Kôshônin Mashita Masayoshi (2005)

Director:

Katsuyuki Motohiro

Writer:

Masashi Sogo (writer)

Release Date:

7 May 2005 (Japan)

Genre:

Action

Plot:

Japan's #1 negotiator Mashita Masayoshi is called into action again as a mysterious train terrorizes Tokyo's underground railway network. But this time his opponent is gunning for him personally. |

Plot Keywords:

Negotiator

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Yusuke Santamaria	...	Masayoshi Mashita
Susumu Terajima	...	Kishima
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yusuke Hirayama
Masanori Ishii	...	Yano
Kôtarô Koizumi	...	Koike
Jun Kunimura	...	Kataoka
Miki Mizuno	...	Yukino Kashiwagi

Also Known As:

Negotiator: Mashita Masayoshi (International: English title)

Runtime:

Japan:127 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Fuji Television Network

Movie Connections:

Follows Odoru daisosasen (1998)

Better than the originals

A mad bomber is threatening the Tokyo subway system using a high tech train presumably carrying an explosive device. Negotiator of the title is called upon to solve the situation before disaster strikes.

This is a spin-off from the TV-series "Bayside Shakedown" which in turn spawned two big budget movies (hugh successes in its native Japan). I haven't seen the TV-series in question, but "Kôshônin Mashita Masayoshi" is a far better movie than the two films that followed the series. "Bayside Shakedown" 1 and 2 are very preachy and melodramatic (especially part 2) and with very little entertainment value. The main focus seems to be on the hierarchy within the Japanese police force in those movies, and the action and the storytelling becomes somewhat secondary. It is very different here; Kôshônin Mashita Masayoshi is a tight and exciting action film without the unnecessary and exaggerated social commentary. Only the ending seems a bit incomplete. Overall, an entertaining and fast-paced film.