, also known as ''Ryuzo 7'', is a 2015 Japanese

action comedy film Action comedy is a genre that combines aspects of action and comedy. The genre is most prevalent in film with action comedy films, though several TV series fit this genre. Film The action comedy film is a film genre that combines aspects of actio ...

directed by

Takeshi Kitano is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With th ...

. It was released on April 25, 2015.

Plot

Ryuzo (Tatsuya Fuji) is a retired

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ...

gangster who lives a quiet unassuming life with his

salaryman In Japan, a is a salaried worker. In Japanese popular culture, this is embodied by a white-collar worker who shows overriding loyalty and commitment to the corporation where he works. Salarymen are expected to work long hours, to put in addit ...

son, Ryuhei (Masanobu Katsumura). Still in contact with his former lieutenant, Masa (Masaomi Kondō), Ryuzo maintains his short temper with their regular get-togethers. One day, the old gangster receives a call from an impostor pretending to be his son asking for ¥5 million. Ryūzō sees through the trick and learns from police detective Murakami (Beat Takeshi) that a member from the Keihin Rengo gang is responsible. Re-uniting his seven former henchmen to strike back, Ryūzō learns that they have all grown weak with their old age. The elderly yakuza members soon learn that they must overcome their weaknesses if they are to prove to be a match against the younger Keihin Rengo.

Cast

Tatsuya Fuji is a Japanese actor. He was born in Beijing and raised in Yokohama. In 1962, Fuji joined Nikkatsu Company and began his acting career with small roles in Nikkatsu film. In 1968, Fuji married actress Izumi Ashikawa. He gained popularity throu ...

as Ryuzo *

Masaomi Kondō is a Japanese actor. Career Born in Kyoto, Kondō made his film debut in Shohei Imamura's ''The Pornographers is a 1966 satiric Japanese film directed by Shōhei Imamura. It is based on the novel ''Erogotoshitachi'' by Akiyuki Nosaka. Plot ...

as Masa *

Akira Nakao is a Japanese actor, TV personality, and artist from Kisarazu, Chiba. Nakao is represented by the Furutachi Project agency. Biography Nakao attended Chiba Prefectural Kisarazu High School from 1958, and entered Musashino Art University from 1961 ...

as Mokichi * Tōru Shinagawa as Mac *

Ben Hiura is a Japanese actor and voice actor affiliated with the Seinenza Theater Company. Hiura is known for dubbing over Bruce Willis, Richard Dreyfuss, John Malkovich, Joe Pesci and many more. Filmography Films *''Goyokin'' (1969) – Rokuzo *'' Fuji ...

as Ichizō * Kōjun Itō as Hide *

Ken Yoshizawa is a Japanese former hurdler and currently a professional keirin cyclist. He represented Japan at the 2004 Olympics in the 400 metres hurdles. He also ran in the 2001 and 2003 IAAF World Championships in Athletics. By virtue of his competi ...

as Taka *

Akira Onodera is a Japanese actor and narrator. He is well known for his role as Denka in ''Taiyō ni Hoero!''. He made his television debut in 1969 with ''Panto Akogare. In 2015, Onodera won the award for best supporting actor of Tokyo Sports Film Award for ...

as Yasu *

Masanobu Katsumura Masanobu (written: , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese ''kugyō'' *, Japanese painter *, Japanese samurai *, Japanese ''daimyō'' *, Japanese print designer, book publisher and ...

as Ryuhei * Hisako Manda as Hostess * Beat Takeshi as Murakami * Ken Yasuda as Nishi

Reception

The film earned on its opening weekend in Japan. By May 17, the film had grossed over . In a review for ''

The Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc.. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...

'',

Mark Schilling Mark Schilling (born 1949) is an American film critic, journalist, translator, and author based in Tokyo, Japan. He has written for ''The Japan Times'', ''Variety'', and ''Screen International''. Biography Schilling began working for ''The Japan ...

applauded Tatsuya Fuji for his performance of Ryuzo, stating, "Though looking every one of his 74 real-life years, Fuji brings a volatile energy to proceedings that would otherwise be merely absurd... when he starts raging against the dying of the light, look out for flying debris — and prepare to laugh."

References

External links

* * 2015 action comedy films Films directed by Takeshi Kitano Japanese action comedy films Yakuza films 2015 comedy films 2010s Japanese films {{2010s-Japan-film-stub