One of my all time favorites.

Fresh and Exciting

best movie i've ever seen.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Spoilers!Takashi "Beat" Kitano had already made "Violent Cop", this was his masterpiece, Kitzu Ritan (Kids Return), is a story about two boys who smoke, drink and skive school, then one gets hit by a local bully and starts boxing, the other one is rubbish at it, but one is less angry (than his friend, who is, angry about the punching incident, cue throwing the bully out of the ring). Kitano makes his most detailed observation, whilst appearing at his most casual, this is not, as you may think it is, like "Rocky II", or "Max Keeble's Big Move", this is a melancholy, story of two kids, one joining the Yazuka, and one becoming a boxer, eventually getting screwed up by taking "Champion Pills", maybe the down and out meant to do him in with them, anyway, like I said, better than "Battle Royale" (only just though).Superb, ****/****

Takeshi doesn't make me disappoint again. This type is very rare to him, but he did it well. It confirmed his high level of controlling kinds of types. The character act very naturally and the living individuality affect me deeply. Comparable with his former works, it will adjoin you more. The boxing scene is stunning. The friendship of characters is unforgettable. Here I must be honor of Jô Hisaishi(the composer of this music), because it's important parts of Takeshi's work. The music is exciting and moving. Anyway it is a very meaningful movie about youth. This work attract me to look for others of Takeshi. Because I know it's my favorite directors in Japan besides Kurosawa.

T. Kitano made his best film in 1990, it was "violent Cop". It is wild and strong picture, in a sense like this movie: "Kids Return". It takes place in a school. There are several students bored of their life. Two of them decided to become unsuccessful comic actors, the rest of the group enter in the Yakuza, except one who become a strong boxer. Is like in the Oshima's film about youth, every thing had a bad end, often that end is without a moral, maybe this is the real power of Kitano's movies. The only guide is the man in him self, alone. Every man is self care, the life is the thing it is. Kitano refuse the fantastic view, like in the new Japanese cinema (for example "Kitchen" by Morita), and decide to take an overlook of the facts that show us. That is the reason why I give 9 stars to this movie.

With this film Takeshi takes a look back at the past in the lives of several men who are in the same school. The two protagonists each choose their own direction: one becomes a boxer, the other joins the yakuza. The story is a reflection on how the choices a man makes can affect their lives and their relationships. As always the drama is interwoven with occasional scenes of violence, and the comedy is dark but never too depressing. Everything about Kids Return is good, and therefore another great piece of Japanse film-making.