The Umizaru (海猿, Japanese for sea monkey) aren’t the tiny shrimp marketed in American comic books as amazing instant pets for the fleeting enjoyment of negligent 10-year-olds. Instead, it’s a derogatory label the Japanese townsfolk have slapped on the rowdy, rambunctious members of the Japan Coast Guard since its debut as a manga by Shuho Sato in 2004.

7 years since, in the newest instalment, Umizaru 3: The Last Message. leading man Daisuke Senzaki (Hideaki Itô) has matured from a brash, foolhardy rookie diver into a family man, now happily married to his long-time girlfriend Kanna Izawa (Ai Katô). Both actors reprise their roles from the first and second movies, which were also released in Singapore in 2004 and 2006, respectively.

What hasn’t changed is Senzaki’s determination and intense passion for his job. On the day of his third wedding anniversary, a drilling ship collides into the gigantic offshore natural gas plant Regalia. As flames engulf the structure, Senzaki’s on board a helicopter escorting the Regalia’s architect, Hiroshiichirou Sakuragi (Ryûta Satô), to the accident site in a race to stabilise the situation.

A collision between a ship and a gas plant throws Daisuke Senzaki (Hideaki Itô) back into action for another thrilling rescue operation.

The similarities to Japan’s recent natural and nuclear disasters are inescapable, and the heroism shown by Senzaki is mirrored in real life as the movie’s distributor, Cathay Cineplexes, organised a charity screening of Umizaru 3 on May 1, where proceeds were donated to the Japan relief effort.

With the backing of the Japanese authorities, Sakuragi closes the shutters and locks down the plant to prevent a massive explosion – sacrificing the lives of workers who didn’t make it out in time. As a typhoon approaches, Senzaki, Sakuragi, lily-livered new recruit Takuya Hattori (Shôhei Miura) and 2 other survivors find themselves trapped on the Regalia with no hope of rescue until the storm passes.

In the grand tradition of popcorn movies like Top Gunand Space Battleship Yamato, the plot is about far-fetched and over-the-top as it gets, but Umizaru 3: The Last Message more than redeems itself with lavish special effects such as massive explosions and pyrotechnic displays, slick action sequences like when Senzaki and Hattori struggle to escape from the rapidly flooding Regalia, and even a bit of genuinely moving emotional drama on the side.

Tension rises aboard the Regalia as it begins to collapse and fire breaks out throughout the structure, causing Hattori to break down, screaming, “I didn’t sign up to die in a place like this!”

Umizaru 3, the final episode, is filled with no less action compared to its previous instalments.

Even Senzaki isn’t invulnerable, as the fear that he might not make it back to Kanna and his son Taiyo resurfaces. Confessing to have once considered leaving the service, he reaffirms his decision to stay because “if [Taiyo] finds out I quit being a diver because of him, he might blame himself”.

Indeed, his evident devotion to his family is what really holds the movie together. Back home, surrounded by the surprise presents Senzaki planted around the house to celebrate their anniversary; Kanna attempts to cope with the possibility of losing Daisuke-kun. Close to giving up hope, she throws one of his gifts, a giant stuffed monkey wearing snorkelling gear, back into its delivery box and accidentally activates the tape recorder he’d hidden inside, containing the titular last message.

Against the backdrop of the characters’ emotional turmoil, the authorities weigh the worth of human lives against that of the Regalia when it becomes clear that the survivors must either sink the Regalia and escape on the drilling ship, or simply perish.

“You really believe those 5 people are worth 1.5 billion dollars?” asks one official.

Shocked by the inhumane question, another official answers, “I don’t even understand the question.”

With acting credits from popular movies and TV dramas like When the Last Sword is Drawn and Buzzer Beat, we’re not surprised at how convincingly this story has played out. Kato, too, puts on a commendable performance as a loving wife who tries to be strong although she can’t do anything but pray for her husband’s safe return.

Umizaru 3 also offers heartwarming scenes and intimacy amidst the chaos.

However, apart from Sakuragi, who does undergo a certain amount of character development, the supporting characters are never fleshed out beyond their role as plot devices that force Senzaki and Hattori into making some tough choices about loyalty and sacrifice.

As a satisfying conclusion to the hugely popular series, Umizaru 3: The Last Message is likely to be well received by fans, who may especially appreciate the lengthy montage of saccharine intimate scenes chronicling Senzaki and Kanna’s romance from their first meeting all the way to their long-awaited wedding in a splendid white wedding chapel. Newcomers, however, may not glean much from this action flick that tries to achieve depth of emotion, but ultimately remains rather shallow.

Rating: 3/5
Director: Eiichiro Hasumi
Writer: Yasushi Fukuda (screenplay), Shuho Sato (manga)
Starring: Hideaki Itô, Ai Katô, Ryûta Satô, Masaya Kato
Release Date: 5 May 2011
Runtime: 129 mins
Language: Japanese, English, Korean
Subtitles: English and Traditional Chinese