Impact's Mike Leeder Interviews Master of Thunder Director Kenji Tanigaki

Big thanks are due to Impact Magazine and Mike Leeder for offering us the chance to re-print their interview with Kenji Tanigaki, director and action choreographer for the upcoming Sonny Chiba / Yasuaki Kurata star vehicle Master of Thunder. Any chance to get a closer look at the film that brings together these martial arts legends is greatly appreciated ...

Two of the greatest names in the world of Japanese Action Cinema are reunited in the latest film from Japan’s action maestro and longtime friend of Impact, Kenji Tanigaki. The film is called “Master Of Thunder” or “Seven Monks” for the International market, and its two leading men are living legends in the world of martial arts movies. One is “the Streetfighter” himself Sonny “JJ” Chiba most recently seen in “Kill Bill”, while the other is Yasuaki Kurata from “Fist Of Legend”, “Legend Of A Fighter" and many other Hong Kong classics. Impact’s Eastern Editor Mike Leeder takes an exclusive first look at the film and talks to director and action choreographer Kenji Tanigaki

“Master of Thunder”
In Conversation With Kenji Tanigaki

Synopsis
For 1400 years, Spiritual Guardians have watched over and defeated the evil spirits located in a Japanese Mountain. The nearby Kikyo Temple is rumoured to have been the home of these legendary guardians known as the “Blue Seven Dragons”. Now only two survivors of the long battle between good and evil remain, the martial monks Santoku & Genryu.

With the forces of evil gaining power in our world, the fate of the world must be decided once and for all in a final ferocious battle between the forces of good and evil.

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Impact: Kenji, what was the genesis of the "Master Of Thunder" project?

Kenji: I’ve been doing a lot of action direction work in Japan and after working on “House Of Smackdown/My Zombie Mermaid”, I was thinking about developing a new full blooded martial arts project. One day, I got a phone call from Mr.Kurata telling me that he wanted to make an action movie with me. At the time we didn’t have any real solid ideas just we both wanted to make a good film featuring martial arts. We had a meeting and were discussing ideas, and Mr.Kurata suggested that we make a movie along similar lines to Sammo Hung’s classic “Spooky Encounters”. I agreed and we began working on a synopsis and story breakdown.

Impact: While you’ve been 2nd unit director and action director on a lot of projects in both Asia & Europe, “Master Of Thunder” marks your first feature length directorial debut. How did you feel helming your first film?

Kenji: Actually there’s not really that big a difference from when I was just being the action director, except of course I was much more involved with the script. When action directors make their first full movie as a director, there is often a tendency for them to try and focus on the dramatic elements rather than the action, “they want to show their range”. And while I can understand this, and yes drama is important, especially for this kind of movie the audience’s expectation will be far more focused on the action elements. So for this film, I actually simplified the dramatic parts and spent more time and energy on the action.

Impact: The first thing that really attracted me to the film was when you told me that it would be starring both Yasuaki Kurata and Sonny Chiba, the two living legends of Japanese Action Cinema & Television. When did you have the idea to reunite the two of them, as this is the first time they’ve starred together since 1974’s “Executioner”?

Kenji: After I had written the first treatment for the film, we were still discussing selling points for the film. And “SPL” which I worked on in Hong Kong was coming out, and of course something that everybody talks about in the film is the big fight between Donnie Yen & Sammo Hung. Two big action stars working together like that makes a really big impression on the audience.

If we were to set this kind of “dream team” match up in Japan, I got to thinking about who would be the best choice to fight with Kurata? Ken Watanbe? No. “Puffy”!(laughing)No!!! Hmmm just one man comes to mind, Sonny Chiba! What really surprised me was when we had the next meeting with Kurata, before I could say who I had been thinking of. He asked the question, “What do you think if I was to fight with Sonny Chiba in the film?”. We had both come to the same conclusion and we agreed to bring him on board.

Impact: While both leading men are how should I say this of the “older generation”, they’re both in very good physical condition. Were you surprised by how well they could handle the physical side of things when it came to shooting action? Were there any particular moments that really stand out from the shoot?

