Aibô: Gekijô-ban II

"Partners: The Movie II" is the second of the movies based on the superpopular Japanese show "Aibou". In this one, the kidnapping of some chiefs of police by a rogue ex-policeman is just the beginning for a much much bigger story that it seems at first sight.

As always with "Aibou", in the TV show or in the movies, "Partners II" is a movie with lots of talk, much politics, some mystery, and a lot of policemen trying to stop other policemen from doing their job. The show has become so popular in part because it shows a fight between trying to do the right thing and finding the truth and just accommodating to power. The movie is no exception. As a glorified episode, though, it does an amazing job. It keeps the tension thorough, it is lots of fun and all the actors are truly engaging. On top of that, it has a couple of nice surprises.

The direction is simple, and not too fancy. As said above, it could just be an extra-long episode. The plot is good, the character development too, and the acting is really good too, but Mizutani and the rest of the cast could sleepwalk through the movie and still do their job. Specially Mizutani, whose character Sugishita has had a different partner in each movie (the four of the TV show) and has over 300 episodes as the earnest policeman who will not give up.

All in all, "Partners: The Movie II" is a very interesting, enjoyable movie for anyone interested in the dark side of police and politicians' work. Totally recommended. Easier to understand and enjoy, though, if you have seen the TV show or some of the other movies and spin-offs.