Platinum Data ~ プラチナデータ
Finally I get to watch Platina Data! On the time slot when I watch this, lots of the seats are of fangirls, as expected. There're some guys as well, but most probably they're dragged by their girlfriends/spouses, so fangirls would still make majority of the audience. However, there are non fangirls as well watching this movie as it's promoted as a movie based on Higashino Keigo's novel under the same title in here.
In a gist, Platina Data starts with Asama getting on a case of serial killer with kids wrapped in plastic wraps as victims. Asama then being led to a conference where he saw Kagura for the first time (as well we the first squeel) as Kagura demonstrated how the DNA systems that he designed did the profiling for the serial killer by using DNA found at the crime scene. True enough, they catch the right guy. However, Asama seems to be still not convinced by the DNA system, whereas to Kagura, DNA decides everything that made up of a human. Not long after this, there're murders of a genius mathematician, Saki Tateshina and her brother, which is suspected to be linked to the other 3 previous murder cases as all have the same signature, one of their ribs being extracted (gross, yeah, I know, I cringed at these scenes). Asama sensed something wrong with Kagura, as Kagura was seen to be the last person visited Tateshina and he also was absent during prelim investigation. Meanwhile, Kagura quickly analyzed the DNA found in the crime scene and soon found out that he's the one killing Tateshina. How could this be? What will happen to the DNA system that he's designed if the designer killed the system's programmer?
For those who've read the novel, they'll note missing details. I'd love an English translated novel of this because it's really a pain for me to translate 2 chapters and there're still so many chapters to go. But that doesn't mean that you won't enjoy the movie. I'd think this is one of the good points from this movie. They know that the story is complicated and there are lots of things going on at the same time, so they don't dive on the scientific whatever details, but focus more on what the audiences want to see, the chase, who's the bad guy, who's the good guy, and so on. Hence, I find that the movie is much easier to digest than expected. I also love the setting of this movie. The details in the DNA lab scenes are convincing and the setting doesn't look cheap.
How about the acting? Well, what do you expect? It's Nino. He delivers, as usual. I like to see how he depicts Kagura's split personalities, with just a different way of stare, you can differentiate Kagura and Ryu and he didn't look like he's holding back, so it's nice to see angst and frustration in both Kagura and Ryu, plus you get to see lots of scruffy and dusty Nino, which I find very different from what I see in his other works (for once, he looks his age minus 5 years, definitely not 17). On another point, Anne managed to be not stiff and as she only has a few scenes, I have no complains on her :). But I love Honami Suzuki's character as Kagura's psychologist. From the beginning I sensed something creepy though she looked totally harmless and even timid, and I love her for being able to do that. Her movements, though graceful and very fitting as a psychologist tells you there's more to it than what's on the surface.
Any complains? If I'm not mistaken, in one of the promo clips, Nino mentioned something about action... what action? If running around Tokyo and the suburb area and then jumping into a truck is called action, then I'm pretty sure we have different perception of what is action. I even questions whether the person in that motorcycle is actually him or stuntman. Does anybody know Nino can ride motorbike, let alone speed on it? He did look work very hard on those 'action' scenes, to the point that I even cheering for him to not stumble or anything (well they're surely cut anyway, I want to see some bloopers now). Not to mention, Nino is extra pale in here, and him wearing black suit, driving black car, and standing over white or pale background making him even paler and tiny.
So, if Platina Data is screened in theater near you, do check it out because overall it's an enjoyable movie and it's certainly get your brain working digesting all the info thrown at you because the thing with mystery movie, there're lots of details, tons...