Dead or Alive 2: Birds

2000 1h 37m JA

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 109

CrimeDramaComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Two contract killers cross paths in the middle of the same job and realize they are childhood friends. Together they take a break from killing and visit the small island they once called home. After reflecting on their past lives they decided to team up and use their talents in killing for good... much to the upset of the crime syndicates.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Show Aikawa
Mizuki Okamoto
Riki Takeuchi
Shuuichi Sawada
Noriko Aota
Kôhei's wife
Edison Chen
Boo
Kenichi Endo
Kôhei
Hiroko Isayama
Woman in black hat
Masato
Hoo
Yūichi Minato
Head of Orphanage

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Takashi Miike
Writers: Masaru Nakamura
Languages: Mandarin, Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

26 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Mandarin, Japanese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Dead or Alive Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Takashi Miike, shot by Kazushige Tanaka. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Chu Ishikawa. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Yasushi Shimamura shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Show Aikawa and Riki Takeuchi and Noriko Aota carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Takashi Miike directs. Kazushige Tanaka behind the camera. Chu Ishikawa scores. Yasushi Shimamura cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Mandarin, Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

126 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Mandarin, Japanese.
3Part of the "Dead or Alive Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Takashi Miike, shot by Kazushige Tanaka. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Chu Ishikawa. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Yasushi Shimamura shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Show Aikawa and Riki Takeuchi and Noriko Aota carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0285005 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 13 themes, including "japan", "rape", "gangster", "yakuza".