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‘Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo’ movie review: An underwhelming conclusion to an impromptu trilogy
Takashi Miike’s *Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo* continues the franchise as a largely independent crime story, following drug-addicted Lieutenant Yabuki as he attempts to rescue a powerful politician’s daughter. Although Miike’s appointment seemed fitting given his provocative, unconventional style, the film falls short of Abel Ferrara’s original and Werner Herzog’s cult follow-up, offering a conventional anti-hero thriller rather than a distinctive exploration of its setting or themes.
The film features Shun Oguri as Yabuki, Lily James as FBI agent Gwen Birgssen and Liv Morgan as the hostage at the centre of a criminal conspiracy involving a sadistic assassin. While its neon-soaked visuals and dark subject matter echo the earlier films, the review criticises its convoluted plot, weak dialogue, underdeveloped themes and unconvincing central characters; Oguri lacks the emotional intensity of Harvey Keitel or Nicolas Cage, while James is undermined by the script and a shaky accent.
In short
- Miike’s sequel lacks the originality of its predecessors.
- A convoluted conspiracy overshadows its Tokyo setting.
- The central characters are underdeveloped and poorly served.
Explained simply
Bad Lieutenant is a crime film franchise that originated with Abel Ferrara's 1992 film about a corrupt, drug-addicted police officer in New York. German director Werner Herzog subsequently created a second film with similar themes but different characters and settings, with both films having been grouped together as an impromptu trilogy.
Japanese director Takashi Miike has now directed Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, which completes this trilogy. The film follows a Tokyo police lieutenant named Yabuki who struggles with drug addiction whilst becoming caught up in a criminal plot to rescue a politician's daughter, with a cast including Shun Oguri and British actress Lily James.
Each film in the trilogy reimagines the same basic premise in a different geographical setting through a different director's vision. The structure allows each filmmaker to explore themes of corruption, addiction and moral degradation within their own cultural context rather than telling a continuing story with the same characters.