Now that Moon Child has been released in the States and, I dunno, probably some other places, NO ONE HAS LAME EXCUSES FOR NOT SEEING THIS MOVIE. But, you might wonder- what the hell is this movie about? Well, I could go into extreme detail about how it's about the friendship of two guys, the falling apart of other friendships, etc. etc., but watching the movie makes me bawl like a baby that fell on it's head, so I can't watch it to refresh my memory on exact events and the like. So, I decided: who -possibly- could be better at writing a review of this movie than those awesome journalists at various websites? EVERYONE NO ONE. And thus, Cool Like Plastic proudly presents: Moon Child - The Review(s) I'll let you decide which one is best :D
warning: some reviews (even the totally off ones) may contain some spoilers. It it strongly recommended that you -watch- the movie before reading these. It also helps you understand how funny some of these are.

Combining yakuza, science fiction, and vampire elements may sound like an outlandish recipe for campy excess in the United States, but former pinku eiga director Takahisa Zeze plays things remarkably straight in this truly unique effort from Japan. In the near future, a group of desolate citizens spend their days and nights in Mallepa, a large refugee community located in the "Asian Special Economic Zone." Though brothers Sho and Shinji survive on the streets with a little resourcefulness and the help of friend Toshi, an encounter with wounded vampire Kei forever changes the course of their lives. Soon after taking Kei back to their hideout so that the desperate vampire may recover, an angry gangster shows up to reclaim a stolen briefcase full of cash. Although Kei is quick to make dinner out of the angry gangster, his efforts to keep his trio of friends from harm is too little too late when the determined gangster fires a fatal bullet into Shinji. When Sho and Toshi plan to rip off a rival gang a decade later, Kei follows and the team soon meets up with similar-minded Chinese troublemaker Son (Wang Lee Hom) and his sister Yi-Che (Zeny Kwok). Soon stalked by the revenge-thirsting rival gang, the trio lose track of their bloodsucking friend in the ensuing melee. It's not long before Sho and Son have a falling out and end up in rival gangs, but can the re-emergence of condemned vampire Kei be enough to bring the two old friends back on the same side of the fence again? - Jason Buchanan

Gackt and Hyde are both talented men who are famous in the Japanese rock world, but their venture into the acting world had mixed results. Gackt's sometimes-hammy, sometimes-poignant acting is both jarring and strangely amusing (but out of place), while Hyde's steady angst at times comes dangerous close to being a little melodramatic. Violence, death, and painful seperation in this movie abound, giving a movie that starts out seeming like another cheesy action flick a great deal of emotional heaviness. There are some plot elements that are definitely surprising, and this movie really does -try- to address some deeper issues at times--such as attachment, burdens, relationships, mortality--but more often than not, this movie falls flat. Standing on its own merits and not on its stars', Moon Child is not exactly a brilliant film, but it is at the least decently entertaining, even if you do not like (or know of) Gackt or Hyde.

Moon Child. Starring: Alex Hyde and His Original New York Jazz, Gackt, Wang Lee Hom, Taro Yamamoto, Susumu Terajima

HYDE! You little rascal. I didn't know your name was Alex! And you have your own, oh no, ORIGINAL NEW YORK JAZZ BAND. STOP THAT AND GET BACK TO L'ARC~EN~CEIL. YOU DORK. HERE IS PROOF THAT I AM NOT LYING.

In the year 2014, Japan has collapsed economically and thus its people emigrated in large numbers and settled in other parts of the world. In a corner in Asia, there is a little street called Mallepa, a big melting pot where Asians such as Hongkongers, Taiwanese and Japanese live together. It was a place where people fought for order, food and freedom. It was there where Shou (Gackt), raised as an orphan and Kei (Hyde), who could live forever, met and became the best of friends. However, they were unable to escape from the fight for power involving gangs of different ethnicity on the street of Malepa...

I serious am disappointed by the scenario; I start has to see a fantastic film of vampire which moves much and all d'un blow Ca becomes a mafieuse intrigue which is useful has anything; Ca has break-in completely the rate/rhythm and j'avoue that both tete of bo kids are quickly made more really has their place. As much they ensures in the scenes d'action, as much their service are not worth large thing in the dramatic scenes. However, visually the film ensures and l'ambiance musicalle is really very good; I must say that Gackt gere a max. In addition I find qu'a l'image, Hyde has more charisma and passes much better has l'ecran; undoubtedly because its style is relatively sober and its play much better than its accolyte. In short, a very beautiful film with the scenario well nase, but saves by the presence of Hyde.

