Using contemporary cinematic editing techniques, this stylish horror thriller features an interesting premise: what if a murderer managed to elude capture by the regular authorities, but the corpse had access to a fair trial in the afterlife? In Judge, justice does prevail...posthumously. Oma, a bespectacled nerd-type, working as a paper-pusher in a large corporation, happens to also be a rather nasty character named Judge in his off-time: the Judge of Darkness, actually. When a greedy exec named Kawamata (who has striking Peter Lorre eyes) liquidates an employee, the Judge goes after him to settle the score. But just when it looks like justice will be served in a suitably gruesome fashion, something even more horrible rears its ugly head: a defense lawyer. The two legal eagles trade fireballs and various other magical animated effects for awhile and then decide to take their squabble to court before the Ten Kings of Hell. There's a nice satirical edge running throughout Judge, and the animation--while not spectacular--is pretty good. There is a brief, mild sex scene and a fair amount of graphic violence. Recommended. (R. Pitman)
Judge
(1991/1994) 50 min. $29.95. In Japanese w/English subtitles. U.S. Manga Corps (dist. by Central Park Media). Color cover. Vol. 9, Issue 6
Judge
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