Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2014

To call the popular culture around legendary ninja thief Goemon Ishikawa a franchise doesn’t do justice to the social phenomenon of this pop marvel. His 16th century story of Robin Hood like pilfering and daring has been told in literature, manga, kabuki, animation, video games, TV and film—with numerous incarnations of most. The latter category has seen various productions throughout the history of Japanese cinema, with the illustrious swashbuckling samurai actor Raizo Ichikawa portraying him many times. A major motion picture about Goemon’s adventures was released as recently as 2009 (reviewed in this column) and there has been an ongoing theater presentation since 2008 that has now seen three parts. The third stage play ran from December 2012 to February 2013 and is the focus of this picture. That’s right, the movie is a filming and mastering in post-production (in Hollywood!) of the play, which accounts for the odd title (Geki X Cine means Theater and Cinema) and the extravagant run time. A musical comedy that utilizes slapstick, music and dance more  so than drama and action, the plot follows Goemon (Arata Furuta) as he steals a Buddhist treasure. Female cat burglar Nekonome (Yu Aoi) assists while a young detective (Haruma Miura) is hot on the trail. It’s reasonable fun but films of stage plays always seem to miss both the magic of the theater and possibilities of cinema. (183 min.)