Greenes Please don't spend money on this.

GetPapa Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Polaris_DiB I have to admit, I was disappointed. It's pretty hard to go into films like these without pretty low expectations of the splatstick stuff you're going to be exposed to, but this came off like a cheap Suicide Club with imitations of Silence of the Lambs. Well, again, that sounds a lot more exciting than this movie was. Basically, the problem is you watch this movie to see a girl kick butt with a yoyo, and you get maybe ten minutes of that with a whole lot of random other stuff getting in the way.Not to argue with the writing. The dialog is pretty terrible, but actually the plot isn't half-bad if someone would have taken through a few more drafts and maybe even tried to make it either more serious or more silly than it is. Instead, it tries a little too hard to be both, and through Kenta Fukasaku's poor control of tone, ends up failing at both. Kenta has an eye for digital effects and making every edit seem like an exclamation mark, but he doesn't know when to sit back and let the story tell itself. At least not in this movie, it seems like the arena is open for him to do better elsewhere.So basically, Saki Asamiya is deported from New York City and taken back to Japan, where she's conscripted, La Femme Nikita style, into finding out what's up with this teenager suicide bomber website with a mysterious ticker. She integrates into school as only a moody teenager can, is given a yoyo to play with, and starts her investigation mostly by sneering and getting into petty arguments with classmates. Luckily, though, the classmates she despises the most are involved with the website in some random way or another, and she's able to basically use momentum to find the badguy at the end. Kinda. There are a lot of plot holes, and weird diversions involving Kira (Riki Takeuchi, the best performer in this movie and one of the best Japanese actors currently working), the policeman who recruited her. Kira also has another important relationship with Saki, which again could have been really well-done if taken more seriously but instead just came off as random and weird.Anyway, one thing somehow leads to another, a few bombs go off, and you'll eventually get your yoyo fighting awesomeness. Actually, even during the more terrible bits, this movie is quite entertaining. It just has an ill-gotten attempt at emotional seriousness that doesn't work out for it, or it's an actually emotionally serious film that can't stay serious what with the whole yoyo fighting thing, or something. It should have been one or the other but it failed at both.--PolarisDiB

bensonmum2 I really wanted to like Yo-Yo Girl Cop and, for a while anyway, I thought I was going to. To begin with, just take a look at the DVD cover – a Japanese school-girl complete with uniform and a lethal yo-yo striking a pose in front of a fiery explosion. How awesome is that? And the plot sounded very promising: Saki Asamiya (Aya Matsuura is terrific in the role), a very troubled and violent teen, is hand-picked by a secret government agency to infiltrate a group of would-be high school terrorists. The group has already killed at least one other agent. They tied her hands together, strapped a bomb to her, and sent her out into the crowded streets. Nice, huh? On the group's website, they've started a 72 hour countdown clock, but a countdown to what? It's Saki Asamiya's job to find out – and do it before time runs out. The film gets off to a great start with the whole explosion in the streets scene, Saki's fight on her first day at school, and a chase through a crowded mall. Add to that a funky vibe that runs through much of the movie, the incredibly stylized look, and a nice score, the makings were here for a real winner. Unfortunately, Yo-Yo Girl Cop abandons the promised action and all but slams on the brakes in favor of melodramatic, teen-angst clap-trap during the second act. It was enough to make me want to hurl. Life's tough – get over it already and get back to the yo-yo butt-kicking! The movie does redeem itself somewhat in the finale as Saki and her female nemesis don leather outfits for the highly anticipated all-girl yo-yo fight to the death. As cool as that may be, it comes way too late to save Yo-Yo Girl Cop from being anything other than average at best.

BA_Harrison Japanese comic-book craziness abounds in this manga-based movie from director Kenta 'BR2' Fukasaku, and whilst it might not be the greatest action flick ever made, it does feature a yo-yo duel between two sexy babes sporting leather and PVC outfits. That in itself is a reason to watch as far as I'm concerned!Aya Matsuura stars as Saki, a (hot) rebellious teenager who is recruited by a special law-enforcement agency to work undercover in a school where students are being being turned to anarchy by a mysterious website that is counting down to an unknown event. With only 72 hours to go, Saki must try and find out who is behind the site (named Enola Gay, after the plane that dropped the H-bomb on Hiroshima), and what is due to happen when the counter reaches zero.Saki befriends Tae, a (hot) nerd (Yui Okada), who she defends from a group of (hot) school bullies, led by (the very hot) Reika (Rika Ishikawa). And it is Tae who helps Saki discover what exactly is going on, who is responsible, and why.Yo-Yo Girl Cop is an incredibly stylised movie: it begins with some impressive opening credits (in which the silhouetted title character flings her spinning weapon across the screen) and the 'artistic flourishes' continue right up to the finalé. Sometimes the trendy editing gets a bit annoying (particularly with irritating sound effects accompanying every cut or zoom), but it generally suits the subject matter, so I'm willing to be a little more forgiving about this particular bugbear of mine in this instance.Unfortunately, the film doesn't really get going until towards the very end, when Saki gets seriously miffed and dons her sexy getup. Up until that point, she only dabbles in a bit of generally unimpressive yo-yo flinging and gets involved in a couple of brief dust-ups—nothing too spectacular. Much of the time prior to this is spent on developing a plot line about bullying in the school—a commendable bit of social commentary which is vital to the plot, but not exactly riveting stuff.For many western viewers, Yo-Yo Girl Cop, with its OTT action and convoluted plot, might be too much to handle. But for those who have learnt to appreciate the manic style of eastern fantasy cinema, it is passable entertainment.It's also recommended viewing for those who dig Japanese cuties in PVC hot-pants.

poikkeus The first Subekan Deka in over ten years updates the special effects and boosts the star power to make for a pleasantly watchable entertainment that excels in its social conscience. Former Deka entries, whether drawn or dramatized, have taken the usual hero vs. super- villain route, making them seem tired even before they've left the gate. In addition, they suffered from the basic limitations of the special effects at that time; the manga-inspired concept of razor yo-yos and killer cranes seemed less than convincing in a martial arts film. As the series progressed, the plots became almost as silly as the James Bond films of the period.In Kodo Nemo - Asamiya Saki, director Kenta Fukasaku (Battle Royale 2) modernizes he action sequences and frames the story to reflect contemporary social realities - in particular, the prevalence of bullying in the Japanese school system. It comes to focus when an underground internet site counts down, and a teenage undercover agent - code-named Saki Asamiya - tries to uncover the mystery before it's too late. As Idol Aya Matsuura is a good pick for the lead role, beautiful but tough in the tradition of the series (and a much better singer than any of the girls who preceded her). Matsuura is dynamic though (like former deka girls) lacking in a certain humor. The standout villain, played by Morning Musume alumnus Rika Ishikawa, is sexy in her faux-leather action outfit - a complete surprise. The normally demure Ishikawa is clearly having fun in her over-the-top role, and you wish she could appear more often.The film could have used more hard-edged humor - something that Fukasaku might learn from the work of his latefather, the late Kinji Fukusaku. Also, the film's plot makes a high ratio of characters irritatingly geeky and impossibly suicidal. But these flaws are tolerable in the anticipation of a possible sequel, either on film or serial. Certainly there's enough talent in Upfront Management to cast several film projects. Aibon would be amusing in some suitably smoky role, Miki perfect as a villain, and Eri could be on hand for comic relief.