Movie Review: Gung Ho
This one was a treat from start to finish. Gung Ho tells the story of an American car manufacturing plant that gets taken over by a Japanese company in the 1980’s. The movie takes you back to a time when there was very real fear and loathing of coming Japanese world dominance. Michael Keaton’s natural charm carries the film and makes the comedy work, however much credit is due to Gedde Watanabe, Keaton’s Japanese counterpart in the story. His character arc gives the story much of its power as it mirrors Keaton’s and is superbly performed by Watanabe. The culture clash stuff somehow manages to feel fresh even decades later. I saw many of the same conflicts as a foreigner working for a Japanese company in Tokyo in 2021. For a comedy it is a surprisingly nuanced film. It takes pains to thoughtfully critique both the American and Japanese lifestyles and work philosophies. My main annoyances were the lack of an appealing female lead and a few wonky plot issues in the second half. It’s still just a great movie overall.
Grade: B+
