Bayside Shakedown 4: The Final Movie (2012) [Film Review]

Bayside Shakedown: The Movie 4; or, A New Hope

     Don't mess with us cops...

Just in 2010, when the Odoru Daisousasen movie series was rebooted and two years later it was announced that it’s coming to an end! The Last TV special episode and Odoru Daisōsasen The Final: Arata Naru Kibō, filmed back-to-back, mark the very last entries in the 15-year-old franchise.

Release Info

Directed by: Katsuyuki Motohiro Starring: Yuji Oda, Eri Fukatsu, Toshiro Yanagiba, Yusuke Santamaria

Language: Japanese Original Title: 踊る大捜査線 THE FINAL 新たなる希望 Runtime: 126 min

 

Synopsis

A gun is stolen from the evidence archive in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Soon after, two people die from that gun in the jurisdiction of the Wangan Police Station. Aoshima’s team begins the investigation, but the HQ’s investigative unit led by Torigai (Shun Oguri) takes over. It turns out that a cop stole the gun so, to hush things up, Muroi (Toshiro Yanagiba) and Aoshima (Yuj Oda) are turned into scapegoats. In the meantime, Sumire (Eri Fukatsu) considers  quitting her job because of the inability to cope with pain from a gunshot wound. WPS police officers join their forces to discover an in-police conspiracy that has something to do with what Mashita (Yusuke Santamaria) did in his early days as the negotiator.

 

All the good things...

Well, to be honest, Bayside Shakedown 4: The Final is a decent, well-made conclusion to one of the most awesome franchises ever. However, I guess that my expectations for this movie were a bit too high. In a lot of ways, I enjoyed The Last TV special episode more, and it was only lead-in to this final film. The uneven pacing is probably the only issue of this movie as it starts right off the bat with the chase scene, crazy awesome intro (my favourite out of all movies) and then it slows down to present a lot of exposition intertwined with humor scenes.

 

Nevertheless, I also greatly enjoyed many things which this film had to offer. The development of the Aoshima/Sumire (only friends!) relationship was done way better than in the previous sequel. In addition, the running theme of the series: excessive police bureaucracy is quite interesting to watch as both Aoshima and Muroi become the victims of the corrupt system. In addition, the conspiracy involving Mashita was really gripping. At first, I thought that the creators were trying to be over-original with the plot, but eventually, I appreciated that the crime had a little bit of personal factor (with relation to the characters) conveyed in itself. All in all, this is the final movie.

 

Speaking about performances, as in the previous movies, the Odoru cast was remarkable. The highest praise goes to Eri Fukatsu as she did the best job with her character since Bayside Shakedown: The Movie 2. Yuji Oda is great as always as Aoshima and the same thing applies to Toshiro Yanagiba and his portrayal of Muroi. Though, I hoped to see a little bit more of Muroi Shinji in this movie. In addition, Ren Osugi reprises his cameo role from the first theatrical film as a cover-up expert, the man behind the scenes who brings down the top brass of the police force

 

Recommendations

If you liked the previous theatrical films of the series, then this movie will not let you down. It may be uneventful at times, but generally it manages to deliver the desired dosage of Bayside Shakedown glamour. There’s humour, action, entertainment, and Aoshima running to the pumped up "Rhythm and Police" theme song. What’s more important, the promise made by Muroi in the last episode of the show has finally been fulfilled.

 

Well, this is the end of my two-month adventure with Odoru Daisousasen. It was a wonderful and unforgettable ride. I can only hope that someday, just maybe, there will be a new movie released.

Overall score: 8/10

Bayside Shakedown 3: Set the Guys Loose (2010) [Film Review]

Bayside Shakedown: The Movie 3; or, Release the Prisoners!

     One thing I forgot to say... Your death won't be beautiful. You've got no pride, huh? No matter what, I'm going to arrest you. I take pride in that.

It’s been 7 years since the latest instalment of Bayside Shakedown until Yuji Oda proudly announced in 2010: "We’re back". Indeed, the Odoru Daisousasen team returned in this new and exciting reboot/sequel called Bayside Shakedown 3: Set the Guys Loose.

