Filled with warm humor as well as a quiet sadness, Kikujiro came as        something of a surprise to audiences expecting the tougher, more violent         elements of Fireworks or Sonatine. Yet, with its meditative,         reflective tone, this is very much a Kitano film, somewhat in the spirit of    his third movie, A Scene at the Sea, although more sentimental. When a   lonely young boy takes to the road in search of his mother, a brash,           gambling-crazed tough guy (Kitano) is recruited to act as his guardian,          leading to several offbeat encounters. A funny and sensitive work that, at its heart, is an affectionate look at boys of all ages at play. In Japanese with   Takeshi Kitano---Japan---1999---116 mins.