Fantastic Fest 2009: ‘Robo-Geisha’ Review

Tonight I had the pleasure of being in the first audience in the world to see the new Japanese classic Robo Geisha, and I loved every second of it.

Robo Geisha is the story of dueling assassin geisha sisters, working for a large corporation that’s dedicated to wiping out Japan to create a new world order. One of their evil plots is to kidnap local women and brain wash them into being assassin geisha. The idea of the assassin geisha isn’t new but it’s execution here is what makes it’s stand out.

This movie is a comedy from start to finish. The director and crew behind it are known for doing a kind of cheesy gross out humor that’s just over the top. This film is over, the top but no where near as gory as the director’s other films like The Machine Girl.

Instead of fountains of blood flying from combatants we get slapstick humor, insane ideas on what body parts can be weaponized, and buildings that bleed when smashed to pieces. Yes, there are buildings that bleed when they’re punched or kicked. It’s hilarious and doesn’t make a lick of sense.

Filled with anime and manga style cliches, the movie is self aware of how goofy it is, and that’s part of it’s charm. It was only made in 2 weeks and has a very insane frenetic pace as a result. The opening of the film is an action sequence that leads to a narrated flash back. But when you finish the film, the opening sequence could never have possibly happened, making it just that much more insane.

It’s only faults are that it’s not a pretty looking film. It’s effects are limited by it’s almost nonexistent budget, but that’s not the point. The movie is meant to look the way it does, adding to it’s charm.