Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards!

The small Japanese studio Nikkatsu had the still young Seijun Suzuki at their directors, here he displays an American oriented offering nearby James Bond in western pop culture, allied with several elements that affirms such guidance as the burlesque environment as those flashy neon night clubs where gambling and dancing girls are the highlights scored by Jazz & beatnik among fancy sport car in a Japanese westernization process with a slight humor oriented neither.

In this newest colorful ambience the picture unfolds, when a private detective without any apparent purposes put himself in jeopardy against some Yakuza's mobs aided by local police to infiltrate between the criminals, a kind of lone hero, backed by strong erotic appeals as often Seijun Suzuki did in others pictures, it somehow reward the audience plenty, aside the usual mismatches the movie is utterly enjoyable mainly by the leading star Jô Shishido in flawless acting, overall it exposes a Japan in makeover process, great actioner Hollywoodian picture.

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First watch: 2025 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.

I swear there must be a rule that, when making a crime film for Nikkatsu, one's title must go hard as hell, cause you're gosh darn right I watched this purely for the title alone. An ultra-stylish, rapid-fire yakuza thriller, Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell, Bastards! Plays almost like an anarchic parody of the genre, from its eye-popping colours, wild comedy and even a bloody musical number. Suzuki's send up of post-war greed this has got to be one of his loosest and goofiest, directing it all with the tongue-in-cheek attitude that, while certainly has lost its bite today, makes for a rip-roaring good time. An unholy cocktail of Adam West's Batman, Connery's 007, Warhol's pop art and swinging jazz.

What happens when you mix Adam West's Batman with James Bond, jazz music and pop art? Well... this movie. It's plain fun, full of primary colors, with a stylish hero in silk suit who doesn't take himself too seriously, clever deception tactics, gangs with samurai swords, pow! biff! bang!

Add Suzuki's usual game that transforms "continuity goofs" in virtue... Your usual "time" and "space" will be challenged. This is an acquired taste. If you are fan of Suzuki then this is a must. All of his trademarks are already there. And if you want to taste a new drink, this is a good chance.

Suzuki would be fired some years later since for the president of Nikkatsu Studios "we don't need a director who makes movies nobody understands". Suzuki's reply? "Why make a movie about something one understands completely? I make movies about things I do not understand, but wish to."

This film might serve as an aperitif for a different type of cinema. It will stimulate your appetite.

A detective goes undercover with the yakuza in an effort to expose their criminal ring. He's got a crew with him but is found out pretty fast. He has to think on his feet to stay alive and catch the bad guys.

Jo Shishido and his giant chipmunk cheeks swaggers through this movie, and even gets to sing and dance, but the story itself is pretty slight and the action is a little bland. It's was obviously meant to start a series but didn't pan out. It's certainly not terrible but it is a little on the meh side. If you love yakuza movies on the lighter side or have to see every Shishido movie then you'll probably dig it, otherwise it's a skipper.

Having seen no comment for this film, I decide to put up my own. This is the first Suzuki film that I saw, What struck me about the film was how accessible it was to western audiences. It really was a 60's crime thriller, Joe Shishido could easily be the Japanese James Bond. Another thing that struck me was the music, having become accustomed to hearing traditional chants and whistle tunes in Chambara films, I was surprised to hear a song that could effortlessly be converted to English. Not only that but I really did like the music in the film, I also have a feeling that Suzuki is a man of music, as it seems to be a crucial element in all his films.

Although by no means a masterpiece, I do think that this is a light, enjoyable film, not as heavy going as some other Japanese films. If you are interested in discovering Japanese Pop Cinema, I think that this is an easy beginner's step but that's just one man's opinion, check it out for yourself.

7/10