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Released by: Pink Eiga
Released on: December 21, 2009.
Director: Yojiro Takita
Cast: Yukijiro Hotaru, Yuka Takemura, Yutaka Ikejima, Rei Matsubara, Yoshimi Kai
Year: 1984
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The Film:
Following up the earlier Groper Train: Search For The Black Pearl, this 1984 offering from director Yojihiro Takita, the seventh in the Groper Train series, once again follows the exploits of a detective named Ippei Kuroda (Yukijiro Hotaru) and his drop dead gorgeous assistant, Hamako (Yuka Takemura).When the movie begins, Hamako gets a letter in the mail that from her fiancé, Kuma (Yutaka Ikejima), telling her that he is planning to leave his home in the country to come to Tokyo for a visit. She's not all too keen on this as she was only engaged to him because of an arrangement made between their parents. She quickly puts together a scheme to find a 'husband' to use while Kuma is in town expecting that he'll cut his losses and decide to go home and leave her alone.
Kuroda isn't interested in playing house with her, and so she needs to find herself someone who won't have an issue with the questionable morality of her plan. This man presents himself in the son of one of Kuroda's client, Gin “Napoleon Gin†Ono. Meanwhile, Kuroda is contacted by a wealthy politician named Daikichi “Mr. Big†Ono who tells Kuroda that, since he's dying, he'd like to make good with his estranged daughter, Hiromi, who is currently on the run with a criminal. Kuroda takes the case but finds out that there's more to it once certain parties start planning their inheritance.
Aside from the requisite graphic sex scenes, all of which are quite well shot and star some rather fetching young ladies in various states of undress, Groper Train: Search For The Black Pearl offers up some really effective comedy. Most of the laughs come courtesy of Kuma, who, upon his arrival in Tokyo, turns out to be a complete fish out of water. Yutaka Ikejima plays the character well, completely believable in his dopey but likeable befuddled manners and amazement at the technology that city slickers all take for granted. You can't help but like the guy even if you can completely understand why someone like Hamako wouldn't want to spend the rest of her life with someone like him and he makes a great contrast to the entirely obnoxious Napoleon Gin who she pretends to hook up with.
The film moves at a good and level pace and builds to a conclusion that will probably have more of an effect on viewers familiar with the earlier entries in the series but which is still befitting of the central characters. The fairly explicit sex mixes well with the mystery of the story, which is also quite well played and interesting enough to string the story along to its end. The last half of the film also manages to pack in all manner of bizarre references to Hollywood blockbuster films like E.T. while also poking fun at Japanese customs and culture. It's a really strange mix of ideas and themes but somehow Yojiro Takita manages to make sense of it all and the end result is a pretty enjoyable sex comedy cum film noir with a few remarkably skewed surprises thrown in for good measure.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Unfortunately, the 1.85.1 widescreen transfer is non-anamorphic and interlaced. There isn't much in the way of dirt or debris to complain about and the colors, including the black levels, are fairly strong if occasionally faded. It's all perfectly watchable, but it won't knock you out. The image is clean though there are some mild compression artifacts present. There are no edge enhancement problems to complain about, but detail isn't particularly strong. Had this been anamorphic it'd have definitely scored higher but this isn't a horrible transfer once you get past that part.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track on the disc is in Japanese with burned in English subtitles. There isn't really any heavy channel separation to note, maybe a bit here and there in regards to the score, but the dialogue is clear enough. Not being able to remove the subtitles is always obnoxious but at least there aren't any obvious typos and they're plenty easy to read.
There aren't a ton of extras on this disc, but there are a few starting with the second part of an interview with Yutaka Ikejima that discusses the making of this film and of some of the follow up Groper Train films that came after it. There are also some text bios and filmographies for the principal cast and crew members and a couple of still galleries. Two different trailers for the feature are included here, as are trailers for bunch of other Pink Eiga release, menus and chapter selections.
The Final Word:
A deliciously twisted mix of sex, comedy and mystery, Groper Train Wedding Capriccio makes for another welcome addition to the Pink Eiga library that's as amusing as it is arousing.