Movie Review: Security Police The Motion Picture

Date: 31 March 2011
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: GV Plaza
Kaki: Looney Tunes & GG
Rating: 3.5 stars
Language: Japanese (with English Subtitles)

Synopsis:

SP, the duty to protect. Professional bodyguards that safeguard important people even if it at times means sacrificing their own lives.

In the 21st century, regarded as the century of terror, Japan's myth of infallibility is greatly threatened. With domestic and foreign terrorists active behind the scenes, and pleasure-seeking criminals with no political ideology able to easily obtain information from the Internet, an era in which terrorism can be carried out has gradually dawned. The role played the SP in protecting domestic and foreign VIPs has become varied and crucial. Bodyguards who guard important people with their own lives as "moving shields", locate "moving shield blind spots" beforehand as well as anticipate unforeseen circumstances have been increased on an experimental basis.

Inoue Kaoru is assigned to this new role. Inoue possess special abilities, and is an entirely new type of SP. He will boldly take on the fight against terrorism as section personnel regard those abilities with skepticism.

Review:

It was a free movie screening compliments of Ms Looney Tunes, we unfortunately, didn't realize it was free seating. Suffice to say we had shit seats. But of course, since it's free, I am not going to whine about that.

And so... about the movie. Well, it was good, and all along, I have had my eye on Junichi Okada, since his V8 days (errr... I think it's V8 anyway, okok.. some Jpop boy band)... cuz I thought he was cute with his puppy dog eyes. Anyway...back to the movie..

It is a pretty cool show, with lots of action, and quite a bit of funny moments. Fairly engaging and retrospectively, different from other Japanese movies which are really slow... e.g. Departures, that mountain climbing show, and various others.

To me, a sure-win formula for the Japanese filmmakers is to adapt from some cool and popular comic series, I mean, just look at Death Note, 20th Century Boys, etc, and the show would have a pretty strong plot. :) Of course, I am a huge manga fan, and the only thing stopping me now from starting some new series to follow would be the lack of bookshelf space, so I may be biased.

Moving on, in terms of special effects, they are good, but not great. In terms of action, it's good, but not great. In terms of plot, it's good, but not great. In terms of acting, it is still somewhat better than good, let's say, very good, but not great.

And so, a 3.5 stars rating. It could be the filming, it could be the plot (maybe I should bite my tongue and take back my words on manga adaptations... it could just be a Japanese thing, and maybe I don't get it as a result. But somehow, my gut feel is that Japanese films somehow just lack in a little something and I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it's the restraint they show in the movie (am wondering if it's a cultural thing, where in the first place, they don't really exhibit a lot of emotions, stoicism and restraint being key for them, resulting in a show where there isn't much emotions?), or the exaggerated behaviour when they are upset or angry (another cultural thing, maybe to them it's not exaggerated, but to me it is?)... somehow, I just feel like, watching japanese films is just a little awkward... maybe I really need to understand their culture better.

But still, I would consider watching the 2nd installment. All in all, it ain't that bad a film... :)