Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade (1998)

55% of critics liked it
(22 reviews)
77% of users liked it
(9,245 ratings)

Jin-Roh is an animated film which grew from a story and script by Mamoru Oshii, one of the leading creative artists of Japanese animation. However, director Hiroyuki Okiura deviated from the genre norms in focusing on the humanization of a macho killer. The action takes place in the Japan of the… More Jin-Roh is an animated film which grew from a story and script by Mamoru Oshii, one of the leading creative artists of Japanese animation. However, director Hiroyuki Okiura deviated from the genre norms in focusing on the humanization of a macho killer. The action takes place in the Japan of the mid-fifties. Ten years after World War II, the country is in a state of strife. Emergency measures to boost Japan's economy have created some disturbing social problems. In Tokyo, special units of an elite police force known as the Metro Police are engaged in a bitter struggle with armed anti-government guerrillas. Any act of violence is reciprocated with more violence. Police officer Kazuki Fushe is a member of one such special unit, known among guerrillas as "Cerberus" and particularly feared for their striking power. Fushe's assignment is to crush the members of a guerrilla group known as "The Sect." During one of his rounds, Fushe meets a young woman on a kamikaze mission who has already activated the bomb she is wearing. Following her death, he can't get her image out of his mind and begins to visit her grave, where he meets another woman who looks like her. She is the sister of the dead girl and has her own reasons for getting closer to Fushe. The plot of the film is very complex, involving several ambiguities which are disquieting at the outset. But gradually, the vision of the director comes through, offering food for thought even in the most violent scenes. Jin-Roh was screened as part of the Panorama section of the 49th International Berlin Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 42 min.
Directed By: Hiroyuki Okiura
Genres: Animation, Anime & Manga, Art House & International, Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Jun 1, 1998 Wide
On DVD: Oct 26, 2004
Studio: Pioneer

Critic Reviews

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
I liked the idea of the movie more than the movie itself -- though sections of it are mind-blowing.
Charles Solomon, Los Angeles Times
A grim, brooding film of exceptional power.
Wesley Morris, San Francisco Chronicle
Jin-Roh's hand-rolled look and ripped-from-the-sci-fi-headlines plot are an asset and a relief.
J. Hoberman, Village Voice
It's an evocative anachronism.
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
Confirms my preference for live-action cinematography, without any tricks or conceits to place quotation marks around an already fantastic illusion of reality.
Elvis Mitchell, New York Times
While it uses the advantages of line-drawn animation to fashion a setting that would cost hundreds of millions to produce as live action, the dramatic scale is minimal and tepid.
Dan Fazio, Citysearch
Oshii's layered use of the Red Riding Hood story is both clever and chilling.
Phil Hall, Film Threat
Forgettable anime.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
Unsettling and beautiful.
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
It makes as good a case as any for the use of animation as a medium for serious, mature features.
Steve Rhodes, Internet Reviews
Keeps feeling like you've just started reading the eighty-third edition of a comic book that you've never even heard of before.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
This blend of fairy tale and horrific post-war scenario makes Jin-Roh something of a landmark for anime fans, and a fascinating way in for first-timers.
Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle
A gorgeous albeit depressing mess, as distancing and despairing as a realpolitik wipeout.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Saskia D

I wasn't really feeling it. The characters were a bit shallow. A lot more could've been done with the theme wolf-brigade and the red riding hood connection. I would've liked a little more mystery.
Daniel J D

Perhaps the plot tries too hard in the middle to give more heart and complexity to its sci-fi premise, but it's psychologically and philosophically intriguing enough to keep it afloat between the action-filled beginning and end. Plus, amazing visuals, which is why most of us… More
Perhaps the plot tries too hard in the middle to give more heart and complexity to its sci-fi premise, but it's psychologically and philosophically intriguing enough to keep it afloat between the action-filled beginning and end. Plus, amazing visuals, which is why most of us watch Anime anyway, right?
Michael G

Not the best anime I've ever seen, but it beats the shit out of Pokemon.