Yo-Yo Girl Cop (2006)

aka: Sukeban Deka: Code Name = Saki Asamiya
Dir: Kenta Fukasaku

Let's hear it for the Bronx!

The Japanese nationals, mother (Yuki Saito SUKEBAN DEKA television series) and daughter (Aya Matsuura), are living illegally in New York as they've overstayed their visa and run into trouble with the authorities. The mother is arrested by the N.Y.P.D. and when immigration tries to pick up the daughter she kicks their arses. The C.I.A. (!) learns who the mother and daughter are and contacts Kazutoshi Kira (Riki Takeuchi BIG MAN JAPAN), who works for a secret Japanese organization, to turn over the daughter. Kira offers the young woman a deal. Work with his organization and the Japanese government will arrange the release of her mother, who is scheduled to go to trial in a few days. The daughter reluctantly agrees.

The daughter is given the name Saki Asamiya and is now Sukeban Deka (Delinquent girl detective). Saki is to pose as a high schooler and get to the bottom of a mysterious web site called Enola Gay that is somehow tied to the Seisen school she is to infiltrate. The web site is counting down to an unknown event; time is short. She is given the weapon all Sukeban Dekas carry, a Yo-Yo. Not only does it act as a badge but can be thrown to knock out opponents.

Have Yo-Yo will travel

SUKEBAN DEKA, the name YO-YO GIRL COP was given by Magnolia for this film's U.S. release, started as a manga in the 70's. The school girl detective proved popular enough that it spawned an animated series, live action television series and films. I've never seen the television series but did rent the first two of the films released in the 80's. They were goofy fun, the very definition of a comic book film. The female stars were attractive and there was plenty of impossible action. I can still recall a scene where one of the girl detectives is attacked by a helicopter. She uses her Yo-Yo to knock the helicopter out of the sky! The latest release fails to capture any of that fun and adventure. We are given a story about high schoolers who are bullied and turn into suicide bombers at the request of the enigmatic Romeo who contacts the troubled youth on the Enola Gay forums. I can understand tackling more modern issues such as bullying but this is a film about a girl who uses a Yo-Yo to smash crime organizations. I want the cotton candy entertainment, not the special episode of DIFFERENT STROKES about peadophilia. Anyone who has seen director Kenta Fukasaku's BATTLE ROYALE II knows how clumsily he handles serious topics in a pop film.

Never trust the most popular girl at school

The worse crime of all is that the film is dull. It took a lot of effort for me not to fast forward through scene after scene of characters (poorly) working out their emotions. The highlight of the film was seeing Yuki Saito who starred in the first SUKEBAN DEKA film.

Ditch it.

* out of ****