Summary
One of those rare instances where the sequel outdoes the original. All the esoteric elements come together nicely, with some large scale set-pieces that are world class.
The image of Junichi Okada’s titular hitman with a parrot perched on his head quickly worked its way into the hearts and minds of Japanese film lovers a few years ago. Building on Katsuhisa Minami’s manga of the same name, the offbeat 2019 film navigated several styles to worm its way into our hearts with its anti-hero and his band of regulars.
Director Kan Eguichi’s sequel confidently steps in as a ready-made and self-contained entity. Akira Sato, the legendary altruistic killer known as Fable, now lives in relative peace with his partner Yoko (Fumino Kimura) as siblings. Yet when non-profit worker Utsubo (Shinichi Tsutsumi) sets up shop, Sato suspects something is up. He’s right, of course: Utsubo works for rival contact killer Suzuki (Masanobu Ando) and is extorting their victims.
Opening with a massive car chase, one in which a vehicle goes careening off the top of a building, THE FABLE: THE KILLER WHO DOESN’T KILL (ザ・ファブル 殺さない殺し屋) wastes no time in establishing the parameters of its own scale. Where the first film occasionally lost the balance between the intrinsic humour of the material and the set-piece action, Eguichi seems like he wants to get the big stuff out of the way so he can focus on the character based plotting. This is an incredibly welcome development.
In fact, the whole film’s structure seems to be geared a little differently this time around. There are some amazing top-loaded sequences, including one that gives Fumino Kimura a chance to impressively kick some ass. There’s an explosive apartment scene, with a series of chases along scaffolding that mixes all the best bits of throwback Asian cinema and contemporary Hollywood. By contrast, the ultimate denouement is relatively low-key, with Eguichi sticking to the character focus right to the very end.
Yet the real joy is in watching this eclectic group interact. The socially awkward Sato continues to evolve under Okada’s skilled range, once again adding layers through non-sequiturs and a pop-culture fuelled sense of humour. Kimura makes a decent case for her own spin-off series, while hapless co-workers Takoda (Jiro Sato) and Misaki (Mizuki Yamamoto) ground the whole affair in a comedic version of reality.
While the film can be happily enjoyed as a separate entity to the original, it’s clear that knowing these characters is learning to love them. Indeed, judging from the final credits scene, there are plans afoot for a third outing in the franchise. If Eguichi manages to maintain the intensity and fun of this sequel, then we’ll gladly welcome the Fable Cinematic Universe onto our screens.
2021 | Japan | DIR: Kan Eguchi | WRITER: Kan Eguchi, Masahiro Yamaura, Katsuhisa Minami (manga) | CAST: Junichi Okada, Fumino Kimura, Ken Yasuda, Shinichi Tsutsumi, Yurina Hirate, Masanobu Ando, Koichi Sato | DISTRIBUTOR: Shochiku (JPN), New York Asian Film Festival (US) | RUNNING TIME: 133 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 2 July 2019 (NYAFF)
