Fighting schoolgirl in uniform, how can you go wrong? You figure with the decades that Japan has been producing them they’d have it down pat. Well, I’m sad to say that what is being titled as Mutant Girls Squad and screened at HIFF, it is not true. I thought the original Japanese title, roughly literally translated “Girl Warrior, Legend of the Bloody Iron Mask” was more cool, but perhaps this English title matches this movie better. It had the elements, not one, but three cute fighting girls, blood spatter fountains and guts, weapons sprouting from all manner of body parts, cheesy effects, and yet it didn’t come together. I found it very uneven, jerky pacing, abrupt editing which was intentional, humor often feeling too forced. Perhaps it having three directors had something to do with this. The movie makes obvious reference to others, the iron mask bit and line of dialogue lifted straight from Sukeban Deka, and other pop culture references, some which I got, which gets a chuckle when you get it, but not much more.
This is no “Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl”, that was in a league way above this film. Perhaps there is no way for a film to match VGFG in its over the top way out wackedness, but dare I say that it also had a simple consise story. Was I going in with too high hopes for Mutant Girls? Perhaps. But I still can’t get over with how dissappointed I am. It had its moments, Defence Minister played by dude who people here would prob recognize from the original Shall We Dance movie as the wig guy puts in a performance that brings some smiles. Gotta give some kudos for chainsaw butt, and cosplay nurse who maintains the cutesy character even after sprouting octopus arms and rubber anteater/elephant nose. Gotta wonder how many outtakes there were with that.
But in the end, there wasn’t enough to leave me with a n overall positive feeling. One out of four blood spewing decapitated monkeys.
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