A typically wacky and offbeat Japanese comedy with some near the knuckle moments. Similar to the likes of HAUSU in the crazed energy and character work on offer. This one's a satire of the typical Japanese family and the ill affects of living in a cramped house on their mental health. Amusing interpretations of the usual archetypes give way to increasingly bizarre situations in which our characters seem to be at the mercy of the elements. Not my favourite film, but suffice it to say there's nothing else quite like it.

This is the greatest film ever, the greatest "thing" ever, it's been a long time I've seen a film that's this overwhelmingly funny that left my cup of emotional satisfaction overflowing. The Crazy Family is about exactly what the title implies: -family seemed normal, then went crazy-, and at first I thought it was just the father who would be the only sane one in the family as he tries to cope with the rest, but the director (of course) didn't care about any specially thought out intricate subplots-- everyone is just crazy altogether. Kudos to the actor who plays the father as well, he has the perfect FACE that reads disaster is in the air. The children are also gold: the son being an over-studious student who eventually cracks & the daughter who is an aspiring actress and really adorable too. The remaining family members are just side characters in my mind: the mother is a bit of a hypertensive nymphomaniac and the granddad who moved in and relives his memory as a soldier.

So before everyone's insanity becomes diabolically triumphant and everyone tries to kill each other, the granddad first moves in. His presence is deemed unwanted, so he and the father manually dig out a basement in their living room. The set design is really impressive here, not to mention the subsequent destruction of their house right in a residential area, much like the laughter unleashed within me destroying what remained of my funny-suppressing hormones. ... kill me please

First time I saw this film must have been around 1987, on German TV I remember. "Die Familie mit dem umgekehrten Düsenantrieb". Either this one or 'Tampopo', which I saw around the same time, are the first Japanese films I even saw.

I was gobsmacked by this one. Loved every minute of it. It's totally zany. It's a wonderful satire on 'booming Japan' in the 1980's. I particularly liked the role of the mother played by Mitsuko Baishô. I would say in the film, she's a kind of Japanse Teri Garr. Very subtle satire next to the outrageous things going on. The rest of the roles are filled perfectly which makes this a little gem. Of course, being 17 when I first saw it, Yûki Kudô did make an impression. Not sure though if this film would work for younger audiences in 2017, you probably have to know the zeitgeist of the 1980's a bit.

Have been trying to get this film on DVD or Blue-Ray for YEARS and finally managed to find a copy on German Amazon. It belongs to my personal list of 'cult-films'.

10 out of 10 would be a bit off, the film is good and very entertaining but not a masterpiece, but I give it 9 for pure personal reasons.