I am seriously disappointed by the plot: I started out watching a fantastic film of a vampire. It changed a lot and suddenly became a mafia intrigue that does nothing for it; it totally broke the rhythm and I confess that the prides of the two handsome kids were quickly put in their places. As well as they carried out the action scenes, their presentation wasn't great in dramatic scenes. However, visually the film works and the musical ambiance is really very good; I should say that Gackt managed very well. In addition, I found that as for image, Hyde has more charisma and looks better on the screen; without doubt because his style is relatively serious and his role better than that of his accolyte. In short, a very beautiful film with an exhausted plot but saved by the presence of Hyde.

Story: In the year 2014 an economic crash in Japan sent much of its population immigrating westward in search of greener pastures. In the back alleys of an undisclosed part of Asia lies the city of Mallepa. This cultural melting pot has become the home of many a lost soul in search of a place to call their own. It is here where a group of young street children come to meet a mysterious man that will change their lives forever. Through the following years friendships are formed and hardships endured as the surrogate family learns firsthand how the passing of time and the struggle for power can destroy the innocence of youth and the ties of friendship.
Review: At the heart of Moon Child, we have a timeless tale of friendships lost and found. From brighter moments and thriving kinships, to an unraveling alliance and heartless fallouts, the relationships formed between the characters in Moon Child are truly the life force behind the story at hand. We have, at our core, the bond between Sho and Kei (Gackt & Hyde, respectively). The best of friends, yet a junior/senior relationship exist who’s deeper nuances fuel the emptiness and desires between the two. In a somewhat weaker aspect of the narrative we find established that Kei is damned to walk the earth forever in the form of a Vampire. This endless suffering, and the knowledge that all those around him will eventually die before his very eyes, is the driving force behind the actions and responses of this character. At times, Hyde’s performance as the weary vamp is played to an appropriate t, but several occasions throughout we find a somewhat fledgling exhibition rearing its awkward head. All in all though, the portrayal is fairly commendable considering the casting of the musician in this, his first thespian endeavor.
While on the subject of rockers turned actors, perhaps the more categorically apt creature of the night should have been the former gothic front man turned pop-rock crooner, Gackt Camui. Instead we find him in the role of the little engine who only wanted to be loved. Striving to be like his mentor/best friend Kei, we find Sho clinging to the love he has grown so accustomed to during his many years with the loveable bloodsucker. Throughout the course of the film we actually find the character of Sho experiencing the most overall growth. We follow him through his early youth as a small child pulling scams on the local triads, to his budding days of adulthood, still pulling scams on the triads (albeit of a more violent nature), and ultimately his position as one of the more powerful yakuza in the area. Gackt’s performance is a bit overdramatic at times, but overall extremely charming and effective. For the viewers out there who may already be fans of Gackt, we are shown a lighter side that is seldom revealed through his typically quiet, brooding demeanor. Fear not though, we are still graced with the signature 'cool' that we all know and love. The chance to see Gackt smile from ear to ear as well as contribute to the films over the top gunplay is a priceless treat for any true fan.
The conflict between characters in this film is in part due to the difficulty in coping with Kei’s secret as well as the opposing threat of the triads. In the fictional town of Mallepa it is every man for himself, and the folly of stepping on a rival’s toes is not something to underestimate. A rather weak attempt at sub plot comes into play here in the form of nationalism between the Chinese born Triads and the Japanese born Yakuza. This was hardly entertained though, and it ends up coming across as something that was ill prepared and not very well thought out. Many aspects of the plot actually suffer from this ailment with a lack of flowing continuity, and we end up with a story that comes across as being a bit unbalanced. So much time is devoted at the start of the picture to establishing characters and their relationships that when the struggle for power ensues during the second half, the story ends up suffering from a sense of poor transition.
Overall, Moon Child is a very entertaining, character driven picture about the necessity of friendship. Fans of the film’s stars should absolutely not miss out on seeing their favorite icons perform in an alternate medium. Not quite perfect by any means, but still possessing enough interesting and entertaining elements to satisfy most movie goers. Action, comedy, drama, vampires, guns, Japanese rock stars in leather pants, and Susumu Terajima getting high as a kite and hallucinating gold fish, what more could you ask for?