Posted by Delinquents make their dreams of becoming a boy band a reality in Japan
Have you heard of People Just Do Nothing before? Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, but I had never heard of this show before. The only reason I even knew of this movie is due to the multiple times I’ve sat through the trailer on recent trips to the cinema. That being said, I wasn’t prepared to pull another Fast and Furious and sit through all People Just Do Nothing material before going to see Big in Japan. I get the gist – it’s a group of lads in dead-end situations finding themselves in foreign surroundings and finding the need to adapt.
That pretty much sums up the plot to be fair. A group of lads called Kurupt FM, led by MC Grindah (Allan Mustafa) travel to Japan to sign a record deal based on a track they created years prior. The group’s unofficial official manager, Chabuddy G (Asim Chaudhry) gets alienated as the rest of the group disbands due to the musical direction they are being asked to travel.
First things first, I didn’t realise before walking in that I would be sporting a similar hair and beard style as the pathetic manager, Chabuddy G.
I’m not one to embarrass easy but seeing the sorry state of Chabuddy G – despite the hilarity of the situations he found himself in – rocking the same look as me made me feel incredibly self-conscious! Every time someone behind me laughed I found myself sinking further into my seat – which is the last thing you need when going to watch a comedy movie. Luckily, I was wearing a hoody that allowed me to hide my appearance. And thankfully I carry myself with more dignity than Chabuddy too *ahem ahem*.
Moving on, there were more than a few questions raised by the plot. Like what were the actual motives of getting Kurupt FM to Japan? What was in it for the Japanese company that hired them? Why couldn’t they just use stand ins more appropriate to the image they were after? What was the money on offer to Kurupt FM? Why did they go ahead with all the duties without discussing what financial benefit there would be for them? They also hinted at one of the crew members, Decoy, being the father of MC Grindah’s daughter, yet this didn’t go anywhere. Was that a show thing? So. Many. Questions.
Maybe that’s me just being overly negative. Past that, I did find the movie largely enjoyable. The characters weren’t particularly likable, reminiscent to Ricky Gervais’ David Brent in The Office; however, it gave me a few cheap laughs. Plus, any movie set in Japan hits a soft spot for me. I love the country and really enjoyed my visit there many years ago… ah, the pandemic really has me missing travelling!
Then there’s the karaoke rendition of The Streets’ Dry Your Eyes. That really made up for any flaws in the plot. Wow that song brought back a lot of memories! Not that I’ve ever cried over a girl or anything. Honestly. No, you shut up.
Verdict
A funny, awkward, comedy with scenes of genuine hilarity. The characters are crazy but realistic in the sense you’ll feel they remind you of someone you know. The plot left me with some questions but worth a watch even if you haven’t seen the tv series.