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Limit
of Love: Umizaru |
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Hideaki Ito and Ai Kato reach the Limit of Love.
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AKA: |
Umizaru
2: Test of Trust |
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Year: |
2006 |
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Director: |
Eiichiro
Hasumi |
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Producer: |
Chikahiro
Ando, Hirotsugi Usui |
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Cast: |
Hideaki
Ito, Ai Kato, Ryuta Sato, Nene Otsuka, Mitsuru Fukikoshi,
Reina Asami, Ryosuke Miki, Ken Ishiguro, Saburo Tokito, Toru
Nakamura |
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The
Skinny: |
This
hit sequel to 2004's Umizaru may not measure
up to its predecessor in terms of feel-good action movie
thrills, but the end product makes for an entertaining,
if occasionally underwhelming diversion for fans of
the series. |
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Review by
Calvin
McMillin: |
Directed by Eiichiro Hasumi,
Limit of Love: Umizaru is the third and presumably
final chapter of the live-action franchise that began
with the 2004 feature film Umizaru and continued
with the 2005 television series Umizaru Evolution.
Known internationally by the alternative title Umizaru
2: Test of Trust, the film once again revolves around
Daisuke Senzaki (Ito Hideaki), a young diver for the
Japanese Coast Guard, and his faithful girlfriend, Kanna
(Ai Kato). Although deeply in love, Senzaki has reservations
about marrying Kanna, and a confrontation between the
two puts a serious strain on the relationship.
Unfortunately for Kanna, Senzaki
has to put his personal issues aside the next day when
he learns that a gigantic ferry carrying some 620 passengers
and nearly two-hundred vehicles needs to be evacuated
before it sinks. But who should Senzaki see on the ship,
but his would-be fiancée, Kanna? Although there's a
fairly large window of time in which everyone can be
evacuated, things immediately go from bad to worse,
as Senzaki, his colleague Yoshioka (Ryuta Sato), a pregnant
woman (Nene Otsuka), and a man with a troubled past
all find themselves trapped on the ship in a room slowly
filling with water. All Senzaki can rely on are his
wits and the help of an old mentor, Shimokawa (Saburo
Tokito), who's calling the shots on dry land. Will Senzaki
and company escape their doom or go down with the ship?
And more importantly, will he ever tell Kanna how he
really feels? Well, this is a commercial action flick,
so it's not too hard to guess.
Whereas the first Umizaru
was a highly entertaining riff on Top Gun featuring
the Japanese coast guard, Limit of Love: Umizaru
more closely resembles Die Hard crossed with
Apollo 13 in terms of plot and character. The
problem, however, is that it isn't even half as tense
or as involving as those two Hollywood pictures. And
while it's certainly nice to see Ito and Kato reprise
their roles, one wishes that the film had given the
two more screen time together. Part of the appeal of
Umizaru was getting to know the characters, but
in the sequel, there's little time for real character
development, as they are quickly separated. Although
Kanna's appearance on the ship might lead one to believe
she is going to be trapped with Senzaki as well, the
truth of the matter is that she is pretty much confined
to the sidelines as a character, leaving Ai Kato very
little to do but look worried and upset as her boyfriend's
life hangs in the balance.
Action-wise, the film doesn't
quite deliver the goods. Although an initial sequence
involving a cargo hold full of cars, a gas leak, and
a cigarette lighter makes for a suitably explosive start
to the proceedings, subsequent action set-pieces are
surprisingly bland and unimaginative. Despite the sometimes
epic sweep of the scenes involving the coast guard,
the whole crisis looks like it was filmed for television
rather than a blockbuster action movie. Pacing is another
problem as well. The lack of intensity is largely to
blame for this, as individual scenes don't carry the
degree of jeopardy one would hope. Curiously, Limit
of Love: Umizaru lumbers toward a climax, only to
pull the rug out from under the viewer as a way to necessitate
a second, much bigger climax.
As initially off-putting as
that move is, it should be noted that it's actually
that second climax that makes Limit of Love: Umizaru
a fairly worthwhile viewing experience. Probably the
most appealing aspect of this film is its emphasis on
teamwork. In this respect, Limit of Love: Umizaru
is reminiscent of the Bayside Shakedown series
(no surprise, Hasumi was second unit director for at
least two films), except it totally jettisons that series'
emphasis on cutting through bureaucratic rules and regulations.
This is a film where red tape just doesn't exist.
This emphasis on "working together
for a common goal" is extremely evident in the command
center scenes. In most Hollywood movies post-Rambo,
the lone hero usually finds himself abandoned by authority
figures and left to fend for himself. If said hero has
any buddies at all, they usually have to disobey direct
orders to get the job done right. That's not quite the
case here. In Limit of Love: Umizaru, even the
one high-ranking official who gives the order to "stand
down" at a crucial point is depicted as a sympathetic
character. Simply put, he makes the right call. And
as the characters in the command center and on the ground
slip into "rescue mode," one can't help but be entertained
by a group of people who not only have resolute faith
in each other, but do their jobs and do them well. Strange
as it may sound, loyalty, bravery, and a hard-working
attitude just never go out of style. Sure, we all want
to see the resolution of the Senzaki/Kanna romance,
but it's the rousing depiction of the Japanese Coast
Guard's "can do" spirit that elevates the picture from
mere lackluster sequel to a genuinely entertaining diversion.
(Calvin McMillin, 2007) |
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Availability: |
DVD (Hong Kong)
Region 3 NTSC
Intercontinental Video Limited
16x9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Japanese Lnaguage Track
Dolby Digital EX 5.1
Removable English and Chinese Subtitles |
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