This second film of the "Stray Cat Rock" collection begins with a small group of misfits driving around a beach in Japan and essentially having fun in their own reckless way. As it so happens, one particular member of the group named "Taki" (Takeo Chii) has a secret crush on a young woman named "Asako" (Bunjaku Han) but is too shy to do anything about it. So, in order to help him out, his friends go to great lengths to bring her to him. Although their attempt fails rather badly, Asako also just happens to have feelings for Taki and eventually the two get together. It's during this time that Asako discloses that she is the mistress of an influential executive within a religious cult and that she has information that will make all of them rich beyond their dreams--if they have the courage to act. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film started off rather lethargically but picked up a bit at the mid-point and got a bit more interesting from there. Even so, I don't consider this to be quite as good as its predecessor and I have rated it accordingly. Average.
7 Reviews
More Stray Cat Rock!
BandSAboutMovies17 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Released only three months after the first film in the series, Toshiya Fujita's replaces Yasuharu Hasebe for the second of five Stray Cat Rock films. No worries - they'll split directing duties for the rest of these films. This one is concerned with five friends who come up with a plan to rob 30 million yen (about $270,000 in today's exchange). Meiko Kaji returns from the first film, now the star and no longer the sidekick, although her character has no relation to the first film.
A group of wild young people called the Penguin Club (or Pelicans, I've seen it written that way in articles too) who love to play around in their Jeep shoot out the tires of a car driven by a wealthy woman named Asako. They soon set her free, but she's already fallen for Taki, a member of the gang. She soon tells him that she's part of a religious group called Shinkyo Gakkai and they could help her be part of a heist to make some real money.
The third entry in the series, Sex Hunter, was filmed at the same time, with Meiko Lee and the Alleycats running back and forth between the sets. That's pretty crazy.
The Penguin Club goes from rebelling against nothing and doing stupid things like stealing dump trucks to something really foolish: digging up a stash of weapons from the end of the war and fighting the cops. The tone dramatically shifts by the end of the film. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first film in the series, but there's still plenty of good parts.
A group of wild young people called the Penguin Club (or Pelicans, I've seen it written that way in articles too) who love to play around in their Jeep shoot out the tires of a car driven by a wealthy woman named Asako. They soon set her free, but she's already fallen for Taki, a member of the gang. She soon tells him that she's part of a religious group called Shinkyo Gakkai and they could help her be part of a heist to make some real money.
The third entry in the series, Sex Hunter, was filmed at the same time, with Meiko Lee and the Alleycats running back and forth between the sets. That's pretty crazy.
The Penguin Club goes from rebelling against nothing and doing stupid things like stealing dump trucks to something really foolish: digging up a stash of weapons from the end of the war and fighting the cops. The tone dramatically shifts by the end of the film. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first film in the series, but there's still plenty of good parts.
Dooby dooby dooby doo wah!
BA_Harrison23 August 2020
I wasn't very impressed with the first Stray Cat Rock movie, so I was quite happy to discover that the follow up, Wild Jumbo, wasn't as focused on the youth gang scene, but was a heist caper instead. Unfortunately, the actual crime in the film doesn't occur until fifteen minutes before the end, leaving plenty of time for not-very-funny comedic antics as our quite obnoxious anti-heroes - a group of five friends who call themselves the Pelicans - drive around in a jeep getting up to no good, shooting out the tires of a woman's car, digging up old fire-arms from the war, and squabbling with a rival gang called the Seibu Society. The first hour or so really drags.
The crime, when it finally happens (and not a moment too soon), involves holding up a van carrying 30 million yen that has been donated to the religious organisation Seikyo Gakkai. Having grabbed the bags of cash, the gang - C-ko (Meiko Kaji), Taki (Takeo Chii), Ganishin (Tatsuya Fuji), Jirô (Yûsuke Natsu) and Debo (Sôichirô Maeno) - plan to drop the money over a bridge and swim it to the coast, but, as is often the case in this type of film, things don't go quite as planned. The finale features lots of shooting during which ***here comes the spoiler*** all of The Pelicans are killed, along with Asako (Bunjaku Han), the woman who has been helping them. This would have been quite a downer if I actually gave a damn about any of the characters.
The crime, when it finally happens (and not a moment too soon), involves holding up a van carrying 30 million yen that has been donated to the religious organisation Seikyo Gakkai. Having grabbed the bags of cash, the gang - C-ko (Meiko Kaji), Taki (Takeo Chii), Ganishin (Tatsuya Fuji), Jirô (Yûsuke Natsu) and Debo (Sôichirô Maeno) - plan to drop the money over a bridge and swim it to the coast, but, as is often the case in this type of film, things don't go quite as planned. The finale features lots of shooting during which ***here comes the spoiler*** all of The Pelicans are killed, along with Asako (Bunjaku Han), the woman who has been helping them. This would have been quite a downer if I actually gave a damn about any of the characters.
boring
alexandreohh25 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
after you watch the first one, maybe you thought that the second is going to be as good as the later, but no. I'm watching following the realising dates and this movie is so f***g boring that i couldn't watch till the end. as somebody said, they have connections, but this doesn't mean that they all have have the same theme. I'll continue and try to see if the followings are good as the first.
