Japanese director Takashi Miike is a favorite of ours here at Monsters at Play, as his films never fail to impress us in some fashion. From the unflinchingly brutal Ichi the Killer to the cliche-busting crime parody Dead or Alive, Miike's films are always possessed of a style and wit that immediately grab your attention and let you know that you won't be seeing the same old hum-drum bullshit. Happiness of the Katakuris is certainly one of his most unique endeavors to date, focusing on the inner workings of the family dynamic instead of the satirical violence of his earlier works. It's not a simple work by any means, and as with all Miike films, the phrase "expect the unexpected" summarizes the proceedings to a tee.

Happiness of the Katakuris follows the misadventures of the Katakuri family, as they struggle to make ends meet running their floundering guest house. After a surreal stop-motion opening credits sequence, we're introduced to house-owner Masao, his wife Terue and their children Shizue and Masayuki. And let's not forget Grandpa Jinpei, the crazy old coot of the clan. Their first-ever guest arrives one fateful night, which would normally be cause for celebration. That euphoria is short-lived however, as they find his bloody corpse the next morning in his bedroom. The Katakuri family responds to his suicide like any normal Japanese family would... with a balls-to-the-wall musical outburst. G'huh?!? Oh, did I mention that Happiness is a musical? Left that little detail out, did I?

Yes, the members of the Katakuri family deal with strife through a variety of stylized musical numbers, complete with choreographed dance routines and loosely-sung lyrics. These scenes add just the right amount of quirky charm to the picture, and I guarantee you haven't seen anything quite as eyebrow-raising as the song-and-dance discovery of that first victim. It's funny for all the right reasons, trust me. The house guests continue to snuff themselves throughout the film in the most bizarre manners, and soon the family is knee-deep in fresh corpses. These events deeply affect each member of the household, but their unflappable resolve keeps them together through the tough times. And they need all the family unity they can get in order to ward off a sputtering chorus line of dancing zombies. Let's see your family do that.

Happiness is a fun film to watch, with some great performances from the well-chosen cast. I especially enjoyed the performance of crazy old Grandpa Jinpei and his obsession with eradicating computer-generated birds by hurling chunks of wood at them. Con-man Richard Sagawa is a hoot as well, with his attempts to convince Shiruze that he is a member of the British Royal Family and a US Navy Pilot. The music is fairly enjoyable as well, especially the pseudo-rock piece that plays out as the men decide who will take the blame for the dead guests. Miike's experience directing music videos is evident throughout the course of the film, as the musical numbers come together very well. And though it is a decidedly off-the-wall affair, a sincere message of family unity beats at the heart of Happiness, and Miike's vision of family togetherness lends an endearing quality to the film that elevates it to more than just a slapstick chucklefest. This is one of my favorite Miike films to date, and although I feel it runs a bit too long, Happiness comes highly recommended.

Fortex presents Happiness on a bare-bones DVD in its original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio. Aside from the Main Menu (which is actually listed as a "feature" on the back of the case), the disc is limited to Scene Access, Subtitle Selection and Trailer. No fuss, no muss. The disc includes English subtitles for us import-hungry gaijin, and the quality of the translation is fairly good, with very few grammatical mistakes to distract you from the film. The film quality is clean and vibrant for the most part, and the movie seems to have received a pretty decent transfer to DVD. There is some noticeable grain in certain scenes, and some weird banding patterns can be seen in the less-than-deep black areas. I found the quality acceptable, though videophiles will probably not be impressed. Audio is encoded in Dolby Digital 2.0 format, and the movie sounds crisp for the most part. Some scenes featured muffled dialogue and tinny sounds, making me wish for a 5.1 soundtrack option on the disc.

Overall this is a minimalist DVD for a minimalist price. I got my copy for a mere eight dollars American, so I don't feel cheated by the lack of features. You can't really go wrong with this disc, though, as there's really nothing else like Happiness of the Katakuris. It's a goofy, hilarious, endearing mish-mash of a movie with plenty to offer both Miike fans and alternative film enthusiasts alike. If you're in the market for a horror-comedy-musical hybrid, Happiness of the Katakuris will scratch that itch perfectly.

Note: This is a Region 3 DVD, and you will need a modified player to view it.