Synapse Films releases from their Cult Asian Cinema banner BATTLE GIRL: THE LIVING DEAD IN TOKYO BAY from cult director Kazuo 'Gaira' Komizo (ENTRAILS OF A VIRGIN and ENTRAILS OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN). Released in 1991 and now, for the first time in the US on DVD, we get here a strange, if not cheezy, zombie action flick that all zombie flicks seem to have in common: a virus that mutates its host into an undead species.

It opens with a meteor that is dead set for Earth, specifically Tokyo Bay that creates a shield in the area. The military comes in to quarantine the area letting no one in or out, as they discovered those that die are coming back to life as zombies. Enter Battle Girl (Cutie Suzuki, Japanese wrestling celebrity), who is given a mission to kill off all the zombies and, destory the Human Hunters Group, rescue those that are living and get the hell out of there! 

Battle Girl, whose civilian name is Ky-ko, sets on her mission by going to the military base headquarters. There she meets with Captain Masao Fujioka who helps her, but really wants to get her out of the picture. Battle Girl soon discovers, however, that there is an experimental drug called "cosmic-amphetamines" which is supposed to act like a super drug for millitary purposes. But its adverse effects are turning people who are unable to handle its power into mindless zombies, eating anything that is living. 

Ky-ko is looking for her father, the who learns has been missing for three days, the same amount of time since Captain Masao has been leading the quarantine. Meanwhile, she is out shooting everything up or kicking and punching. But who does she trust in this mission? Who really is alive and who is dead? Set in a land where crime is rampant and life is worthless, Battle Girl has to be in top form if she is to survive her own escape, let alone the number of people that are still living!

BATTLE GIRL has a stark 80's quality, despite being made in 1991, it comes complete with synthesized soundtrack (think Michael Mann). The acting and stunt fights are about as staged as can be, and the edits for many of the kill shots are glaring - assuming they wanted to pull it off. Which is where my difficulty lies with this film is that I had a hard time determining if this whole enterprise was tongue in cheek and spoofing itself, or is there a serious venture attempted? I can forgive some of the dated computerized imagery and even some of the low budget scenery and sets, but once the actual fights scenes happen, I feel out of the loop. Cutie Suzuki (who is a cutie, I might add), is super human. I am not sure if its because of the suit, or that she is military trained to do the tricks she does, like flipping over people, jumping a relative distance in a single bound or picking people up and throwing them across a room. Little information about the characters are given, which flattens many of the emotional scenes. The weaponry she has on her suit seems to add to her physical agility and has saved her in many instances. What is curious is that you find her doing some wrestling moves from time to time which I assume she coordinated herself. 

There is little dialogue and even less acting in this film. No one here is out to win an award of any kind, but presumably to have fun and put together a relatively entertaining film. While I felt the premise was highly anticipated, I was let down by its results. The style seemed too loose and careless for me, even to poke fun at, which is where I could not find myself laughing. Consider the part where one of the survivors (not sure what his name was), as he was being shot at by machine gun, dancing on top of the bus. Obviously this was not to be taken seriously, but it seemed the only part that was a slapstick comic moment, that I am confused of the films intent.

Synapse Films does a nice job with this films transfer which is presented in it's original full frame 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The special features include an interview with director Komizo. Subtitles are removable. If Japanese zombie flicks are your taste, then this is certainly a cant miss. Synapse also releases ENTRALS OF A VIRGIN and ENTRAILS OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN. These two are also included in Synapses boxed set ASIAN CULT CINEMA COLLECTION