Wild Jumbo
random_avenger23 November 2010
After the popularity of the first Stray Cat Rock movie Delinquent Girl Boss (1970), Nikkatsu Studios were quick to cash in on the hype and produced several sequels that were all released in the same year as the original, except for the last one which came out next year in early 1971. The second movie in the series is called Wild Jumbo (don't ask me why) and remains a very entertaining entry in the rocking franchise.
To me Akiko Wada was the most central actress in the first movie and it is a little disappointing to see she only appears in a tiny cameo in the sequel (reportedly archive material from the first movie), but soon the new actors take the stage with such energy that the past needs not be reminisced any longer, although some actors from the first movie return in different roles. Meiko Kaji (C-ko) and Tatsuya Fuji (Ganishin) are probably the most notable actors of the bunch, but I liked Takeo Chii (Taki), Yusuke Natsu (Jiro) and Soichiro Maeno (Debo) a lot too despite their lack of acting experience at the time.
Storywise Wild Jumbo is a heist film: a group of five friends, also known as the Pelican Gang, spends time hanging out in the city, driving around in their all-terrain buggy car and listening to psychedelic jazz fusion when one of them is approached by a mysterious horse-riding girl named Asako (Bunjaku Han) who suggests they rob 30 million yen from a religious movement called Seikyo Gakkei. The Pelicans – C-ko, Taki, Ganishin, Jiro and Debo – accept the challenge, but things are not as easy as they may initially seem.
The visuals of Wild Jumbo are pronouncedly less psychedelic than in Delinquent Girl Boss and the setting is less urban in general. Instead, a large part of the runtime is spent on a sunny sandy beach surrounded by steep tree-covered mountain slopes. The mood is also more leisurely and comedic than before; the heist plot only gets going in the latter half and at points the movie resembles a carefree beach party flick. Not that there's anything wrong about that, I really liked the gang's antics and the general atmosphere. In spite of a lighter mood, the ending is actually very wistful and sad, as opposed to the more hopeful conclusion of the first movie.
The series has been said to reflect a new direction for the Nikkatsu Studios, which is easy to understand while watching Wild Jumbo. The soundtrack is just as groovy and awesome as before and many unconventional cinematic techniques, such as fast-forwarding, speech bubbles, freeze frames and inverted colours, are utilized at one point or another, evoking allusions to the French new wave. The trickery never feels out of place though; certain aggressiveness in the shooting style is something of a trademark of the series after all. Looking past the surface, the movie doesn't try very hard to ponder the justifications of the gang's plan although it is fleetingly mentioned that Seikyo Gakkei deserves to have their money robbed. Maybe some more substance could have improved the movie a bit, but it is certainly highly watchable as it is now too.
As with so many franchises, the Stray Cat Rock sequels are generally not as well respected as the first film, but in my opinion Wild Jumbo is in no way less entertaining than Delinquent Girl Boss. Both have their strengths (urban grittiness in the first movie, laid-back atmosphere in the second) and personally I enjoy both a lot, so anyone who dug one should give the other a chance as well. The whole franchise would actually deserve more popularity among film aficionados anyway – hopefully the movies can somehow find their way to new viewers.
To me Akiko Wada was the most central actress in the first movie and it is a little disappointing to see she only appears in a tiny cameo in the sequel (reportedly archive material from the first movie), but soon the new actors take the stage with such energy that the past needs not be reminisced any longer, although some actors from the first movie return in different roles. Meiko Kaji (C-ko) and Tatsuya Fuji (Ganishin) are probably the most notable actors of the bunch, but I liked Takeo Chii (Taki), Yusuke Natsu (Jiro) and Soichiro Maeno (Debo) a lot too despite their lack of acting experience at the time.
Storywise Wild Jumbo is a heist film: a group of five friends, also known as the Pelican Gang, spends time hanging out in the city, driving around in their all-terrain buggy car and listening to psychedelic jazz fusion when one of them is approached by a mysterious horse-riding girl named Asako (Bunjaku Han) who suggests they rob 30 million yen from a religious movement called Seikyo Gakkei. The Pelicans – C-ko, Taki, Ganishin, Jiro and Debo – accept the challenge, but things are not as easy as they may initially seem.
The visuals of Wild Jumbo are pronouncedly less psychedelic than in Delinquent Girl Boss and the setting is less urban in general. Instead, a large part of the runtime is spent on a sunny sandy beach surrounded by steep tree-covered mountain slopes. The mood is also more leisurely and comedic than before; the heist plot only gets going in the latter half and at points the movie resembles a carefree beach party flick. Not that there's anything wrong about that, I really liked the gang's antics and the general atmosphere. In spite of a lighter mood, the ending is actually very wistful and sad, as opposed to the more hopeful conclusion of the first movie.
