I'm assuming you're saying that me saying dead or alive 2 is similiar to sonatine is the load of crap and not me placing the film at # 6.
So...
Two yakuza films where the action is sidelined for the main section of the film where the violent grown men reenact their childhood by playing with each other, laying on the beach, enjoying simple pleasures, and developing relationships with the locals -- basically, getting back into their childhood mindset... and then coming back for the last 3rd of the film as completely different people, though never able to run away from the problems they had in the 1st part of the film.
So, how is that not similiar? ... Thematically, structurally, in the subdued directing and acting (and even musically if I remember correctly, it's been a while since I saw DoA2), they're extremely similiar. Doesn't make it a ripoff. I love both films! Let's not forget that Miike is a huge Kitano fan as well.
Anyway, DoA2 is really a special film. Shinya Tsukamoto as a magician.
