Hyokano I'm Japanese, and I really enjoyed this film. This is set in Tokyo, and the system works totally differently compared to all others around the world, so I wouldn't expect for any foreign countries to understand the concept of the film. Besides, it's originally in Japanese. What do you expect if the lines sound cheesy? The sense of humor between laguages are impossible to be translated directly and understood at the sametime, so you can't really tell if it's funny or not unless you watch it with real Japanese viewers. So if you're going to watch this film, don't think too much of the lines. Just go with the flow and enjoy what you see! That's how international films should be watched.

DICK STEEL I've watched Bayside Shakedown 1 a few years back, and enjoyed it thoroughly, so there isn't any reason not to catch the sequel when it's in town.For those who do not know, this show is set in a small Tokyo police precinct, where cops actually perform routine community policing without arms, and the sexy investigative stuff are always handled by the Metropolitan police. This devision of course gives rise to the exploration of politics within the police force, some of which are not subtly put across in the movie - which provokes thought.However, the movie doesn't come across as preachy or heavy, as it's always lightened by the (sometimes one dimensioned) characters, the light hearted moments, and camaraderie amongst them.As always, the movie starts off with its regular catchy theme song interspersed with footage of current going-ons. With murder being the main anchor of investigations, other sub-investigations include the biter, the family of pickpockets and a secret lover of the commander of the precinct. Naturally, all the loose ends will be tied neatly when they all come together at one point in the show.Amongst the politics discussed here is on women leadership, in the name of equal opportunity - could we be biased and blinded by policy to allow the inept to lead? Even though in my opinion, this is a Japanese movie, and the culture at times may be chauvanistic, it does provide some thought provoking moments during the show, or did the producers/writers cop out at the end of it all? For those who do not understand Japanese, no worries, there are good subtitles, and it doesn't matter if you have watched the first part, or the drama serial - the good looking cast (male and female) should be able to sustain you through this enjoyable flick.

ottaky Bayside Shakedown 2: Save the Rainbow BridgeThis is the second feature-length spin-off from the Japanese TV series and, like the first, it feels over long - as if there's a really good 60 minute TV show trapped inside a 2 hour movie.There's precious little in the way of back-story, so if you're not up to speed on the relationships, particularly between Aoshima and Muroi, and the internal politics, you'll probably end up a little confused because (I'd guess) this film really doesn't stand up very well out of context.On the plus side, if you like the series and / or the first film, you'll enjoy this one too because the formula and cast survive intact - the only real difference being a larger budget which the producers decided to spend on bigger set pieces and more location shoots. Oh - one other change between this film and the previous efforts is that the bumbling local police chief's role has been virtually eliminated - which is a good thing.

genkischuldich I saw this because Zatoichi was standing room only, and I was influenced by the many trailers I'd seen for this where Oda Yuuji (who plays Aoshima) appears. He's rather good-looking, I think! Additionally, the setting is Odaiba, the man-made island in Tokyo connected by the Rainbow Bridge (hence the title), which I'd visited mere days ago.Some people may have problems with this film due to it's refusal to stick to one genre - really, that's their problem. It covers drama, police mystery, comedy, and holds my attention doing so.For those worried about following the plot, it's worth knowing that it's not too difficult at all as many of the jokes are visual. However, you may need to be able to switch between formal/informal Japanese to get the whole story. In any case, my monolingual (English language) father had few problems. If he can understand and enjoy it, anyone can! :)