Returner
A Japanese time-travel action adventure pairs a hardened hit-man with a resistance fighter from 2084 to stop an alien apocalypse before it begins.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- propulsive
- stylish
- eccentric
- action movie night
- science fiction marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film entertaining and stylish but derivative, unevenly paced, and weakened by plot holes and recycled science fiction ideas.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Milly arrives from 2084 in 2002 with the specific mission of preventing the alien invasion and ensuing war.
The film mixes time travel, alien invasion, yakuza action, resistance-war imagery, and fish out of water comedy.
The production uses science fiction effects, futuristic imagery, and elaborate action sequences to create a glossy genre experience.
Miyamoto's work as a hit-man and Mizoguchi's yakuza operations intersect with Milly's mission to save humanity.
Films like Returner, and why
The Terminator
Shared time travel, alien invasion, propulsive action, and fish out of water science fiction.
Gantz: O
Shared Japanese science fiction action, extraterrestrial contact, youthful protagonists, and heightened spectacle.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Shared post apocalyptic stakes, time travel, resistance against invading forces, and emotionally direct genre storytelling.
Starman
Shared eccentric hybrid science fiction, alien contact, fish out of water humor, and colorful B movie energy.
Movie Details
- Director
- Takashi Yamazaki
- Release Date
- 2002-08-31
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (262)
Cast
- Takeshi Kaneshiro
- Anne Suzuki
- Kirin Kiki
- Goro Kishitani
- Yukiko Okamoto
- Mitsu Murata
- Kisuke Iida
- Kazuya Shimizu
- Chiharu Kawai
- Dean Harrington
Common questions
- What is Returner about?
- A Japanese time-travel action adventure pairs a hardened hit-man with a resistance fighter from 2084 to stop an alien apocalypse before it begins.
- What is Returner like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Returner as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Returner violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Returner as brutal.
- What did critics think of Returner?
- Critics generally found the film entertaining and stylish but derivative, unevenly paced, and weakened by plot holes and recycled science fiction ideas.
- Which films are like Returner?
- Films with a similar feel include The Terminator, Gantz: O, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Starman.
- How long is Returner?
- Returner runs 116 minutes.
