Wave musician in this, in a good way! The actors all do a good job in this.

Death Trance has some awesome fight scenes!

If the story isn't enough to keep your interest, stay for the fight scenes! Tak Sakaguchi is a monster in Death Trance! He kicks butt big time in this! All of the fight scenes are fast and hard-hitting! Sakaguchi throws some great-looking punches in this movie. Maybe because they actually seem to be connecting (especially the ones to the face). His introductory fight is awesome (and the mysterious little girl in the scene seems to love it), as is his fight against some zombie-type creatures. He mows them down, but they just get back up. Fun stuff throughout! The end fight is very anime-ish, though. It fits with the tone of the movie, but it is a bit of a letdown.

So, should you watch Death Trance? If you like manga/anime, awesome fight scenes, Japanese rock music, and cool locations/costumes, then yes. If not, the 'sparse' story may not keep your interest. This movie, and especially its fight scenes, rock!

The Ultimate Edition Steel Book cover of the DVD I watched for this review. I need this movie on Blu-Ray!

Back Cover. Since the steel book is shiny, it was tough taking good pictures of it!

Death Trance Ultimate Edition is a double disc set. One disc has the movie, the other has the special features.

Reviewed by David Williams