Kikujiro poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Takeshi Kitano, Yusuke Sekiguchi, Kayoko Kishimoto, Yuko Daike, Kazuko Yoshiyuki ... see more see more... , Beat Kiyoshi , Great Gidayu , Rakkyo Ide , Nezumi Imamura , Fumie Hosokawa , Akaji Maro , Daigaku Sekine

After the success of Hana-Bi (1997), Takeshi Kitano, or 'Beat' Takeshi, as he is often called, made another film in which once again he is the director, screenwriter, editor, the leading player and th... read more read more...e talent behind the art work. Unlike many of his films about the violent lives of the yakuza, Kikujiro is a bittersweet road movie about two characters who have very little in common. Masao (Yusuke Sekiguchi) is a sensitive nine-year-old boy who has to spend his summer vacation alone with his grandmother. Soccer practice is suspended and all his friends are away at the beach. In his boredom, he decides to look for the mother he has never met; with only a photo, an address, and very little money, this does not seem like a good idea. A friend of his grandmother's volunteers to send her husband along. The problem is that the irresponsible, loudmouthed, and greedy Kikujiro (Kitano), a low-level yakuza, is hardly the ideal companion for a child. He does not even like children. Starting with the excursion to the cycle races, this mismatched couple goes through a fanciful journey full of oddball characters and pleasant surprises. The best surprise of all is to discover how much they have in common. By the end of the journey, sullen Masao gains the sense of magic that had been missing from his life. As for Kikujiro, he now has a better understanding of who he is and what has been wrong with his life, although it takes a child to make him realize this. Kitano has declared that his own father, who passed away when he was a little boy, was the inspiration for the character of Kikujiro. The man was a house painter, carpenter, and master of traditional Japanese dance, but also a gambler who let his family down on many occasions. Another Japanese director, Makoto Shinozaki of Okaeri fame, has made Jam Session, a feature-length documentary on the making of Kikujiro. In competition at the 52nd Cannes Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi

Flixster Users

91% liked it

8,869 ratings

Critics

59% liked it

49 critics

PG-13, 2 hr. 2 min.

Directed by: Takeshi Kitano, Kayoko Kishimoto, Yuko Daike, Yusuke Sekiguchi

Release Date: January 26, 2000

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: December 12, 2000

Stats: 718 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Kikujiro Kikujiro
Upload a Photo | View All Kikujiro Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (718)

  • rubystevens
    April 8, 2010
    rubystevens
    definitely the sweetest of kitano's films and a chance for him to show his comedic talents. it's not quite like most american films with similar themes. kitano plays off his gangster image as a loud mouth lowlife who still manages to intimidate people. the kid is a bit of a bl... read moreank slate with deadpan expression through most of the film. lots of quirky characters and odd situations with a minimum of sentimental mush, altho the music gets a little sappy at times. overall charming
  • garyX
    September 17, 2009
    garyX
    Bad tempered small-time criminal Takeshi Kitano is "volunteered" to take a young boy to meet the mother he has never known, and after blowing all their money at the track they resort to hitch-hiking meeting the inevitable mix of oddballs along the way. Anyone familiar with the fi... read morelms of Beat Takeshi will know of his formula of crime drama punctuated by comic snapshots of "gangsters at play", but here he ditches the whole gangster element leaving a warm if slightly aimless character study cum road movie. There is little in the way of narrative or drama, the story instead concentrating on the relationship between the boy and Kitano's worst-role-model-ever of a father figure and their comic mishaps. It may be because I'm a little too hard-bitten and cynical, but for me this wasn't quite enough; there are laughs and some nice images, but when a film dispenses with narrative driven drama, an emotional connection must replace it, and I didn't really feel it. A pleasantly amusing tale, but it all felt a little slight and insubstantial to me.
  • SirPant
    September 4, 2009
    SirPant
    Kitano puts the violence to one side for a change and focuses on the good in all people. Kikujiro is beautiful 'Road movie' with all the typical kitano signatures (Games on the Beach etc) and humour. Towards the end you can't help but feel that maybe Beat hasn't been laid to rest... read more after all. A hilarious and touching comedy of the highest calibre.
  • arashxak
    April 17, 2009
    arashxak
    I always had high expectations for Kitano's movies but I never expected this one to be such a great movie, Truly refreshing
  • DragonEyeMorrison
    October 1, 2007
    DragonEyeMorrison
    A more gentle Kitano, with gentle standing for plenty of very dark gags towards the kid. In my case, i loved to see Kitano redoing the usual cliches in this type of movies with his ironic and ambigous touch. So, it goes without saying this might not click with everyone.
  • mvieaddict
    October 3, 2009
    mvieaddict
    Image and video hosting by TinyPic
    If you know Kitano;s previous movies, you will be surprised to see Kikujiro, because it shows a new face of him, because he is known ... read morefor his violent movies. In here there was no violence. He was sentimental, and much more gentle. But I guess he should have stick with his violent ones. I did not like it so much, it was a slow movie, of a man who helped a little boy to find the mother who abandoned him. The acting was good and the music was amazing, but that was all. There were some funny scenes also but I found it boring. There were certainly many better Japanese movies.
  • littlecharmer1959
    March 18, 2009
    littlecharmer1959
    What a wonderfully cute film!

