4.0 out of 5 stars Honey Flash!
Cutie Honey does not get naked. That might not seem very relevant, but if you are familiar at all with the original Go Nagai “Cutie Honey” series, then you know that Cutie Honey is all about getting naked, and with gravia idol Eriko Sato playing the title role, a woman who has shown time and time again that she has no problem getting naked, it is even more surprising. During her famous “Honey Flash” sequence, it shifts to a CG animated figure, and even that doesn’t get naked. Now, with that out of the way, we can talk about the movie.
This is definitely not going to be a film for everyone, but it is a lot of fun. “Cutie Honey” really is just a big cartoon, featuring live people. There is no attempt whatsoever to make it modern or gutsy. Director Hideaki Anno, best know for his phenomenal anime series “Neon Genisis Evangelion”, has decided to through all of his angst out the window and go straight for the pinkest vision of cuteness that he can possibly muster.
Eriko Sato works her way through an impossible number of cute costumes, or just runs around in her underwear, all the while being light and naively unaware of her own attributes. Her Cutie Honey suit isn’t the famous original, but it is even more pink and works well. The villains are over the top, at about the same level as a Sentai Power Rangers show. The acting is just good enough to make sure everyone is having a good time, and the fight scenes are a blast. Both remind me a lot of Kabuki theater, where everything is completely exaggerated beyond any believability, and that works in the context. Sure, there is some plot stitched here and there, to give the whole thing a a start and a finish, but it isn’t really all that important. Superstar Koda Kumi powers her way through the catchy Cutie Honey theme song, and I dare you not to catch yourself humming along even if you can’t understand the Japanese.
If all this sounds like a blast to you, then you are going to love “Cutie Honey”. Shut off your brain and allow the pink to wash over you. However, if you demand even the slightest bit of sense out of a film, then you are probably going to hate it. Its up to you.
Japan Reviewed - Manga, samurai, cooking and more 