Rock the charts: Japan's box office numbers 6/12 - 6/18

3:00 PM on 06.17.2010   |   Mike LeChevallier

Takeshi Kitano. Takeshi Kitano. Takeshi Kitano. He's king. Of what, you ask? Well, he does have a castle. Just watch his films, though. Seriously. It doesn't really matter what he's king of--he's just king. King Kitano. Bow down.

Rankings first, my weekly film-related ramblings to follow.

1. Confessions. 2nd week, pulling in $3 million.
2. Iron Man 2. 1st week, pulling in $2.9 million.
3. Sex and the City 2. 2nd week, pulling in $1.8 million.
4. Outrage. 1st week, pulling in $1.6 million.
5. Alice in Wonderland. 9th week, pulling in $1.07 million.
6. Masked Rider Den-O Trilogy the Movie: Episode Blue. 2nd week, pulling in $1.06.
7. Flowers. 1st week, pulling in $600k
8. A Lone Scalpel. 2nd week, pulling in $576k.
9. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. 3rd week, pulling in $466k.
10. Trick the Movie: Psychic Battle Royale. 6th week, pulling in $458k.

Sans Confessions (which I spotlighted in last week's RtC) kicking ass in the top spot for the second round in a row ($3 mil), there's not a whole lot else within Variety's report that is noteworthy this go-around.

For Marvel fans, though, I'll give a shout out in the direction of Iron Man 2--it made its Japanese debut in the number 2 position ($2.9 mil). To tell the truth, I'm not really a  fan of the film. It's essentially 125 minutes of people bitching and moaning at each other about pointless crap that fails to support a central storyline. There was nearly zero character development and the action sequences lacked the pizazz and fluidity of those in the first Iron Man film. Disappointing stuff. Moving on now.

You might be wondering about the film in the number 7 spot, Flowers ($600k). Making its first appearance in the rankings (and probably its last), Flowers is a lighthearted tale about a group of Japanese women who realize that all the men in their lives have left them for far more attractive women who put out at the drop of a pair of pants at the drop of a hat. So, they resort to forming long-lasting relationships with each other and their prized flower gardens. They frolic, hold book club meetings, reminisce and sip tea amongst a vast display of elegant, cultivated blossoms. I'm not entirely sure if that's really what goes down; it's an educated guess. Check out the film's official site and see how on-point I am with my faux detective work/summarization.

Alright. Now for the good stuff. Outrage only debuted at number 4 ($1.6 mil), but this doesn't phase me one bit. I've seen the film and it's got Class A Ownage stamped on hard; it was even the only Japanese picture in the running for the Palm d'Or at this year's Cannes. Like Takeshi Kitano's other yakuza-based projects, this movie is all about how badass you can be without actually seeming like you're trying too hard to be a badass. Outrage is all about the slight fidgets, the twitchy eyes and the shaky delivery of lines that Kitano and his cohorts expertly distribute throughout a collection of intense scenes. Kitano is not one to drop a of ton heavy, emotionally-soaked bombs in his work, though. The dude loves to pepper in black comedy all over the place. You just have to be sharp enough to notice it when it's there.

Maybe, if enough people lay sacrifice to the Altar of Kitano, the film will rise a couple spots by next week.

Okay. I think that's enough of my Kitano-worship...for now. TRAILER TIME.

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