Kenji: Its hard to believe but Sonny Chiba is 67 years old, and Master Kurata will celebrate his 60th birthday this year! But they’re both faster than a lot of much younger stuntmen. When I was demonstrating to Sonny Chiba one sequence where he’d be rolling on the floor, he laughed at me saying, “You’re so slow! I’m faster than you! Let's have a competition”. (Laughing) Chiba would leap up off a trampoline, be kicked by Kurata and then do a Hong Kong spin or ‘720’ . Kurata uses his kick and Japanese sword while Chiba uses a Japanese long pole and big prayer beads.

When I was shooting this sequence, every day about 30-40 stuntmen would come to the set and observe the way Chiba & Kurata were performing. The majority of them started their career in “Kurata Action Club” like myself, or “Japan Action Club” under Sonny Chiba many years before, and were really impressed by their master’s performances. I was very happy and proud of just how hard both men worked for me on this film.

Impact: While you have a lengthy relationship with Master Kurata, having been a student of his, had you much interaction with Sonny Chiba previously?

Kenji: Sonny Chiba was one of my childhood idols along with Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung & Yuen Biao, when I was young and their action/martial arts movies really inspired me to become a martial artist and stuntman myself. I asked him which of the many movies he’d starred in was he most satisfied with, and he answered, “I can’t say which one. Perhaps it would be easier to say I am not 100% satisfied with any movie I’ve made. (Laughing) Maybe the next one!” This really impressed me, he’s achieved so much and yet he is still so passionate for film-making and has so much ambition to do better, that’s really admirable.

Impact: As we've mentioned Kurata has been your teacher/mentor for a very long time. How would you describe the relationship between the two of you and how did you enjoy directing him in the film?

Kenji: Mike, as you know I belonged to “Kurata Action Club” in my teenage years, training to be a stuntman and hoping to work in movies and TV. He was my Grand Master back then, and I was just one of his many students. (Laughing) I don’t know if he even would have known who I was or recognized me back then. After I moved to Hong Kong to work in the industry there, I had the opportunity to meet him several times on various locations including “Fist of Legend” where I played multiple roles as various Japanese students and martial artists, “Conman In Tokyo”, and on Corey Yuen’s “So Close”. When we met these times we had common topics to talk about, our experiences in film etc and I could start to understand his way of thinking. I’m really happy to be able to work with him on this movie, he was very supportive of me and the project.

Impact: How long a shooting schedule did you have for the film?

Kenji: It wasn’t as long as I would have liked. Our first shooting day was November 1st 2005, and we finished principal photography on November 29th, although we did come back in December for three additional days of shooting. In total we had 30 shooting days, and I think each one was in the region of 15 shooting hours a day.

Impact: Kenji, you’re an action director whose been fortunate to work in Hong Kong & Japan on such projects as “Fist of Legend”, “Legend Of The Wolf”, “Once Upon a Time In Triad Society”, “Princess Blade” etc, as well as on international projects such as “Blade 2”, “Mortal Kombat 2”, and “Puma” in Germany. How would you describe the action for the film and what would you say is the standout sequence in the film?

Kenji: In this film we have a basic storyline that makes use of both the younger and older generation of performers. Each of the films action scenes has a different style, one fight scene features one of the villains fighting with 120 monks in one shot for 5 minutes! And of course the stand out fight between Chiba & Kurata is very fast paced, and very appealing, both men have so much charisma and presence and it comes across in the scene.
I don’t know if I would call myself a “HK” styled action director, because each Hong Kong action director has their own unique style. I do think that working with Donnie Yen on so many projects had a great influence upon me. He is my “master” when it comes to movie making. He really taught me what “action” is, what "making a movie” really is.

Impact: is the market for Japanese action cinema opening up? There seems to be a lot of talent in Japan but there aren’t that many action movies being made. What does the future hold for Kenji Tanigaki, any plans for further work in the International market?

Kenji: Its getting better in Japan, especially compared to say 5 years ago when there was hardly any action films being made. But no matter what I will just try my best in any action scene, or any kind of movie. Now I’m talking with several different companies about a number of projects including some geared for the international market. I’m looking for the chance to work with different people and learn new things and film making techniques. I’ll go to Shanghai to shoot a Chinese TV series shortly, and then return to Hong Kong for another project with Donnie Yen. I hope that everybody has the chance to watch “Master Of Thunder”, and really enjoys it! Thank you!

We’ll be reviewing the film in Impact shortly after its release in Japan this summer. So keep reading Impact for the latest and greatest coverage of Action Cinema Worldwide.