Asian Film Festival of Dallas 2009 - ‘K-20: Legend of the Mask’

Fans of the 2004 pulp classic Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow will immediately feel at home in Director Shimako Sato's inspired K-20: LEGEND OF THE MASK. Boasting a massive budget by Japanese standards, (2 billion yen, or 20 million US dollars), Sato delivers a compelling fantasy picture rife with action and energy.

Set in an alternate 1949 reality where World War II never occurred, K-20 takes place in the fictional Japanese city of Teito. Teito's skies are dominated by ominous zeppelins as well as other hybrid flying devices. The film is centered around the age old conflict of class divide, and Sato does a good job in conveying this visually. The affluent elite have embraced the tesla coil as a source of energy, and their brightly illuminated skyscrapers boast this triumph. On the other hand, the proletariat masses struggle with daily existence in their lantern lit hovels. Proof of the large budget can be seen in the opening shot, as a sweeping flyover shows the city constructed with CGI in incredible detail.

K-20 is centered around the character of Hikichi Endo, (played by the popular Takeshi Kaneshiro), a brilliant circus acrobat who performs nightly for the lower class denizens. After one such show, Endo is approached by the mysteriously masked K-20, who offers Endo cash in exchange for using his acrobatic skills to infiltrate a private ceremony. It turns out to be a setup, which forces Endo to hunt down K-20 and prove his innocence.

Information from the festival's website