God, what an utter wonder. So brisk, and yet the characters are so well drawn. Every frame is infused with character. It’s the best kind of fairy tale, infused with humanity and reality at its heart, not sugarcoating the way things are but not hiding the best of what it can be either. It made me laugh, it made me aww happily, and it made me happy cry twice over. This is a Christmas standard in my book.
This movie is amazing in almost every way. It takes one of the most depressing sounding premises imaginable - 3 homeless people find a baby in a dumpster around Christmas - and makes it ridiculously funny, touching, and just damn good. One of my forever favs.
One of the best Christmas movies of all time? It certainly has to be in the conversation if we’re ignoring non-traditional picks like Die Hard. The very well defined & unusual characters combined with the emotional story make this an absolute winner. It might seem like a formulaic plot at the beginning, but this film is an unpredictable rollercoaster once it gets going. The sound and visuals perfectly capture the vibe for what’s needed here, it’s heartwarming without overdosing on sugar. This tone is pulled off little less successfully with the writing as the heavy, sad moments don’t mix all that well with the broad comedic style. The theme of coincidence that the film’s dealing with also leads to some plot developments that can feel forced or contrived. Still, I expect this one to attain the status of a Christmas classic as more and more people discover it. Most of the elements really work here and it’s quite accessible compared to Kon’s more conceptual work (Paprika, Perfect Blue).
7.5/10
A heartwarming Christmas movie. Almost impossible not to love these 3 wacky and witty homeless characters who are wrapped in a crazy story. What a ride. And don't forget, folks... Eventually it's all about miracles. No matter if they are smaller or bigger.
Satoshi Kon... I can't even describe how much I love you. You don't only make amazing bizarre movies, but also perfect comedies.
This movie is everything that you need: an unique and excelent argument, really good characters, comedy that works perfectly and knows where to act and where to hide, some amazing shots and animation...
The film shows the dark side of Tokyo, the most degrading side, where everyone knows it exists but no one makes any effort to change that.
With a light and comical story, but at the same time hard for the message it wants to convey, Tokyo Godfathers tells us about how difficult the life of the lowest social stratum is, that is the homeless.
I'm not a fan of Christmas fairy tales, the magic that happens on this day and the incredible coincidences; in fact, the miracle present in the finale left me a little bitter in the mouth. However, it remains a beautiful film, a denunciation of Japanese society and that shows the West that Japan is not as perfect as we think.
7.5/10
Tragic, charming and empowering. Tokyo Godfathers is about poverty, human resilience, coincidences and most of all; family—what is true family? So much Christmas spirit, this is without a doubt one of the best Christmas movies i've seen.
A great story with steady pacing. It's a very slow movie though. The characters are it's biggest strength, they're so interesting and multidimensional. Getting to know each one of them and their internal conflicts and how they hold each other as a family was a blast. Equally heartwarming and heartbreaking. They all got proper, satisfying story arcs. The score fits perfectly. Beautiful animation. The comedy isn't that funny (not for me maybe?) but I was definitely smiling and chuckled a few times. Great third act.
I could see myself rewatching this every couple of years around Christmas. Satoshi Kon keeps surprising me, this was so different from Perfect Blue, more traditional but equally interesting.
The original title of the film is Tôkyô goddofâzâzu.
Dumpster diving on Christmas eve, a trio of homeless chums discover an abandoned infant and set out to find its parents. Not just to scold them for being so callous, but to also learn what could possibly motivate someone to do such a thing. En route, they discover a thing or two about one another - mismatched, adopted family as they are - and realize a certain degree of peace within themselves.
Satoshi Kon’s most popularly accessible film, Tokyo Godfathers straightens the narrative in comparison to his other, trippier efforts. Which isn’t to say it’s overly simplistic or less stylized. It merely adds its wrinkles in different, subtler ways. Stretched truths and unreliable narrators take the place of Paprika’s dream sequences or Perfect Blue’s surreal fantasies. Less challenging, perhaps, but also more pragmatic than the loftier, artier films in his too-brief portfolio. It’s different, but it’s still clearly a Kon, with its knack for small details, effective emotional punches and understated sense of humor.
Sweet, funny and grounded, Tokyo Godfathers constantly flashes a dry wit and, although it often tugs at the heart strings, things never get overly soft or weepy. The three leads are diverse and interesting, each with an onion skin of personal history to explore, and their hunt for answers amidst the overpopulation of a major world metropolis constantly jolts out in surprising new directions. Beautifully written, drawn and animated, it’s often unfairly overlooked.
Shout by dunpealhunterVIP OG 14BlockedParent2011-02-09T16:16:08Z
This is a great movie. And since the movies about homeless people can be counted on one hand a unique one on top of that.