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Jinbo Moon

average rating is 3 out of 5

Critic:

James Learoyd

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Posted on:

May 23, 2025

Film Reviews
Jinbo Moon
Directed by:
Keanu Brouard, Jack Smith
Written by:
Keanu Brouard, Jack Smith
Starring:
Shenji Schaeppi, Ned Rogan, Rob Trend, Jasmin Choy

Jinbo Moon is a new samurai-crime picture which certainly packs a punch but occasionally struggles to balance its many interweaving elements. We’re nevertheless blessed with an incredibly entertaining 26 minutes filled with strong characters, an original story concept and, above all, fantastic action. We follow a samurai who is sent by his bearded master on a mission; this mission seems dubious but must be fulfilled. Of course, the quest begins with a training montage before the foreboding confrontation. What we then get is a twisty, perspective-shifting evolution of narrative, culminating in the gruesome conflict and an unexpected reveal...

 

Allow us to begin by discussing the film’s most unusual aspect: the decision to combine the classical structure and aesthetic of the samurai flick with that of a gritty, hard-as-nails crime story – complete with gang warfare and British accents. Viewers may risk finding this experience to be quite a jarring thing. Interesting, certainly, but jarring. It’s unfortunate that these two contrasting elements, as opposed to complementing one another, instead feel like two completely respective productions. The issue may be that there’s not enough of a consistent visual characteristic to help carry over the same feeling, and thus the audience is left actively reassessing what it is they’re viewing. Having said that, the bold creative decision to have these two scenarios working in tandem is, in the abstract, very inventive. One cannot help but admire and enjoy all the concepts on show and the narrative ideas at play, even if they don’t quite come to their full fruition.

 

The film’s visual sense is very much something to be reckoned with, both for its often-beautiful construction and its occasional mismatchings on a stylistic front. There are some awe-inspiring shots in this piece: closeups of eyes which shimmer, panning wide shots with an unbelievable amount of depth (out of focus greenery in the foreground, stark figures in the background). There’s also one example of camera movement which is deeply arresting, when the camera spins on its axis as the protagonist comes to terms with the life he has just taken. The only thing which you could argue slightly clashes with the cinematography overall is the colour grade. While well-done on a technical standpoint, it could have been even more vibrant and contrasty to sync with the high tone of the film.

 

One of the main points to raise is that – themes and aesthetics aside – this is a terrific action movie. There’s just so much to admire regarding the swordfights, visual geography and overall choreography within any given scene; and for an independent production which may or may not have had the kind of resources to make these battles look totally convincing, they somehow found a way. On a narrative level, the stakes are high, and the audience is held in suspense. And on a cinematic level, it all looks so dynamic and exciting. There’s constant motion, varying rhythms, and fabulously dramatic looks and glances. Sequences like these are reason enough to watch Jinbo Moon, for we seldom get low-budget sword/physical combat movies which genuinely elicit a positive reaction. This is a fun work of action cinema which displays a strong understanding of genre construction and great promise for future projects.

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James Learoyd
James Learoyd
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