You're Under Arrest The Motion Picture

Publisher
ADV
Director
Junji Nishimura
Production
Bandai, Studio Deen, TBS, Toei
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Film
Running time
90 mins
Year
1999

You're Under Arrest The Motion Picture

By John Huxley
30th Aug 04

When I loaded this disc into my DVD player I was honestly expecting no more than a marginally different experience to the recently released OVA mini specials; the format alone requires a more in-depth storyline, after all. But what I wasn't prepared for was quite how far removed the two actually are. Despite sharing the same cast of central characters, the same location and the same general concept, You're Under Arrest The Motion Picture is a thoroughly different beast to the mini specials.

Of course, the most obvious difference is the lengthier format (an approx 90 minute running time compared to the 5-10 minute mini specials) which brings with it a less simplistic and more involving plot. The hustle and bustle of Tokyo is once again our setting as the dedicated staff of the Bokuto Traffic Corps uphold the rules of the road and help keep the city a safer place for all. That safety is placed in jeopardy, however, when two officers uncover a stash of contraband weapons during a routine call. Further investigation eventually leads to a computer disk that contains detailed information concerning a hypothetical assault on a Tokyo police station...Bokuto police station, to be exact! With this dangerous information in the hands of a group of terrorists, it's up to the men and women of the Bokuto Traffic Corps to save the city from almost certain disaster.

A world apart from the juvenile panty thievery of the mini specials, this plot is closer to an episode of Patlabor than anything else (minus the big robots, of course!). It's a solid story that's pleasingly grounded in reality and rarely relies on fuzzy logic or far-fetched gadgetry to progress, making this a thoroughly believable experience for the most part. However, unlike Oshii's second Patlabor film, the You're Under Arrest movie never becomes too convoluted and bogged down in the intricacies of police work - this may not be a simplistic film, yet it shouldn't be too difficult to follow for the vast majority. Unfortunately it's not all good news; the story does lack a consistent momentum and as a result you may find your attention wandering during some of the slower sections of the film. Still, I was pleasantly surprised to discover such a solid story behind the You're Under Arrest Movie.

Interestingly, the similarity with Patlabor doesn't end with the story alone... the atmosphere of You're Under Arrest the Motion Picture reminded me somewhat of Mamoru Oshii's films, with both sharing a similar attention to detail and great affection for the Tokyo based urban surroundings. The location shots are neither as beautifully rendered nor as lingering as those in Oshii's films, but the big budget, wide-screen presentation manages to impress nonetheless. There is an occasional scene that may make you wonder if the production companies involved stretched their budget a little too far, but generally the quality of animation is as good as you'd expect from a motion picture.

The biggest difference between this and the aforementioned mini specials is the representation of the central characters. Where before Miyuki and Natsume were bubbly and vehemently stereotypical, here they come across as more placid and less comical characters that wouldn't look out of place in a...Patalbor movie. Apologies for the constant comparisons, perhaps I just have Oshii on my brain since I read Mark's Ghost in the Shell 2 review, but I also believe that the director and the creative staff of the You're Under Arrest movie must have been influenced in some way by Oshii's work. Which is fair enough; if you're going to take your cues from anywhere, Oshii isn't a bad place to start.

Where was I? Oh yeah - the characters are far removed from their OVA counterparts, which may or may not please fans of the series. On the one hand it's great to see of the same old characters in a new perspective, but on the other hand some may argue that there wasn't anything wrong with them in the first place. Whatever your view on the subject, you can't argue that the characterisation in the You're Under Arrest Movie is anything but admirable. A real attempt has been made to flesh out these characters to make them better suit the new, more mature storyline of the movie, and it's a very successful attempt considering the material they were given to work with.

Of course, me being unfamiliar with the You're Under Arrest franchise could mean that I'm ill informed in my opinion - the mini specials may well be the exception rather the other way around - but it really doesn't matter. You're Under Arrest The Motion Picture is a thoroughly enjoyable piece of animation with enough raw quality to endear itself to fans and non-fans alike. And to finish off my comparison with Oshii's movies: it may not be as spectacular as the Patlabor films, but the mere fact that it's mentioned in the same sentence should be recommendation enough.

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English 2.0 and Japanese 2.0 audio, English subtitles, ADV previews, 16:9 letterbox format

Release information: UK: 16th August 2004, ADV

Notes: The new cover artwork reflects the more mature style of the movie quite well, something that's carried over to the single page leaflet and the disc menus themselves. Picture and audio quality was excellent, although there's no 5.1 track which might disappoint those of you with access to the equipment. Have a quick browse through the various options on the disc and you'll find...nothing. No commentary, no production artwork, no trailers, no nothing. Nothing to see here, keep moving!

-- John Huxley 30th Aug 04

You're Under Arrest The Motion Picture Images