Film Review: Red Room 2 (New Red Room: The Broken Dolls ) (2000) – CAT III

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SYNOPSIS:

Daisuke Yamanouchi directs this shocking film that depicts a card game in which the winners dole out increasingly violent and perverse punishments to the losers. Just how creatively cruel can the winners get? And how much abuse will the losers take before they quit the twisted game? Miyuki Katô, Salmon Sakeyama, Yuka Takahashi, Yuuken Yoshida and Yukio Kokago star.

REVIEW:

Well if you’ve read my review on Red Room you already know the premise of Red Room 2. This film starts almost identically the same. Though this time we have a fresh round of 4 players. The first 5 minutes of the film is set up to shock you with a cold opening into one of the debauchery scenes before jumping into the story and game play. To warn you beforehand… an Asian man pleasures himself while a girl sits on the floor in front of himself sucking on a light bulb before getting a healthy spluge wash in the face….good stuff, eh?

The story is setup like the previous movie. 4 contestants with a need for the money go head to head for 10 million yen. Though as 1 of the original scheduled players is replaced due to a technicality, the stake is raised to 20 million yen as a consolation The new player is a 3 time winner of previous game rounds. Filmed in typical video recorder style it brings that extra sense of realism to the scenes, which are cut away to security camera shots here and there to keep the idea of the overseers in with us at all times. The 4 players are of course complete polar opposites. We have a female religious nut , a thug, a depressant and a 3 time winner hard nosed emotionless she-bitch.

The game is played with each person trying to the dupe the other on an extreme challenge to get them to forfeit, quit or die. The sequel though tends to rely more of sexual deviations than pain tortures with rapes, do what you want for 5 minutes rounds, and a nice bowl of “eat my puke”. The proprietors of the game stay hidden as usual only offering a cash reward to the finalist to let the game run it’s course. Beyond that, they really are not involved besides being a big brother eye on the proceedings. They of course make the “here’s your winnings” entrance at the end.

The thrill of the film lies in the anticipation of what’s next even though the tasks are pretty brutal at times.

Now to differentiate, this film from RR 1, it takes a few new turns with incorporate sci-fi and even a dramatic love interest scene. I Know, it sounds odd…but these films are exactly that ..odd. You don’t really see it coming even though its hinted along the way.

We also seem to get a bit more back story on some of the players than last time, which brings that extra level of drama to this cruel and unusual punishments type film. I don’t think the drama makes it any less impact. In fact a few scenes will turn off a major of viewers alone with a quick eject and scornful look at the owner of the DVD. With all this crazy shift going on I still stuck with it scene to scene to get to the end. I suppose there’s that portion of us, that can’t look away that feels the need to ride it to the finisih. Is this a great film? No, though I think it will make it way through circles and cult followers libraries just for its hardcore nature alone. It’s Japanese sick horror at its best and worst all in one pack. If you really dig this kind of stuff, I suggest the Red Room 2 pack.

Even with its similarities, it still goes the distance on both films to ultimate cruelty and disgust. It a series that I could see having a long life with sequels as long as the creators keep being inventive and keep shelling out the horrific alternatives. The fun here is in the extreme lunacy of the situation. Perhaps in a certain future with our need to see more and more reality extremes on TV this may be not so far removed from reality. I think Schwarzenegger in the “Running Man” may not be as far removed as we thought if things continue its course.

Red Room 2 (New Red Room: The Broken Dolls ) (2000) – CAT III