    Straying away from his usual Yazuka films, Takeshi Kitano made this charming, Wizard of Oz insipired road movie, Kikujiro. It's a simple story of a young boy searching for his mother who ends up being accompanied by petty gangster, Kikujiro. The d... read moreuo may seem mismatched at first but the film beautifully follows them as their friendship grows. Through out the course of this road trip they meet eccentric characters and share many hilarious and touching moments.
    Kikujiro is probably not as well known as some of Kitano's other films, I for one only knew Kitano for his more violent films before I discovered this, but whether you are knew to Kitano like myself, or enjoy his other work it's definitely recommended.
  • angelwingz684
    March 29, 2009
    angelwingz684
    awesome movie---best scenes are when the kids is hanging out with kikujiro, baldy, fatty, and the other weird guy. So hilarious.
  • laurafreeit
    December 23, 2008
    laurafreeit
    It can seem weird to some because of the Japanese humor in it but it wasn't for me. It is an emotional movie and also funny at times. I love the soundtrack, it is this melody that once you have it in your head it stays there for weeks. Everyone must see it.
  • misterman99615
    July 9, 2008
    misterman99615
    It's such a cute and heartfelt film. Beat Takeshi holds onto his classic rude loudmouth character, but deep down shows his true good nature. Young Masao is such a cute kid and the two head off on a great adventure. It's a great movie about growing up and how even adults can fi... read morend fun by learning from children and their light hearted nature. It also shows the true compassion total strangers can have for each other and the best side of us all. It's much different from anything that Kitano has done before, but pure fun and very sweet. The movie has a great soundtrack and is just amazing. Well worth the watch and one of Kitano's best! Amazing and cute and stunning great movie for everyone!

View All Kikujiro Reviews

Critic Reviews

Kevin Courrier
March 22, 2002
Kevin Courrier, Globe and Mail

... the slapstick and sentiment make for a queasy mixture. Full Review

Patrick Z. McGavin
May 11, 2001
Patrick Z. McGavin, Hollywood Reporter

... a great deal of fun.

David Rooney
February 14, 2001
David Rooney, Variety

... its treacly mix of emotional manipulation and klutzy comedy will make it hard to digest for most audiences. Full Review

Kevin Thomas
February 14, 2001
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

The result is a heart-tugger made totally irresistible because of the combination of Kitano's wry, sly sense of humor and his rigorous detachment. Full Review

Bob Graham
January 1, 2000
Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle

The comic drama is refreshingly anti-sentimental but will break your heart anyway. Full Review

J. Hoberman
January 1, 2000
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

These gags work because Kitano has created an intrinsically funny character and because he has perfect timing and a terrific sense of construction. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
January 1, 2000
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

The film isn't just bad; it's a barely coherent, inert mess -- a heart-tugger for voidoids. Full Review

Robert Horton
January 1, 2000
Robert Horton, Film.com

Kikujiro is more on the nose, and that's probably why it doesn't entirely work.

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

You can't smile when you keep feeling sorry for the kid--who is not, after all, in on the joke. Full Review

Joe Baltake
January 1, 2000
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

... sappy, tedious and way overlong at 122 minutes. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Box of Moonlight
    Box of Moonlight (50%)
  • Ano natsu, ichiban shizukana umi (A Scene at the Sea)
    Ano natsu, ichiban shizukana umi (A Scene at ... (100%)
  • Life Is Beautiful (La Vita è bella)
    Life Is Beautiful (La Vita è bella) (0%)
  • Kamataki
    Kamataki (100%)

More Movies like Kikujiro

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Kikujiro : Watch Free on TV

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Kikujiro. Want to create one?

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Kikujiro Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Kikujiro to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?