Shelf Life

I Am A Hero

I Am a Hero asks a question that many horror fans have probably pondered at some point: what would an ordinary person do in an undead apocalypse? When faced with a bloodthirsty horde of walking corpses, would we stand up to be the hero or just get turned into a very messy lunch? The film's main character is forced to find that answer for himself over the course of the story, and that journey turns out to pretty entertaining. It doesn't necessarily break new ground in the genre, but it's a fun two-hour ride.

That everyman protagonist is an assistant manga artist named Hideo Suzuki, whose life has more or less stalled out as the story begins. His career is going nowhere, his girlfriend is tired of his constant indecisiveness, and he just can't seem to find a way out of the rut he's in. Change is eventually forced upon him in the form of a viral outbreak; a virus called ZQN is turning people into flesh-eating monsters that can only be stopped by destroying the brain. Hideo meets a teenage girl named Hiromi during his chaotic escape from the city, and the two of them eventually join with a group of survivors in a rural outlet mall. Of course, it turns out that the walking dead aren't the only threat when the civilized world falls apart.

From a storytelling perspective, I Am a Hero has a clear understanding of the history and tropes of the genre it's working in, and it references or acknowledges a lot of those tried-and-true plot points. There's the initial shock of Hideo's first encounter with a zombie (or ZQN, as they're called here), the descent into panic as the outbreak unfolds, and the inevitable epic confrontation in a shopping mall. I'm tempted to describe it as a Japanese take on genre send-ups like Shaun of the Dead, but while it does have some moments of comedy, the story in general is more serious and straightforward in tone. It tries to depict things with some degree of realism, and for the most part it succeeds. Hideo survives much of the film by running and hiding rather than mowing down scores of baddies, which feels more accurate to how most people would respond to an undead plague. That course of action is also somewhat justified by the ZQNs themselves, which are fast and unpredictable enough to be legitimately scary. The film makes an interesting choice to give the ZQNs a limited ability to speak, with individuals muttering whatever phrase was foremost in their minds in their final moments. That doesn't necessarily make them any smarter than the average shambling corpse, but it does make them a little creepier.

As for the humans, while there's a reasonably sized cast of heroes and villains, this is mainly Hideo's story. He walks the line between protagonist and bystander throughout much of the narrative, often getting caught in the middle of situations that he can't necessarily control. Hideo owns a shotgun (which is something of a rarity in Japan), and while he repeatedly thinks about using it to fend off a ZQN, he doesn't actually pull the trigger until pretty late in the story. That places a big thematic emphasis on taking action instead of merely reacting to things, with the implication being that Hideo becomes the “hero” by finding the will to take matters into his own hands. The rest of the characters all fit fairly well into their standard roles, whether it's Hideo's teenage traveling companion or the ruthless leader of the survivor camp, but it's clear that they're all playing supporting parts in Hideo's character arc. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, it does place the film's focus squarely on the one protagonist instead of developing an ensemble cast.

That singular focus plays into what is, at least from my perspective, the main limiting factor in I Am a Hero. While the movie does a fine job of painting within the standard genre lines, it doesn't really say anything that hasn't been said before. The story essentially boils down to a simple what-if scenario: what if this particular guy had to fight a bunch of zombies? As much as I enjoyed Hideo's journey from slacker to survivor, this genre is already full of stories about normal people rising to the occasion after being thrust into extraordinary circumstances. A really good horror film will either bring something new to the table or use a recognizable setup to present a unique idea to the viewer. I didn't really get either or those things out of I Am a Hero; it's just an overly familiar tale told reasonably well.

If your main interest here is in watching some good old-fashioned zombie killing action, then the fight scenes in I Am a Hero should fit the bill nicely. The occasional CG special effects aren't quite good enough to blend seamlessly into each shot, but they're used sparingly and effectively. The practical effects are more convincing, and the set design conveys the “world gone to heck” ambience well. The movie's visual direction and editing are generally pretty strong, and Hideo's early dash through the chaos of the city does an especially nice job of conveying the feeling of escalating danger. This release from Funimation only includes the original Japanese audio track with subtitles, so you're out of luck if you're hoping for an English dub. Extras are limited to a handful of trailers, but I'll give them points for at least putting together an eye-catching cover design.

While I can't speak to how well it adapts its source material, I Am a Hero makes for a perfectly decent action horror movie on its own merits. It may not have much to say that hasn't been said before, but it's entertaining and emotionally compelling at all the right points. It's worth a single viewing for general audiences, and hardcore genre fans might get enough out of it to justify a re-watch or two. If you need a live-action fix for your zombie horror cravings, I Am a Hero is a viable option.
-Paul[TOP]