Release Info

Directed by: Katsuyuki Motohiro Starring: Yuji Oda, Eri Fukatsu, Toshiro Yanagiba, Yusuke Santamaria

Language: Japanese Original Title: 踊る大捜査線　THE MOVIE3 Runtime: 141 min

 

Synopsis

Aoshima (Yuji Oda) was promoted to Section Chief and he is currently handling a difficult logistic operation of moving the Wangan Police Station to its new headquarters. In the meantime, strange crimes take place. A bus hijack without any hijackers on board or a bank robbery without any money being stolen. What is more, the WPS chiefs find out that three pistols were stolen from the station’s arsenal. An unknown group of high-tech terrorists send in the ultimatum: Release specific prisoners arrested by Detective Aoshima or people will be shot from the stolen guns, and the Wangan staff will be gassed by toxins. In the course of his investigation, Aoshima discovers that the terrorists are connected with one of the prisoners.

 

Running Scared

Well, Bayside Shakedown 3, what can I say? After The Suspect: Muroi Shinji (2005) and the long break between the second and the third movie, I gather that the series began to run out of steam. Thus, it needed a proper injection of novelty as well as referencing to the previous films. As a result, this sequel feels very much like a reboot. We have a change of location and some new characters like Waku’s nephew, Shinjiro Waku (Atsushi Ito), Chinese police officer Wang (Kenichi Takito), and Natsumi Shinohara (Yuki Uchida), returning from the 1998 special episode: Wangan Police Station Female Officers’ Story. Even the picture’s colour palette seems more lively and vivid in comparison to the other movies, which had more greyish overlay.

 

With regard to the story, thankfully the usual Odoru theme of bureaucracy is not brought into the spotlight. Instead, the drama is delivered with the subplot of Aoshima being misdiagnosed with cancer... (I did not make that up). This sounds so far-fetched outright that it becomes the main disadvantage of this movie. I realise that the makers wanted some emotional scenes between Aoshima and Sumire (Eri Fukatsu) as well as some big catharsis towards the end (that Aoshima is actually healthy and the x-ray was faulty), but it is really uninspiring to watch. Especially when the script tried to turn Aoshima into Dabney Coleman’s character from Short Time (1990), as he is unafraid of anything, because he knows that he is going to die. The movie could easily got away without this subplot, and thus, decrease its lengthy runtime (140 minutes).

 

When all was said about the downsides, some positives have to be mentioned. Well, Kyoko Koizumi returns as Manami Hyuga from the first movie and she is revealed to be the main villainess of this story. However, contrary to her performance in Movie 1, Koizumi gives a very distanced and frigid portrayal of a crazy psychopath, so do not expect to hear her hysterical laughter or see her running amok with a loaded gun.

 

When the action is there, it is entertaining, especially with Akihiko Matsumoto’s main theme. New characters serve as a good addition to Aoshima’s team, though they are not given much time in the movie. Oh! Susumu Terajima has a small cameo in one of the scenes as Detective Kijima. Also, Shun Oguri plays Torigai, a Harvey Dent-like character who appears to start off as a good guy but gradually transforms into a baddie by the fourth movie.

 

About the performances, the original cast shines as brightly as ever with Yuji Oda and Eri Fukatsu in the leading roles. Toshiro Yanagiba’s appearance as Muroi Shinji is slightly limited in this sequel, but it’s always great to see him. Yusuke Santamaria and Kotaro Koizumi also return from Negotiator: Mashita Masayoshi (2005) and the WPS chiefs (Soichiro Kitmura, Satoru Saito, Takehiko Ono) are funny as always, though one can tell that the passage of time has taken a toll on them.

   

Recommendations

To sum up, Odoru Daisōsasen The Movie 3: Yatsura o Kaihō Seyo! is a fun and refreshing entry in the series. Though uneven at times, it’s a safe pick for Friday night. Unfortunately, it may not be suited for repetitive viewing. Probably that is the reason why it did well in the box office (over 7 billion yen), but not as good as the two previous films. However, it has the cast, it has the music, and it has the entertaining factor. This is a fully fledged Bayside Shakedown sequel.

Overall score: 8/10

The Suspect: Muroi Shinji (2005) [Film Review]

The Suspect: Muroi Shinji; or, The Superintendent’s on the Loose!

     I'm a stubborn man. When I make a choice... all other choices disappear.

