What is this Japanese movie?

Reznik

I watched a movie a few years ago, I think it was from the early-mid 2000s. It was live action, I would describe it as comic-booky even though I have no idea if it was based on a comic or anime or anything. My recollection of it is vague, but I remember the visuals being very stylized, sort of like 300. Lots of contrast and unnatural colours. The main character had superpowers of some kind, or possibly some kind of augmented suit or robot body. If I'm remembering right, he might have had a half-mask covering the lower half of his face and shaggy dark hair. I recall a crazy fight scene where he takes out a bunch of robots.

Um. I think there might have been some post-apocalyptic or dystopian stuff going on? I'm thinking he fought all the robots in a ruined city. And there might have been some sort of fight in a factory where more and more robots kept coming.

Sorry this is so vague, it's been years since I watched it and it just randomly popped into my head. Does this sound like anything?

Ignus

Might be Casshern?
imdb.com/title/tt0405821/

Reznik

Aha! Yes that's exactly it. Thank you.

ceres

The animated version is so much better.

Artereis

The live version has what is, imo, one of Utada's best songs, though.

ceres

Okay but otherwise it makes very little sense, where the animated version had an awesome story.

AngelHedgie

There's actually four different incarnations of Casshern:

* There's the original 70s tokatsu show, which is going to be pretty rare.
* There's an 80's era OAV, which did make it to the US. Not sure if it's in print still, though. It's...very much a product of its time.
* The movie that came out in the early 2000s, which you saw. The main issue here is that (as ceres pointed out) the movie was created for people who knew the story from the older media.
* And finally, the most recent is the full length anime series Casshern Sins. This is the best route to go if you are interested in the franchise after the movie.

Noizlanif

Just want to add, Casshern Sins, is kind of depressing / bleak. So enjoy!