San Diego Asian Film Festival 2008

A television camera crew follows around middle-aged loser Dai Sato (Hitoshi Matsumoto) as he goes through his daily routine. The details of his life appear far too mundane to be the subject of even the worst reality television, until he receives a call from the “Department of Baddie Prevention”. It is then that Dai Sato springs into action by heading over to a power station to receive the electrocution treatments that transform him into Dainipponjin (Big Man Japan), a 500-foot tall superhero. As Dainipponjin, Dai Sato protects the people of Japan by battling against a vast array of bizarre giant monsters, including an eyeball monster and the ever repulsive Stink Monster.

However, life as a crime-fighting television celebrity is not exactly the glamorous life for Dainipponjin. As a sixth-generation superhero, Dainipponjin is faced with modern day problems that none of his predecessors could have ever dreamt of. When he is not arguing with his manager over the usage of his body as a advertising billboard or getting berated by environmentally-minded protestors, he must face the realities of declining television ratings. And things get even worse for him when a demonic beast from North Korea shows up to terrorize Japan.

By parodying everything from classic Japanese kaiju television shows such as Ultraman to the world of pro wrestling, this side-splittingly hilarious mockumentary does more to deconstruct the superhero myth than any other recent film. Featuring a brilliantly deadpan comedic performance by Matsumoto, Japan’s most popular comedian, BIG MAN JAPAN delivers big-time laughs mixed with sharp satire.

Co-presented by:
Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana

Review of BIG MAN JAPAN (Variety)