Superintendent Muroi Shinji is back (with a vengeance), and this time, in his own movie. Yougisha Muroi Shinji is the second of the two theatrical spin-off films, which, together with two other TV specials, comprise the Odoru Legend series. In the story centered around him, Muroi will have to fight against dirty office politics and corrupt-to-the-bone lawyers as he is arrested for conducting an allegedly-flawed investigation.

Release Info

Directed by: Ryoichi Kimizuka Starring: Toshiro Yanagiba, Rena Tanaka, Norito Yashima

Language: Japanese Original Title: 容疑者　室井慎次 Runtime: 117 min

 

Synopsis

The movie begins with Muroi (Toshiro Yanagiba) imprisoned in a detention center. Although, currently working for a Federal Agency, he is arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department. The last case he was in charge of concerned the alleged stabbing of a man by a police officer. Chased by the Shinjuku locals, the officer attempts to escape and dies in an accident. However, in view of discovering new evidence, Muroi is not so sure of his quilt and reopens the investigation. Shinji does not know that the case has a second bottom and the top brass at the MPD and the Feds are not very keen on finding the real culprit. Instead, Muroi is charged with an accusation that he led to the officer’s unfortunate death. Now, the Superintendent will have to cooperate with a rookie defender called Obara (Rena Tanaka) in order to clear his name.

 

Unlike the previous spin-off Negotiator: Mashita Masayoshi (2005), The Suspect does not rely on the formula of fast-paced action. What we get instead is something of a mash-up of police procedural and courtroom drama. In other words, it is almost as if The Fugitive (1993) meets Philadelphia (1993). Perhaps, that is the reason why this movie gets such a bad rap on imdb. Personally, I am totally fine with the way in which screenwriter and director Ryoichi Kimizuka went with this story. Nevertheless, the movie has several flaws.

 

First off, at the very beginning, we get a whole 20 minutes of exposition. I realise that exposition is important in order to understand what is going on in the story, but the film’s plot line is so convoluted that I barely managed to scratch the surface in the description above. The movie really demands a lot of attention from the viewer to figure out why Muroi has become the titular suspect and how he is going to rescue himself. In fact, halfway through the picture, I lost track of who are the good guys and the bad guys. Does the MPD want to end Muroi? The Feds? Or both at the same time?! Kimizuka clearly wanted to come up with an original crime plot, but the end result is only half-satisfying.

 

After discussing the downsides, it is necessary to talk about the advantages and there is a few of them. Toshiro Yanagiba is (obviously) the highlight of this picture as he plays the role of an honest cop effortlessly. What the script does really right is finally giving Muroi an interesting back-story: where he came from, what was his past. This, coupled with Yanagiba’s acting, enhances the quality of Muroi’s character.

 

Another advantage are the supporting characters. Rena Tanaka plays Obara, Muroi’s attorney, who hates cops because they disregarded an assault on her in the past. Norito Yashima, on the other hand, portrays Haijima Hideki, a ruthless and spoiled lawyer who is after Muroi. An interesting character indeed, but I don’t think that he had enough potential to be given his own TV movie. Also, Akira Emoto has a minor role in the picture as Obara’s mentor, but he doesn’t do much apart from uttering a few Obi-Wan Kenobi-like quotes. In addition, some familiar faces come back. Miki Maya and Toshio Kakei return as Okita and Shinjo respectively. The two officers taught by Muroi do not trust each other, but they work independently towards saving the Superintendent.

What is more, the final showdown at Shinjuku North Precinct is a rewarding watch. Maybe it is hard to get there with all those twists and conspiracies along the way, but the payoff of Muroi’s last day on the job is definitely outstanding. The mystery behind everything was quite trivial, yet it made perfect sense in the end. In a way, the solution reminded me a lot about the Odoru Daisousasen show’s third episode where Sumire and Aoshima are after a purse snatcher whose father is a high rank official.

 

Recommendations

The movie completely contradicts the tone of Bayside Shakedown movies, but I highly recommend it to the fans of Muroi Shinji (if there are some out there). It is a nice crime drama (though with a bit overcomplicated plot), but it certainly has a few strong merits. However, what do I know? I could easily watch Muroi in an endless loop as he walks wearing his black coat, in slow motion, with his usual swag, to Akihiko Matsumoto’s epic guitar riff...

 

Overall score: 7/10