A minor bicycle accident on his annual visit to the shrine is just the start of the troubles awaiting disgraced scientist (now employed at his dad’s sushi shop) Yuta Tanuma. The octopus, squid, and crab he was transporting have eluded him, but he’ll see them again soon enough… as Takolla, Ikalla, and Kanilla, rampaging monsters as big as buildings!
There’s nothing more refreshing than a goofy, optimistic, undiminished film rife with low budget issues that seems just happy to be here. “Monster SeaFood Wars” continues the long-running tradition of Kaiju-bodysuit films wholeheartedly leaning into the insanity of its premise. Between the massive bodysuits, ham-fisted subplots, and semi-capable green screen work, one might find a lot at fault with the film. Instead, director Minoru Kawasaki’s latest entry amplifies the heightened-reality vibes drawing on anime inspiration and capturing the joy of those early-era monster-in-a-bodysuit films a la Gojira to create one light-hearted adventure into culinary-monster cinema.
When Yuta, a teenage sushi maker apprentice, drops his meal of mixed seafood into the Sumida river, he’s astonished. A gigantic mutated squid, octopus, and crab appear to rampage throughout the city. We find out that Yuta’s been working on an enlarging chemical (Setap Z) to help expand food and address world hunger. In response, the government forms the Seafood Monster Attack Team (SMAT) enlisting the aid of Yuta’s arch-rival: Hikoma. Yuta fumes while Hikoma takes his elementary school crush, Nana Hoshiyama, out on dates that prevent the team from coalescing into a fighting force against the three kaiju.
Hikoma invents rice vinegar cannons to stop the monsters in their tracks. It works, delivering giant delicious morsels of monster seafood wherein it changes the cuisine of Japan and ‘monster gourmet’ takes the culinary world of Japan by storm inspiring groupies, backdoor ramen shops, and YouTube channels posting about it. Unfortunately, the vinegar cannons don’t work on the crab shell. Yuta and Hikomi make a bet that whoever kills the monsters gets to take Nana out. Yuta lays a trap and captures the monsters in a local stadium. Too late, we find out, as Hikomi has been the mastermind of the entire operation. HE stole Setap Z and made the monsters so that he could later defeat them and win Nana’s heart. Hikomi disrupts the team’s plans to defeat the monsters but Yuta’s friend appears at the last instant with a giant robot he’d been working on called Jumbo Chef. The team stops Hikomi and Jumbo Chef defeats the monsters in one bold move. Everyone lives to fight another day while Hikomi awaits his next chance at implementing Setap Z on some other unsuspecting seafood.
Look, this movie is crazy and bananas and low budget and just all-around good ol’ fashioned fun. Sure, it’s not perfect and it delves into unnecessary asides but them sum of this thing’s weird parts is a fun ride for the audience who will laugh and holler until the very end. There were certain moments that I couldn’t help but feel like the dramatization of a classic anime show were brought to life for us to enjoy.
Every actor is a caricature. Every plotline helps string together these fun monster fight sequences. So what if there’s a romance subplot? This movie spends ten of its eighty minutes deep-diving into the effects of ‘monster gourmet’ adding very niche spots showcasing YouTube channels addressing it. I mean, how seriously can you take yourself if you’re watching this thing?
The monster fights work the best when it’s monster-a-monster. The Kaiju suits hark back to the classic era monster fights. Clearly shot among miniatures with actors in suits and tiny explosions set off it reminds me of that famed Japanese import: “Power Rangers,” which was notorious for getting the most bang for its buck. Same exact concept here. Save money on footage by putting people in suits and staging it to look like they’re bigger than life. I almost like that idea more than Hollywood attempting to create these monsters via intense digital process.
This movie is goofy and zany and not for a minute should you take this seriously or consider it ‘classic’ or ‘cult.’ It’s just out here for the kicks. It clearly was a blast to make. The monsters look and feel exciting. What more can I say? Have fun with this movie! Invite the whole family! Go nuts!
“Monster SeaFood Wars” recently had its International Premiere at the 2020 Fantasia Festival