Mitamura is shy middle school student that grades out at the top of class. One day a unexplainable event happens, leading Mitamura to discover that she has psychic powers. Mitamura is not only able to move objects with her mind, she can also stop time itself and even see into the future. Soon after the discovery of her powers, a mysterious new student arrives at the school, possessing her own psychic abilities which threaten to change everything Mitamura knows and loves. Nobuhiko Obayashi's School in the Crosshairs is essentially his take on the Superhero sub-genre and it's as entertaining and insane as one could hope. The story of School in the Crosshairs unfolds in a very similar fashion to the modern origin story in superhero films. We have a shy and somewhat unappreciated character who discovers her special abilities. Then we have the character's realization that she is capable of doing much good for humanity followed by the inevitable final showdown between her and a powerful antagonist who puts no value on humanity. School in the Crosshairs is certainly a "child's film" by traditional standards but Obayashi's electric style is very prevalent from start to finish. Obayashi seem to utilize every cinematic technique to create a film that exudes energy, creating an epic story on what I would presume was a shoe-string budget. The film also showcases Obayashii's understanding of comedic timing with editing and transitions that maximize the comedic impact. When the main protagonist arrives, she uses her psychic abilities to steal the election and essentially create a dictatorship pver the school. This type of authoritative approach made me question whether the film is meant to be a social commentary but I'm honestly not familiar enough . Nobuhiko Obayashi's School in the Crosshairs is a rather conventional narrative, by his standards, but with Obayashi behind the camera he creates another truly unique experience. 8/10
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
|