2 June 2015. There is a splash of good cinematography and camera work in this sci fi martial arts action movie. And except for a tacked-on scene at the end of the credits which seems to be incongruously disruptive of the end, most of this movie has great action, a decent but convoluted plot, and incorporates the emotional depth of the Japanese notion of sacrifice, suffering, and loss. There are definitely elements from Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003),Terminator (1984),Le Femme Nikita (1990),and Elektra (2005) with the movie's action scenes. Additionally there is the energizing physicality of the music that enhances the action like Bourne Identity (2002).
4.5Keywords: dystopiazombiebased on mangacyborghuman trafficking
Plot summary
In 20xx, the world is divided into two powers: the Western Block and the Eastern Block. Serving as a border zone between the two is "J-Country." As such, it is used as a battleground for the two sides in their never-ending conflict. Mylene, an undercover agent from the western block, has been hiding out in J-Country. While investigating human trafficking, she meets a young man named Chris. Mylene finds herself attracted to Chris and after completing her mission and returning to headquarters she is unable to keep him out of her mind. "Recover Dr. Klein and see to her protection!" is the newest mission assigned to Mylene from the 00 agency. Abducted by the Eastern Block, Dr. Klein was in charge of the Faust Project and the technology that made Mylene into a cyborg. During the briefing for the mission she puzzles over a name that sparks memories buried within her cyborg mind. "Recover Dr. Klein and see to her protection!" is the newest mission assigned to Mylene from the 00 agency.Abducted by the Eastern Block, Dr. Klein was in charge of the Faust Project and the technology that made Mylene into a cyborg. During the briefing for the mission she puzzles over a name that sparks memories buried within her cyborg mind. Breaking into the laboratory where the doctor is being held, Mylene is surprised to find Chris being used as an experimental guinea pig. Distracted, she is unable to complete her mission and agents of the east take Dr. Klein away. Failing in her mission, Mylene has her license revoked by the agency. Spurred by the increasing flashes of memories locked away within her, she sets out on a mission of her own: to take back her memories and learn who she really is.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 774.15 MB
1280*682
Japanese 2.0
NR
Movie Reviews
Reviewed by
A Decent Sci Fi Action Martial Arts Film
Reviewed by
Entertaining action-drama
It is some time in the future and a new world order has emerged, pitting the Western Block against the Eastern Block. J-Country is the border between the two powers. Mylene Hoffman is an undercover agent for the Western Block. She is also a cyborg, 009-1. She is good at her job, eliminating many of the West's enemies. However, while under her protection, her creator, Dr Klein, is kidnapped. Her employer blames 009-1 and suspends her. She doesn't take this well...
Reasonably entertaining sci fi action-drama. Pretty basic storyline, though with enough twists and turns to keep you interested.
Main focus, of course, is on the action scenes, and they come thick and fast. I'm generally not into action movies - they tend to be very formulaic and their action scenes unoriginal - but this seemed different and kept me interested.
One reason my concentration was maintained was due to Mayuko Iwasa starring as 009-1. She is great on the eyes and definitely makes the movie more watchable than it otherwise would have been.
Reviewed by
The monster inside.
Sometimes the idea is better then the execution. While slickly presented, the overdone plotting within a very small time frame makes it feel like a disconnected mess. That's the issue regarding the shot-on-video adaptation of 1970s spy manga "009-1: The End of the Beginning".
A beautiful, but deadly cyborg spy 009-1 tries to rescue the doctor who made her a cyborg, but on this mission she begins to discover things of her past.
It doesn't waste any time on filler, but it just feels shallow trying to squeeze a lot in. Therefore the development and emotional context loses out. Contrived story-telling involving twists and turns alongside jaded flashbacks don't have the impact as they should. Maybe this is due to the low-end budget, but certain things felt lazy and half- baked. Just like the computer effects.
Now where it didn't lose focus, was the action. This remains non- stop and bloody, as it showers the screen with fireworks. They really do punch away, other times it's over-the-top and there's some bite. But the use of special effects in those scenes do become tiring, as well long-winded. Still there are some surprises, despite the run-of-the-mill set-up. You could say it does get hot and bothered, just look at those sexy outfits and the sensual teasing. Strangely enough, it's part of the story.
The cast don't have too much to work with material-wise, but psychically it's a different story. Performances are stereotypical all round, but the stunning Mayuko Iwasa fits right at home as 009- 1. She brings the right temperament to her character, as her humane compassion starts to break away that ice-cold killing machine instinct.