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| WATERBOYS. Starring - Satoshi Sumabuki - Hiroshi Tamaki - Akihumi Miura - Kouen Kondou. Director - Shinobu Yaguchi. 2001. Another "five-men-and-a-sport" comedy, looks like it’s become a new formula. Director Shinobu Yaguchi does manage to come up with some hilarity in "Waterboys," but the story isn't what I would call brilliant. Five minutes into it and you know what is going to happen next. Suzuki (Satoshi Sumabuki) is a high school senior and the only member of the school's almost non-existent swimming team. Things change the day when the team receives a new coach - a woman (Kaori Manabe). Naturally, all the boys in the school join the team - and leave - when the coach shows them her only specialty is synchronized swimming. Suzuki stays, of course, together with four other boys. You can guess the rest. The reason why I like this film is not the humor. Most of the time, the film is not only unfunny, it is actually plagued by stupid cartoon-like acting, which I find quite common in Japanese comedies. I like this film because it is set in a small town, where you can travel from one place to another on two wheels. It reminds me of school, summer break, and taking a girl to Sea World on a date - things that we miss only when they are no longer within our grasp. You think I am being a bit too sentimental? Fuck you. The pool scenes, which are what this film’s supposed to be selling, aren’t particularly impressive. The so-called climax is so incoherent it feels more like a lazy compilation of separate gags. The prelude is funny, but not the finale, and there are a few obligatory scenes which I find annoying (say, Suzuki's last minute back-out). For a film like "Waterboys", I would expect an ending with more fun. 6******stars. © 2002 Geeky Marcus. NATURAL BORN VIEWERS. |
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