Taiho Shichau zo The Movie

Excuse me, I'm Spanish and I don't usually write in English. If you want you can read my review in Spanish.

In this franchise, Taiho Shichau zo The Movie (1999) is a controversial film because a lot of fans consider it a break from the main show. Instead of a sitcom in which they face minor cases, they carry out their civic duties and resolve their personal affairs; here we have a police thriller in which members of the traffic department have to stop the terrorist acts of a former member of the police force. The change in focus appears to be in accordance with the ... idea that the films should narrate events equal to or more extraordinary than those seen in the show. Hence, many popular franchise movies are about heroes saving the world from some threat. However, the film also seems to have received some influence from the Patlabor saga, especially from the second film.

The feature film, however, does not involve as drastic a break or a change as Oshii did in Mobile Police Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993) to express his personal concerns. To begin with, the tone of the film is indeed more serious and sober because the professionalism of the police force and the magnitude and nature of the crimes (arms smuggling, destruction of infrastructure and sabotage of communication systems) stand out to a greater degree. But it also significantly reduces the show' own humor by avoiding the inclusion of extravagant characters like Strike Man and reducing the quota reserved for the dynamics of the group members and their individual behaviors. Still, the humor is there, although in a moderate way — Natsumi's delays or Yoriko's nosy attitude. And despite everything, the film is far from the gloomy and muted tone of Patlabor, which was also explained by a corresponding visual design. Nishimura's film enhances realism and formality, although the whole is familiar and friendly.

In relation to crime, the film - like Oshii - opts for terrorist attacks devised by a mastermind. However, there are important differences between one and the other. On the one hand, Patlabor 2 is a slow-paced political thriller that reflects on the political problems and internal contradictions of Japan in the 1990s. Instead, this film is a more hectic-paced police thriller with less intellectual pretensions and greater attention to entertainment through a less complex and realistic criminal plot and a greater presence of action. That is to say, the work in question, although it draws heavily on the famous director's feature film, is not as comparable to this one but rather to a good Hollywood thriller.

Comparisons aside, the Hachi Ichi Gou case can be considered genuinely intriguing. Initially, the pieces of the puzzle give the impression that there is no relationship between them. To this lost connection is also added the unknown of the mysterious informant and the contents of the confiscated disk. Despite finding and arresting the traffickers, the film makes a plot twist by involving the boss in the events, catching the viewer by surprise, although we are all aware of his innocence. However, this helps us to know the name of the culprit —Emoto— and his friendship with the boss, although we still need to know his motive. After locking up the boss, a mysterious man calls the police station to warn that the Sakura Bridge will explode and that, later, another will.

From here, the film gains a lot in terms of suspense because the police force goes into action and the antagonist's plan takes place, allowing us to understand the reason for the breakdowns, the content of the disc and the objective they are pursuing.On the other hand, the assault and subsequent pursuit of the criminals generated most of the action of the film. The quality of the chase, destruction, and gunfights scenes is among the best in the franchise, reaching the rating of remarkable. In part, they do not reach a higher level because animation exhibits limitations due to the use of frequent static images, which are not exactly the result of an artistic decision. Despite this, the action transmits tension and emotion, with touches of humor such as the use of paint guns or the balloons in the boxes. Of all the scenes, however, the landing of the police vehicle of the protagonist couple is the most outstanding.

This film is a novelty that distances itself from the animations that make up the animated catalog of the franchise by not coinciding in part of its essential features. However, this fact is not a setback as it becomes a proposal capable of granting greater diversity and quality to the ensemble thanks to the suspense generated by the terrorist case and the high-level police action. Perhaps a greater participation of characters like Nakajima or Futaba is missing, but in general it does not disappoint.

You can also find my review here: https://elarmarioanimados.blogspot.com/2021/01/resena-estas-arrestado-la-pelicula.html

You're Under Arrest the Movie is absolutely stunning and blew me away. I had just finished watching the first season and the specials, so I came in with context of all the characters and how they interact, but I was watching with a friend who had 0 context and they also loved it.
It encapsulates all of the best elements of the anime series that came before it. This movie is riddle with action and intense situations, but treats them all realistically. The chemistry between the characters, their dialogue and their teamwork, all fits together flawlessly and doesn't come off as awkward or cliche at any ... moment. The story keeps you on your toes the whole time; even when it is a relatively calm moment you still have that sense that the scene is driving the plot forward. This is an hour and a half experience where even if you don't know the story of You're Under Arrest you will enjoy yourself immensely.

What a huge surprise! I went into this movie completely blind as to what the You're Under Arrest! franchise was about. I hadn't watched the anime or read the manga, I didn't know who any of the characters were or their relationships to one another. But honestly, you don't really need to know anything to enjoy YOU'RE UNDER ARREST! THE MOTION PICTURE. It just jumps right into its own story, providing necessary background to all its characters, enough to know who is who and then gets right into its story, which I believe is a stand alone story that has nothing to do with the ... anime. What is the story you ask?

Two policewomen are assigned a spot on the Boku Police Patrolwomen. Meaning they deal with speedy and reckless drivers on the big streets of Tokyo. The skilled and badass Miyuki is teamed up with the sometimes lazy Natsumi as they and a bunch of other pretty ladies make sure the streets are safe. But when they encounter a car full of guns, suspicions rise as to what is going on, are they dealing with the mafia? Or a possible drug cartel? It's all up in the air until one of the bridges in Tokyo is blown up, the girls race to secure the area, only to find out it was a decoy and the real target, was the Boku Police Station. What is happening? Who is behind this? And what is the secret behind Bee One? A computer system that may have the ability to completely shut down Tokyo.

This film could be a staple for action anime of the 90's. There are crazy gun battles and slick car chases (and boat) that make up most of the one hour thirty minute running time. But its so worth it, I loved all the characters, you had a wide variety from the cold and calculated Kinoshita Kaoruko to the totally ditzy Nikaido Yoriko and of course the two leads. It's funny, cool and mean. The music was rad, totally complementary to the 90's action genre. I dug everything about YOU'RE UNDER ARREST THE MOTION PICTURE, maybe I seek out the anime and give that a try and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the DVD of this one of the best on this list so far.