K-20: Kaijin niju menso den (K-20: Legend of the Mask) (The Fiend with Twenty Faces) (2008)

66% of users liked it
(1,098 ratings)

A good man takes on the guise of a bad guy to expose evil and help the needy in this period action-adventure story based on the manga by Soh Kitamura. The story takes place in 1949, in an alternate reality in which Japan stayed out of World War II and the nation is ruled by a handful of wealthy and… More A good man takes on the guise of a bad guy to expose evil and help the needy in this period action-adventure story based on the manga by Soh Kitamura. The story takes place in 1949, in an alternate reality in which Japan stayed out of World War II and the nation is ruled by a handful of wealthy and uncaring aristocrats while most of the citizens have become mired in poverty. A villainous criminal genius known as K-20 (Kaijin Nijumenso-den) targets the powerful, though he's more interested in his own well being than in justice for the impoverished. Heikichi Endo (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is a talented circus performer who is chronically short on money, and when the publisher of a scandal sheet asks him to get photos of the secret wedding of well-known police detective Kogoro Akechi (Toru Nakamura) and Yoko Hashiba (Takako Matsu), the daughter of a wealthy business magnate, he eagerly takes the assignment. But K-20 pulls a daring raid at the wedding party, and Heikichi is blamed for the crime. Determined to prove his innocence, Heikichi breaks out of jail and sets out to expose K-20 by becoming a white-hat version of K-20, using an arsenal of gadgets created by his elderly friend Genji (Jun Kunimura) and his own acrobatic skills. Directed by Shimako Sato, K-20: Kaijin Nijumenso-den (aka K-20: Legend of the Mask received its North American premiere at the 2009 Santa Barbara Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 17 min.
Directed By: Shimako Sato
Written By: So Kitamura, Shimako Sato
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Dec 20, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Apr 20, 2010
Studio: Toho Company

Critic Reviews

Nick Setchfield, SFX Magazine
A piece of retro-pulp adventure that makes the whole caped daredevil trope feel vital and thrilling once more.
Sean Axmaker, Parallax View
... a mix of Japanese manga, forties adventure pulp and silent movie serial surrealism, set in an alternate reality where World War II was averted...

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Tsubaki S

The kind of movie hollywood has no idea how to properly make anymore. It doesn't try to be something it shouldn't be, it's always fun, always smart enough but gladly doesn't try to push too much anything that could interrupt the fun. There's action, adventure,… More
The kind of movie hollywood has no idea how to properly make anymore. It doesn't try to be something it shouldn't be, it's always fun, always smart enough but gladly doesn't try to push too much anything that could interrupt the fun. There's action, adventure, good stunts, a wise use of CGI, a good cast, comedy, and gladly no pointless romance. If only cinemas had these kind of movies every weekend it would be a joy to go and watch them. It's pop corn cinema done right.
Justin Y

K-20: Legend of the Mask is a Japanese superhero-esque movie done right. Congratulations Shimako Sato.Set in an alternate 1949, the film captures the setting quite nicely, with moderate use of CG throughout the entire picture. By the way, the CG is also… More
K-20: Legend of the Mask is a Japanese superhero-esque movie done right. Congratulations Shimako Sato.Set in an alternate 1949, the film captures the setting quite nicely, with moderate use of CG throughout the entire picture. By the way, the CG is also great. The plot isn't all that complex, yet it is engrossing enough to make the 2 hours and 15 minutes not seem that bad. The first 45 minutes is all story and character buildup, and once that passes, the next hour and a half is quite the fun adventure.The action is limited, and most of it is all acrobatics and stunt work. That doesn't mean that it sucks because it is entertaining. However, this is not a super hero action extravaganza. K-20: Legend of the Mask is about the story and characters.Takeshi Kaneshiro fans will love him in this film. It is difficult to question why he is one of the bigger names in Asia right now. Toru Nakamura, Takako Matsu, Kanata Hongo, and Jun Kunimura round out the rest of the cast.K-20: Legend of the Mask is an entertaining watch for fans of Takeshi Kaneshiro and Japanese adventure cinema.
Jonny C

K-20 is a lighthearted adventure movie starring Asian superstar Takeshi Kaneshiro. The plot was ridiculous, the action was OK and the performances were a little flat. I'm sure kids would like it but for me I found too dull, with not enough action or humour.