Just a week after we watched “Bayside Shakedown 2”, Mariko and I watched the third movie, appropriately named “Bayside Shakedown 3”. I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting much since I didn’t really like the last one, but I was pleasantly surprised! What made this one better was that the villains this time had some personality and smarts to them. And the police weren’t as idiotic either. It’s kind of strange because the movie tries to be funny and serious at the same time. For instance, the three police chiefs are inept and silly, so the movie takes on the feeling of a straight comedy. But in contrast, the villains are serious and cruel. It’s a little difficult to reconcile these different styles in one movie, at least for me. At any rate, Bayside Shakedown 3 was better than the previous, but really the bar wasn’t set too high. One thing that was pretty funny was the sheer number of cameos of popular Japanese actors. And I liked the homage to the late Chō-san (長さん)!
