Cutie Honey (2004)

Cutey Honey is a fun adaptation of the animated series into a live-action feature. There's not much depth here; characters are pretty simple and the acting is nothing special. Eriko Sato's main job is to look great, and she does. I'm not complaining here, I'm just forewarning any viewers who might be looking for something that takes itself seriously. Cutey Honey does not.Well, it doesn't take itself seriously until the ending. The final showdown between the creepy Sister Jill and Honey features a awkwardly-toned message about love. It's a fine message but compared to free-wheeling silliness of the rest of the film, it feels very slow and uncomfortable. After all, this is a few minutes after a villain sings to Cutey Honey before a battle.Despite the "downer" ending, I still had a lot of fun watching Cutey Honey, and I would recommend it to others who are willing to relax and enjoy it as well.

Saw Cutie Honey at the Leeds Film Festival on Saturday... not sure if James Maruyuma had been paying attention until the last half of the movie, because people breaking into song for no particular reason and "metaphysical" (actually psycho-sociological but nevermind) thoughts about love and opening your heart to people are there throughout. The film is 95% very very very silly, with a couple of curveball moments where things get a bit more serious, then right back into silliness and fluffiness again. The film is shot and edited in a very anime-esque way, with extensive use of CG to enhance the stylisation and "cartooniness" that's already quite abundant from the costumes and overacting. In fact, so much effort has been spent making the live action film feel like an animated film that one sometimes wonders why they didn't just animate it ;) The answer is, of course, the super-cuteness of Sato Eriko (though I was actually more partial to Ichikawa Mikako's super-repressed detective character, make of it what you will).Overall, very very camp and silly fun with a fluffy message about the power of love n' stuff. Not the stuff classics are made of, but worth seeing if the opportunity arises.

Cutie Honey is one of the most entertaining bad films that you are likely probably to see. It looks like its made for minors, yet has elements and philosophy that you just wouldn't get whilst watching Power Rangers. Think sexy, sassy and daft: watch this film with no expectations! Both Cutie Honey and Natty are, well like the films name suggests, exactly that. Interesting cameos from what looked like Sakichi Sato, Boba and Suzuki Matsuo. Huge product placement and some great short scenes involving a cat.Shake your head in disbelief, yet at the same time grin.*** (3 stars)

I have to go with the other posters. This was the most amazing and revolutionary action-adventure I have seen since "Road Warrior" way back when! Yes, maybe I sound like a nut after saying that, but the energy from the Fantasia Festival debut of this movie has convinced that I am not insane after all. "Cutie Honey" (the most unlikely action-film title I ever heard or could imagine) deserves to go down in film history as one of the greatest action-adventures of all time. For instance it's 10X better than the Lethal Weapon series, and Quentin Tarantino only wishes he had the talent to create a film like this (rather than steal it).Then again, since "Hollywood" denigrates films like this? I am not sure what its fate will be. But if it got a US release it could revolutionize the US film industry like nothing people have seen. In the meantime I only hope anyone reading this has a chance to see this amazing film.It's that F'N good.,