Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (1992)

60% of users liked it
(3,918 ratings)

Two years after leaving the grungy cyberpunk calling card Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Shinya Tsukamoto reenters the world of flesh and metal metamorphoses with a more narratively ambitious film that is neither sequel nor remake, but a rethinking of the ideas on a bigger scale with more impressive effects.… More Two years after leaving the grungy cyberpunk calling card Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Shinya Tsukamoto reenters the world of flesh and metal metamorphoses with a more narratively ambitious film that is neither sequel nor remake, but a rethinking of the ideas on a bigger scale with more impressive effects. The film begins in the recognizable world of the thriller, where a young middle-class couples see their son kidnapped by mysterious hoodlums, and then takes an abrupt turn into an underworld of cybermen led by a mad scientist performing twisted experiments. The father (Tomoroh Taguchi, returning from the first film), filled with rage and shame at his powerlessness, suddenly transforms into a robotic warrior and becomes overwhelmed by the power, simultaneously terrified and ecstatic. Unlike in the original, Tsukamoto offers an explanation, for what it's worth, but the power lies not in the story but the nightmarish imagery and the themes of the marriage of flesh and technology, metal and magic. With an ample budget at his disposal (not to mention color), Tsukamoto ups the conflict to a battle of biblical proportions while maintaining the brooding, terrifying, nightmarish quality. Tsukamoto's gory, violent vision of technology run amok is not for everyone, but fans of David Lynch and David Cronenberg will find his dangerous visions just as creatively disturbing. --Sean Axmaker

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 23 min.
Directed By: Shinya Tsukamoto
Genres: Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Cult Movies

In Theaters: Aug 15, 1997 Wide
On DVD: Jun 29, 1999

No Critic Reviews Found…

Featured Audience Ratings

Lee ?

Companion piece to "Tetsuo: The Iron Man" which features more disturbing bodily mutations as a man is deliberately forced into a raging mechanical freak after a mysterious cult kidnap his son. This time round the film is more story driven and the furious editing and… More
Companion piece to "Tetsuo: The Iron Man" which features more disturbing bodily mutations as a man is deliberately forced into a raging mechanical freak after a mysterious cult kidnap his son. This time round the film is more story driven and the furious editing and surrealism is more restrained. All filmed in colour this time too which'll please the gore hounds. Overall though it doesn't quite have the impact of the first film, but this is still a dark and unique film to experience.
Kylie B

Basically, I don't feel that this is a worthy sucessor to the original. While the original was confusing and bizarre in a good way, this is just dull and rather uninspired. Perhaps it's because the idea is no longer so shocking and original with the sequel? I don't… More
Basically, I don't feel that this is a worthy sucessor to the original. While the original was confusing and bizarre in a good way, this is just dull and rather uninspired. Perhaps it's because the idea is no longer so shocking and original with the sequel? I don't know.
Justin Y

Shinya Tsukamoto is widely known for Tetsuo: The Ironman, but this film is really a hit or miss for science fiction fanatics.The story is a mess. The film takes the time to actually try to build some plot, but the little explanations that they have really… More
Shinya Tsukamoto is widely known for Tetsuo: The Ironman, but this film is really a hit or miss for science fiction fanatics.The story is a mess. The film takes the time to actually try to build some plot, but the little explanations that they have really hurt. It isn't the fact that there isn't enough explanations, but more the fact that they try too hard for a story that, conceptually, doesn't need it. A bulk of this film is really abstract and it leaves a lot for the viewer to interpret. I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe going fully abstract is good for a movie like this. Tsukamoto actually does a nice job at taking a manga and turning it into live action, without any cleanup or removal of any wackiness and I give points for that.Visually, this low budget film is a let down. The original Testsuo is black and white and this one isn't. Many times, the scenes are just so dark that it is hard to make out details. This is where the black and white could have helped. The camera tends to be a bit shaky at times, but it is tolerable. On the positive side, the stop motion is great and it makes you wonder why there isn't more of it.The sex and violence isn't all that bad and mature as people make it sound. The sex comes near the end, while the action is sort of spread throughout. The sound effects are a bit cheesy and while this may sound bad, it doesn't hurt this movie all that much.The acting is OK at best. There isn't much to it and you will know what I mean if and when you see this.In the end, I believe really really hardcore sci-fi fans will be the ones that enjoy this one.
xGary X

A young father is stalked by a pair of strangers who kidnap his son and inject him with a mysterious device causing him to undergo frightening changes. Having just re-watched this film, I'd have to say it has dated a little; the cinematography in particular can hardly be… More
A young father is stalked by a pair of strangers who kidnap his son and inject him with a mysterious device causing him to undergo frightening changes. Having just re-watched this film, I'd have to say it has dated a little; the cinematography in particular can hardly be described as subtle and the action is rather clumsy. The imagery however, is just as powerful with some great Geiger-esque production design and striking visuals and animation. The pay-off at the end is certainly worth the effort, and it will appeal to fans of David Lynch and David Cronenberg. But I didn't remember it being quite so GAY!
Steve K

Not quite up to the original, and certainly more cliche overall, but still awesome.
Christopher B

Very good sequel that, though isn't as good as the original, adds a lot to it. Also, this is the first time I saw Tsukamoto as an actor. This could almost be described as the "Mainstream Tetsuo".