Cast Member: Takayuki Yamada

A grand tale of men banding together to fight an unrelenting evil, content to die if they can free their land from the marauding tyrant and his gargantuan army.

This Japanese blockbuster is like a head on collision between a big budget disaster flick and a Lifetime/Hallmark/True Movies film of the week.

A movie should be able to stand on its own merits, but despite the situation intriguing me and the action exciting me, I couldn’t help feeling unsatisfied in the end.

Despite doing some things right in terms of the look and feel of the franchise, it never quite seems to re-capture the atmosphere or the magical abilities to the point where they truly captivate.

What makes it work so well, at least for me, is the ease with which it taps into the child in all of us and creates a rip-roaring adventure that is fun for all the family.

With a genuinely affectionate central romance, a captivating female lead and a hero who is believable, bewildering and ultimately winning, ‘Train Man’ is certainly to be commended.