Bayside Shakedown: The Movie 2 (2003) [Film Review]

Bayside Shakedown: The Movie 2; or, Close The Rainbow Bridge!

     If the leader is good then the group is strong.

It has been a lot wait for Odoru Daisousasen fans back in 1998. After 5 years, Odoru Daisōsasen Za Mūbī Tsū Reinbōburizzi o Fūsaseyo!, a sequel to the first movie, arrived on the Japanese screens and proved to be the biggest, the most explosive, and the most daring entry of the whole franchise. Needless to say, it was a box office hit for nine consecutive weeks and it dominates the chart of the highest grossing films in Japan (over 17 billion yen) as the most successful live-action Japanese film to date. It’s time to talk about Bayside Shakedown: The Movie 2.

Release Info

Directed by: Katsuyuki Motohiro Starring: Yuji Oda, Toshiro Yanagiba, Eri Fukatsu, Chosuke Ikariya

Original title: 踊る大捜査線　THE MOVIE２　レインボーブリッジを封鎖せよ！

Language: Japanese Runtime: 138 min

 

Synopsis

A series of strange and brutal murders of company executives takes place on the Odaiba island. Even though it is within the jurisdiction of the Wangan Station, the HQ takes over the investigation. Meanwhile, Aoshima (Yuji Oda) and Sumire (Eri Fukatsu) are preoccupied with their own cases of a mugging family and a vampire on the loose. Superintendent Muroi (Toshiro Yanagiba) asks them to put these on hold and assist in the murder investigation. Wangan detectives have no idea that they are about to deal with the most devious and clever villains so far. When head of the investigative team, Okita (Miki Maya), makes a failure after a failure, it is up to Aoshima and Muroi to join forces and catch the killers.

 

This is Odoru Daisousasen alright but on steroids! Right from the start we are served with an action-packed opening as Aoshima and his friends take down the SAT team during a counter-terrorism exercise. Nevertheless, the movie quickly shifts gears to a standard police drama with meticulous investigation of serial murders, yet a fast-pace and high doses of humour are maintained throughout the picture.

 

Similarly to the first theatrical film, this one also relies on the issues of hierarchy and bureaucracy. In fact, these are the driving themes of the picture as we watch Okita (brilliantly played by Miki Maya) not giving a damn about everything except for her own promotion. In consequence of such an approach, Yukino is kidnapped and Sumire gets injured in the line of duty. Only when Muroi steps in does the chase after the killers become the real deal. However, nobody is able to close the Rainbow Bridge. From the downsides, I think that probably the criminals themselves were a bit of a disappointment.

 

About performances, Yuji Oda and Toshiro Yanagiba played their hearts out in this sequel. You can literally feel the anguish of their characters with regard to their “promise” of making a difference in the police force. This conflict, on the other hand, is transposed onto the relation between Detective Waku (Chosuke Ikariya) and the Commissioner (Shigeru Koyama). Even though Chosuke Ikariya was not given much of a screen time again, in my opinion, he did a better job than in the first film (and he was great there!). It is really sad that shortly after the movie’s release, he passed away.

 

We cannot forget about Eri Fukatsu whose role was significantly extended in this story. She was simply outstanding, especially in the (usually stereotypical) hospital scenes. The rest of the original cast: Yusuke Santamaria, Miki Mizuno, Kenta Satoi, and the actors playing the chiefs were wonderful as well.

 

The music score by Akihiko Matsumoto was expanded by the remix of “Rhythm and Police” theme and some new, more choral, material. A word of caution! Please make sure to watch the full, uncut, 138-minute version of the movie. There’s the so-called “International Cut” existing (a dvd cover labelled with a THX sound system), which lacks 20 minutes of footage (mostly comedy scenes).

 

Recommendations

Hailed by many as the best of the theatrical movies. Personally, I like the first film and this one equally. It has lots of action, yet still manages to hit the emotional side by reinforcing the theme of teamwork vs. harsh bureaucracy. If you enjoyed the first movie and the original show, you will most certainly like this sequel as well. Still again, as I mentioned in the previous review, don’t check out this movie without having the knowledge about the series. Otherwise, you’re in for lots of unknown characters and continuity issues. However, if you have seen the previous entries, you definitely won’t regret watching Odoru Daisōsasen Za Mūbī Tsū Reinbōburizzi o Fūsaseyo!

Overall score: 9/10