Nipple-targeting seagulls. Old men rapping in a bathhouse. Drugs smuggled as Italian pasta. Welcome back to The Mole Song’s world. The third and final part of this series of manga adaptations, by IFFR regular Miike Takashi, is once again loaded with delicious madness.
Following Undercover Agent Reiji (IFFR 2014) and Hong Kong Capriccio (IFFR 2017), this time the enemy are Italian mafia smuggling their ‘speed-a-roni’ into Yokohama’s port. Yakuza boss Papilon, fearing for his business, wants to stop them from entering, and so do the Japanese cops: Reiji works for both as an undercover agent. All these complications this give cult director Miike a playground for crazed subplots.
At times fooling us into thinking it’s an ordinary action thriller, The Mole Song: Final is a cocktail that smashes together slapstick comedy, farcical fantasy and puppet animation, with Reiji – played again by the energetic and engaging Ikuta Toma - always at the centre of the tornado that just keeps on spinning.