Criminal Woman: Killing Melody/Review

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Criminal Woman: Killing Melody is the only film in the Pinky Violence box set that is not a part of a longer running series. Although the original trailer refers to it as ”the first in the new series” I don’t think any sequels were ever made. I don’t know what got Toei into changing their minds as the film is awesome. Helmed by first time director Atsushi Mihori and starring a wide variance of genre stars from the electrifying lead couple Reiko Ike and Miki Sugimoto to such excellent supporting stars as Shinzo Hotta. You can also spot many familiar girls you’ve seen in Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless To Confess (Yumiko Katayama), Seiju gakuen and the Sasori films.

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Killing Melody begins as a women in prison flick but once the girls are released and Reiko Ike decides to go after the man who killed her father the film turns into a super slick crime thriller. Although Mihori leaves the usual over the top color play to his colleagues the film is extremely stylish from start to finish. I don’t think Reiko Ike has ever looked this good (some of the dresses she wears are amazing). She also sings the nice but less-than-memorable theme song. The rest of the soundtrack is actually notably better and the theme melody is very beautiful. The best part of the movie is without a doubt the incredibly stylish last 15 minutes.

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The director deserves recognition for how swiftly he keeps things moving. Despite some genre violence and incredibly long cat fights the film is rather ”light” in tone and time goes past really fast while watching this. This is a great ’feel good’ pinky violence flick, even if we once again have some political attitude in form of the American G.I.s. But while in Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs Eiji Go was pissing over (not quite literally) the American immigrants, here the G.I.s are given a much softer treatment... even if they’re all shown as sex hungry gun dealers...

Reviewed by HungFist