DVD Synopsis: Based on the best-selling graphic novels, K-20: The Legend Of The Black Mask is a big-budget swashbuckling action epic combining elements of Zorro, Robin Hood, and Batman and starring Takeshi Kaneshiro (Red Cliff, Warlords) one of the hottest actors in Asia right now. It's 1949 and World War II never happened. Nikola Tesla has just won a Nobel Prize rather than dying in obscurity and the Japanese Empire is an undying aristocracy where the rich sip tea out of bone china, while the poor die in the gutters. K-20, the Fiend with Twenty Faces, steals from the rich and gives to himself. But now, on the eve of the marriage between society princess, Yoko Hashiba, and chief of police, Kogoro Akechi, the friend frames simple circus acrobat Heikichi Endo (Takeshi Kaneshiro) for his crimes. Under arrest and sentenced to death, Endo must escape his captors and clear his good name before 'The Fiend With Twenty Faces' can unleash his evil plan to destroy the entire nation! (137 Mins)

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Views: The year is 1949. World War 2 never happened and Nikola Tesla is alive and well, having just won a Nobel Prize for his work on wireless energy transmissions. Set in an alternate world, the story of K-20 is set in Teito, the capital of Japan. There's a strong divide between rich and poor, where orphans roam the streets looking for their next meal and rich are backed by an Imperial aristocracy who rule with fear and a strong hand. As life goes on in this post-Dickens steampunk world, one man gives the wealthy something to fear as he steals their riches and vanishes into the night. That man is K-20, the fiend with 20 faces! Unlike Robin Hood, K-20 keeps what he steals for himself – therein losing the love of most of Teito's population, although it doesn't exactly phase him. Elsewhere, circus acrobat Heikichi Endo has been hired by a stranger to take photos of an aristocrat's wedding. Sneaking onto the glass dome of the location, Heikichi takes his first snap which, unbeknownst to him, triggers a bomb in the same building. Caught by some guards and inspector Akechi, Heikichi soon finds out that he had been set up by K-20 to take the fall for him – allowing the masked fiend to get on with his work. Beaten and imprisoned with no hope of freedom, Heikichi starts planning his escape in a bid to clear his name and stop the real K-20 which, in turn, leads to him saving the world in an action-packed finale that reveals a shocking twist!

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There's something a bit magical about K-20, and I mean in the classic movie sense. Imagine Batman or V For Vendetta told in a much more classical fashion, minus the Hollywood noise and cliches you would normally expect. Instead, K-20 delivers a gorgeously shot superhero drama based on the popular Japanese manga of the same name (dating back to the 1930s), with high production values, wonderful set-pieces, fantastic SFX, and plenty of amazing action. While WW2 has not happened, the general vibe and look of this new Tokyo scream a war-torn country, with plenty of nods to it being controlled by a government much like that of Hitler's army. The handsome Takeshi Kaneshiro was the perfect choice to play circus acrobat, Heikichi Endo, who charms his way through the film as the real hero of the piece. Although doubled for a number of his trickier moments, Kaneshiro gets to show off some impressive moves that would make any fan of parkour jealous as he trains himself to master the art of free running and thievery, armed only with a small grappling hook that adds a hint of Spiderman to his actions. In fact, it would be K-20 himself that offers more of a Batman quality to the film, gliding around in the dark and adept at hand-to-hand combat, and often whipping his cape about for effect.

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K-20: The Legend Of The Black Mask also benefits from a great supporting cast, such as Takako Matsu – from films like The Hidden Blade, and Confessions – who plays the damsel in distress, Yoko. Popular actor Toru Nakamura stars as Inspector Akechi, K-20's arch-nemesis, and well-respected aristocrat. I first saw Toru in the fun Gen-X Cops, and soon after in the equally entertaining Tokyo Raiders from Jingle Ma. The super cute Kanata Hongo plays Yoshio Kobayashi, the Inspectors ward and busy assistant. I've always enjoyed watching Kanata, with performances in films such as The Prince Of Tennis, Gantz, Attack On Titan 1 & 2, and the 2002 sci-fi flick The Returner - his first role where he actually played a younger version of Kaneshiro's character. The wonderful Jun Kunimura plays Genji, a mentor, and sidekick to Takeshi's wanna-be hero. Having started in the film industry in the early 70s, Jun has starred in almost 200 productions and gained many fans around the world for his role as Boss Tanaka in Kill Bill 1 & 2 as well as his roles in The Wailing, Ichi The Killer, Audition, Godzilla: Final Wars, Shin Godzilla, and Attack On Titan 1 & 2 that would see him work alongside Kanata Hongo once again. Takeshi Kaga plays the masked fiend and villain of the piece, K-20. While he hasn't been as busy as Jun Kunimura, Kaga has been in the business for the same length of time appearing in film and television dramas such as Ultraman, Sonny Chiba's G.I. Samurai remake, Samurai Commando Mission 1549, Death Note: The Last Name, and Blazing Transfer Students...

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It was a pleasant surprise to find that K-20: The Legend Of The Black Mask was directed by a woman - namely Shimako Sato, wife of popular feature director Takashi Yamazaki, the man behind hits like The Returner, Heat Guy J, Parasyte 1 & 2, and Space Battleship Yamato – of which Shimako was the writer. It was also a surprise to find out that Shimako's directorial debut was Tale Of A Vampire back in 1992, starring Julian Sands and Suzanna Hamilton. While she seems to have directed a mix of genres during her career, I'd say that K-20 was definitely a change of pace for her and most likely her biggest film to date. And while it's fantastically made and proved to be a hit upon release, it seems that Shimako Sato took a break from directing after making only 3 features after this. No chance for a K-20 sequel anytime soon I guess?! With great comic book visuals and welcoming CGI, the film is also backed by a magnificent score courtesy of Naoki Sato, a Japanese composer who has worked on many projects with the duo and much more including the scores for Eureka Seven, The Last Princess, Rurouni Kenshin, and Assassination Classroom. For K-20, Naoki delivers a score akin to that of the most classic Hollywood soundtrack, from exciting swashbuckling tracks to emotional and sentimental works that help make the music a big part of this exciting movie.

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All in all, I'd actually forgotten just how wonderful K-20: The Legend Of The Black Mask actually was. It's been quite a few years since I last watched it, but to be honest, I'll not be letting it wait that long before the next time. It's a wonderful adventure film that never seems to bore me, and it's quite possibly one of my favourite Takeshi Kaneshiro movies to date!

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Overall: An exciting and action-packed swashbuckling superhero epic, K-20 is well worth the watch and a lot of fun!

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DVD Extras: Making Of Documentary