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Maggi64
New Jersey, USA
A Punk Rock Band Saves the World!
"Fish Story" is about a punk rock band who unwittingly wrote a song that would save the world decades after they split up -- and split up because that very song, and the album on which it appeared, were utter flops. Hence, it's not merely a movie about a punk rock band who saved the world, but a FAILED punk rock band who saved the world! And the movie is just as clever, witty, and fun as that premise would lead you to expect. Hell, there's a reason this movie lands on so many different critics' lists for, "The 100 Best Japanese Movies of All Time." The reason is that it is perfection.
Consider the opening scene, which depicts a meteor on its way to destroy the earth in a couple of hours. Corporate buildings are deserted; cars abandoned in the middle of the street; and litter strewn everywhere in the wake of a public panic. It's an apocalyptic scene of the sort we got in Stephen King's horror-fantasy, "The Stand." Only we quickly learn that unlike "The Stand," this apocalyptic plot is comedic.
Because there, in a vintage record store, two dudes are blithely unconcerned with the comet hurtling toward planet earth preferring, instead, to discuss why a particular band qualifies as authentic punk rock. It's funny as hell because it evokes how society ridicules certain communities with the aphorism: "Those people think such-and-such is more important than the end of the world!" Well, music nerds truly do think a precise distinction between "rock" and "punk rock" is more important than the end of the world. And so it is that with this we have a perfect opening scene that aptly sets the tone for what continues to be a perfect movie every second of its duration.
Now, one must be patient, because it's one of those movies wherein multiple narrative threads with multiple sets of characters from different eras are being woven together as we go; and you won't recognize just how intricately they'd been woven until the very end. But you'll have fun with the characters and the dialogue even when you don't know how the hell these various narrative threads can possibly come together. Then, man-oh-man, when they do come together you'll find it was well worth the wait. Indeed, it was spectacular!
Consider the opening scene, which depicts a meteor on its way to destroy the earth in a couple of hours. Corporate buildings are deserted; cars abandoned in the middle of the street; and litter strewn everywhere in the wake of a public panic. It's an apocalyptic scene of the sort we got in Stephen King's horror-fantasy, "The Stand." Only we quickly learn that unlike "The Stand," this apocalyptic plot is comedic.
Because there, in a vintage record store, two dudes are blithely unconcerned with the comet hurtling toward planet earth preferring, instead, to discuss why a particular band qualifies as authentic punk rock. It's funny as hell because it evokes how society ridicules certain communities with the aphorism: "Those people think such-and-such is more important than the end of the world!" Well, music nerds truly do think a precise distinction between "rock" and "punk rock" is more important than the end of the world. And so it is that with this we have a perfect opening scene that aptly sets the tone for what continues to be a perfect movie every second of its duration.
Now, one must be patient, because it's one of those movies wherein multiple narrative threads with multiple sets of characters from different eras are being woven together as we go; and you won't recognize just how intricately they'd been woven until the very end. But you'll have fun with the characters and the dialogue even when you don't know how the hell these various narrative threads can possibly come together. Then, man-oh-man, when they do come together you'll find it was well worth the wait. Indeed, it was spectacular!
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