The series has been said to reflect a new direction for the Nikkatsu Studios, which is easy to understand while watching Wild Jumbo. The soundtrack is just as groovy and awesome as before and many unconventional cinematic techniques, such as fast-forwarding, speech bubbles, freeze frames and inverted colours, are utilized at one point or another, evoking allusions to the French new wave. The trickery never feels out of place though; certain aggressiveness in the shooting style is something of a trademark of the series after all. Looking past the surface, the movie doesn't try very hard to ponder the justifications of the gang's plan although it is fleetingly mentioned that Seikyo Gakkei deserves to have their money robbed. Maybe some more substance could have improved the movie a bit, but it is certainly highly watchable as it is now too.
As with so many franchises, the Stray Cat Rock sequels are generally not as well respected as the first film, but in my opinion Wild Jumbo is in no way less entertaining than Delinquent Girl Boss. Both have their strengths (urban grittiness in the first movie, laid-back atmosphere in the second) and personally I enjoy both a lot, so anyone who dug one should give the other a chance as well. The whole franchise would actually deserve more popularity among film aficionados anyway – hopefully the movies can somehow find their way to new viewers.
A lot of fun
zetes19 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The Stray Cat Rock series was a group of five films made by Nikkatsu in about a one year period, between 1970 and 1971. The first was called Delinquent Girl Boss. Wild Jumbo is the second in the series. Apparently, the five films have nothing to do with each other narratively, though they do share some cast members. I think they're all about youth gangs. This one involves a gang which calls themselves the Pelican Club, which consists of four guys and a gal (Meiko Kaji of Female Prisoner Scorpion fame). The best known actor among them is Tatsuya Fuji, who would go on to star in Oshima's In the Realm of the Senses and Empire of Passion. The boss of the gang falls in love with the mistress of a rival gang leader, and convinces the Pelican Club to steal their money. That major plot line only comes up near the end. Most of the film is just about the Pelican Club's adventures. It's entertaining, and the music in particular is awesome. It ends quite tragically, though. I really liked it. Director Toshiya Fujita would go on to make the Lady Snowblood movies with Meiko Kaji.
The Stray Cat Rock series:Part 2: Wild Jumbo
morrison-dylan-fan9 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
After years of trying to see the flicks, I found SCR 1 (also reviewed) to be a genre bender which surpassed all my expectations. This led to me following the stray cat for a second time.
View on the film:
Placing the criminal activities at the beginning and ending of the flick, co-writer/(with Hideichi Nagahara) director Toshiya Fujita enters the franchise with cinematographer Shohei Ando and surfs on a utterly delightful Beach Party adventure (backed by Yoshio Saito's awesome psychedelic jazz fusion.) Walking on the beach with the gang in rough hand-held camera moves, Fujita rolls out a utterly groovy atmosphere, heightening the Pop-Art of SCR 1 in sliding the camera along deep sea diving, party on the beach, and the lads (but sadly not the ladies) mooning onlookers as they casually plan their heist in between partying. Getting into a laid-back mood, Fujita cuts the partying down to size with a pure Psychotronic shoot-out between the gang and cops, ending the hippy hangout on ultra-stylised freeze frames/zoom-ins on the thieves rocking their last moments of life.
Given less than three months by the studio to write a sequel, Fujita & returning Stray Cat writer Nagahara get into a nifty spin by wisely placing the focus on the hangout aspect, whilst picking up in clipped side-plots the learning from a heiress they kidnap that a religious organization called Shinkyo Gakkai has a stash of cash coming in,leading to a wonderfully downer ending. Teaming up with regular collaborator Fujita again, cute Meiko Kaji hits giddy, joyful notes as gang member C-ko, while fittie Bunjaku Han brings a calculating toughness in planning the robbery as Asako,in the middle of this wild jumbo party.
View on the film:
Placing the criminal activities at the beginning and ending of the flick, co-writer/(with Hideichi Nagahara) director Toshiya Fujita enters the franchise with cinematographer Shohei Ando and surfs on a utterly delightful Beach Party adventure (backed by Yoshio Saito's awesome psychedelic jazz fusion.) Walking on the beach with the gang in rough hand-held camera moves, Fujita rolls out a utterly groovy atmosphere, heightening the Pop-Art of SCR 1 in sliding the camera along deep sea diving, party on the beach, and the lads (but sadly not the ladies) mooning onlookers as they casually plan their heist in between partying. Getting into a laid-back mood, Fujita cuts the partying down to size with a pure Psychotronic shoot-out between the gang and cops, ending the hippy hangout on ultra-stylised freeze frames/zoom-ins on the thieves rocking their last moments of life.
Given less than three months by the studio to write a sequel, Fujita & returning Stray Cat writer Nagahara get into a nifty spin by wisely placing the focus on the hangout aspect, whilst picking up in clipped side-plots the learning from a heiress they kidnap that a religious organization called Shinkyo Gakkai has a stash of cash coming in,leading to a wonderfully downer ending. Teaming up with regular collaborator Fujita again, cute Meiko Kaji hits giddy, joyful notes as gang member C-ko, while fittie Bunjaku Han brings a calculating toughness in planning the robbery as Asako,in the middle of this wild jumbo party.
See also
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