Young Japanese men's obsession with tuning up their cars and racing in the wee hours of the night goes back to its peak back in the 80s and 90s and is well documented in their popular culture. I've been a long time fan of the anime Initial D and the Bayshore Route featured in Tetsuya Ikeda's films was also featured in manga like Wangan Midnight and video games like ShutokÅ Battle. So I was a touch curious to see what Tetsuya Ikeda's Highway Battle films were about; now for sale and rent at JapanFlix.com.
Highway Battle RXR- Koji, in his GT- R32, is known as the fastest driver on the Bayshore route. But after being challenged to a race with a new CBA-R35, he suffers a crushing defeat. Determined to win at their next meeting, he finds help in a number of allies who assist him in tuning up his car, and his driving skills. But will he ever be able to defeat what could be the world's fastest 35?Highway Battle RXR: Maximum Speed- Koji and his tuner, Furuya, set out to challenge Nishio to one more race - this time determined to level the playing field by fine-tuning their own 35. But the pressure intensifies as Furuya puts his career on the line to challenge a rival tuner, meanwhile Koji's relationship hangs by a thread. Can they drive off with the victory without losing everything in the process?
Both films are done on a shoestring; shot on video and featuring lots of shots of guys sitting in the driver's seat in front of a green screen. With lots of dashboard camerawork Ikeda almost misses the chance to show what racing on the Bayshore route looks like and for the most part he doesn't do it in the first film but scantly achieves it in the second.
Tetsuya Ikeda and his crew seem so unsure of what shot they've planned that every so often you catch their corrections mid shot. As if you could hear them say, "Baka! We weren't supposed to zoom there. Quick! Change it!" Ikeda and his DOP are obsessed with angles as well. Racing is more exciting at a 20 degree angle. Here we go; we're changing lanes, and spin the camera back the other way to another 20 degree angle. Perhaps it is because in this New Year I have been obsessed with going back to previous seasons of TOP GEAR- where they film cars so, so, SO well- that my idea of how cars should be caught on camera is at such a lofty level thus Ikeda just doesn't quite have it here.
When you're watching the first Highway Battle RXR film and you find yourself thinking that it is going on endlessly and will it ever get to the point you're not alone. In fact, take out a lot of the unnecessary filler and one slightly better movie can be made of the best elements of the two. The script also seems to forget what the point is. On the racing side, first Koji thinks that tuning up his 32 will help him beat this mysterious 35. Then he's told that he needs to drive with more heart. But, not until he is given a new 35 to drive. And also not until they tune his 35 to compete with the other one. Well? What is it? Drive with heart? Or drive a faster car? And then there is the obligatory relationship story between Koji and his girlfriend Hana. I've had an R35 show up at my shop once. It is a damn sexy car. If I had to choose between the car and the girl I'd say Koji was wasting his time.
Filming a car racing movie on a budget is like trying to trick out your shitbox Chevrolet Cavalier. Do whatever you want to it it is only going to end up being a louder shitbox Chevrolet Cavalier.