Yo Yo Girl Cop
AKA: Sukeban Deka: Kôdo nêmu = Asamiya Saki
Dir. Kenta Fukasaku (Japan 2006)
Rating: 3 out of 4 Stars (good)
Capsule Review by: Jeff

Director Kenta Fukasaku (of the appallingly bad Battle Royale II) and his collaborators apparently decided that the best way to revive the venerable Sukeban Deka franchise was by making a really trashy movie. The result, Yo Yo Girl Cop, is a flashy, vulgar, nonsensical bit of fluff — and I mean that in a good way.

Pop idol Aya Matsura plays a juvenile delinquent named Saki Asamiya who lives on the streets of New York with her mother. After mom and daughter are captured by the authorities, Saki is presented with a familiar ultimatum: either become an undercover cop or let her mom languish in jail forever. Of course, Saki takes the bait, and is trained by B movie legend Riki Takeuchi (Dead or Alive) to become the latest in a long line of teenage girl cops armed with lethal yo yos. Saki’s mission is to pose as a high school student in order to infiltrate an Internet death cult of bullied high school students-turned suicide bombers.

As one can tell from the synopsis, the plot of Yo Yo Girl Cop veers tastelessly, uncomfortably close to recent tragic events at home and abroad. This is a real shame, as Yo Yo Girl Cop would have been a lot more fun without this crass attempt at topicality, and (believe it or not) there is actually a lot to recommend here. Kenta Fukasaku keeps the proceedings moving at a rapid, entertaining clip, although logic and clarity are sacrificed along the way. The production values are quite good, featuring impressive CGI effects and some cool costumes that are shown off in the action-packed climax. The acting is also a lot better than one would think. Although Riki Takeuchi is his usual hammy self, Aya Matsura is quite impressive as the title character, turning in a surly, steely performance that is reminiscent of the work of 1970s tough chick Miki Sugimoto. The audience at the 2007 New York Asian Film Festival clearly got a kick out of this film, as will exploitation film fans who can watch this film on its own terms.

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Yog, Monster from Space
AKA: Gezora, Ganime, Kameba: Kessen! Nankai no daikaijû; Space Amoeba
Dir. Ishiro Honda (Japan 1970)
Rating: 1 1/2 out of 4 Stars (below average)
Capsule Review by: David Austin

What a disappointment! This kaiju film about a substance from space that possesses and enlarges animals on an idyllic tropical island unfortunately lacks the oomph that makes for a superior monster movie. Gezora – the giant squid – is actually pretty neat, especially in the wonderfully surreal sequences where he perambulates across the island on giant tentacles, but the giant crab and turtle are poor knockoffs of Ebira and Gamera. Similarly, the human plot merely evokes the far superior Goke - Bodysnatcher from Hell. In an interview with the special effects director I once read, he put the blame on the poor choice of names for the monsters. Unfortunately, it would have taken a lot more than that to save this dull mess.

Yog, Monster from Space is available in a clean-looking Region 1 transfer from Media Blasters. I also have some great stills from this film which will be posted in the upcoming months.