Gyakuten Saiban (film)



Gyakuten Saiban (逆転裁判 Turnabout Trial), also known as "Ace Attorney", is a Japanese courtroom drama film based on Capcom's Ace Attorney series, specifically the first game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. The film uses the video game series' signature style and was directed by Takashi Miike. The film stars Hiroshige Narimiya as the defense attorney Ryūichi Naruhodō (Phoenix Wright), Mirei Kiritani as the spirit medium Mayoi Ayasato (Maya Fey), and Takumi Saito as the prosecutor Reiji Mitsurugi (Miles Edgeworth).

The film was given a cinema release in Japan on February 11, 2012. , but screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam before that. Miike stated plans for an international release, and the movie premiered in the United States at the 2012 AM² anime convention in June 2012.

The screenplay was written by Takeshi Iida and Sachiko Oguchi, with music by Koji Endo. The Japanese male rock band Porno Graffitti provide the film's main theme song ("2012Spark").

Plot
The court system, burdened by the massive amount of crimes being committed, introduces a new trial system: The Bench Trial System. Both prosecution and defense face each other in open court, and have three days to make their case before the judge renders a verdict.

Rookie defense attorney Phoenix Wright was defending his friend, Larry Butz in Cindy Stone's murder. He would have lost the trial but for his mentor, Mia Fey, who presented Cindy Stone's passport in order to get an aquittal for Larry Butz. As thanks, Larry gave Mia The Thinker, a clock. Meanwhile, Edgeworth was shown persecuting Dee Vasquez for her crimes.

Rookie defense attorney Phoenix Wright is thrust into the limelight after the murder of his mentor, Mia Fey. The accused murderer is Mia's younger sister, Maya Fey, who comes from a family line of spirit mediums. Wright faces off with childhood friend and rival prosecutor Miles Edgeworth on the case. The case hinges on the testimony of a witness (Redd White), who claims to have seen Mia being killed by Maya after the latter comes to Mia's office one night. However, White's testimony is put into doubt after Wright points out inconsistencies in his testimony and proves he is the murderer via a lamp purchase Mia made earlier that day that couldn't have been known by the witness. Maya is subsequently found Not Guilty of the crime.

After getting Maya acquitted of the crime, Wright takes Maya in as his assistant and agrees to defend Miles Edgeworth after he is accused of the murder of an attorney (Robert Hammond) at a lake. Evidence and witness testimony (mostly from a mysterious boat renter) suggest that Miles Edgeworth is the killer of Hammond. But the case takes an unexpected turn as Wright unravels a related 15-year-old mystery concerning the DL-6 case, which focuses on Miles' father Gregory Edgeworth. Gregory was found murdered in the court's basement evidence locker room; Yanni Yogi, a Court Bailiff is initially accused of murdering Gregory Edgeworth after discovering Gregory allegedly tampering with a gun used as evidence in a case. He is coerced into pleading not guilty by reason of insanity by Hammond in killing Gregory with the gun. The DL-6 case destroys Yogi's life to the point where his wife commits suicide and he reverts to living as a hermit renting out boats on a lake. One day, Yogi receives a package, and is prompted to take revenge on those that destroyed his life, namely Robert Hammond and the son of Gregory Edgeworth, Miles Edgeworth. He sets up the ruse by luring both Hammond and Miles to the lake where he kills Hammond and frames Miles for the crime. Yogi confesses to the ruse in open court, but Miles surprisingly admits in open court he murdered his father, not Yogi. Miles at the time was a young child, and he claims that he saw his father tampering with the gun, but blanked out during the confrontation with Yogi and Gregory thinking he shot his father.

The admission by Miles focuses new attention on the DL-6 case. Wright manages to prove in court that Miles did not kill his father and uncovers evidence that Prosecutor von Karma Manfred von Karma had committed perjuty and killed Gregory Edgeworth. However, key evidence in the form of the gun that Gregory Edgeworth thought was tampered with and killed with is missing to prove this theory. Mia Fey's notes on the DL-6 case and a timely discovery of the bullet that killed Gregory Edgeworth hidden in a clock statue of The Thinker, which was used to kill Mia after she took the bullet evidence, help proves von Karma's crime and unravels the mystery.

Gregory Edgeworth was defeated in a case against von Karma due to bullet evidence which proved a 100% match. Not satisfied with the result, Gregory breaks into the evidence room to inspect the gun, which had two remaining bullets. Yogi discovers Gregory holding the gun and thinking he was tampering with evidence, scuffles with the attorney for the gun. Miles, following his father, tries to break up the fight by biting Yogi in the arm and throwing the gun to his father, but is knocked unconscious after he is sent crashing into some nearby shelving. von Karma, looking on from the evidence room door, is hit by a stray bullet from the gun that was thrown by Miles, which lodges into his shoulder. Gregory manages to subdue Yogi, but is shot by von Karma in the back. Wright, using a metal detector, proves that there is a bullet lodged in von Karma's shoulder and surmises that the bullet used to kill Gregory will match the bullet in von Karma's shoulder and prove the bullet evidence in the original case was fake. von Karma becomes incredulous at the accusation and reveals his desire to maintaining a perfect conviction record, which he will take any measures to attain. He reveals his setup of Miles in taking the fall for the death of Hammond, using Yogi and White to help him attain the ruse. He is subsequently arrested for the crime of murdering Gregory Edgeworth.

On the 4th day of the trial, Miles Edgeworth is found not guilty of all crimes. Wright vows to help defend Yanni Yogi of his crimes, while Maya returns home.

A sideplot in the film covers the childhood between friends Wright, Edgeworth, and Larry Butz. When Wright is accused of stealing classroom money, Edgeworth rises to defend him, along with Butz. This event is cited by Wright to Maya as the reason why he became a lawyer. However, the case remains unsolved for many years until a timely prodding by Maya near the end of the film reveals Butz stole the money to buy a plastic model.

Premise
Based primarily on the first game in the series, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, the film focuses on rookie defense attorney Ryūichi Naruhodō (Phoenix Wright), as he strives to protect his clients in various murder trials, including the death of his mentor, Chihiro Ayasato (Mia Fey), and the accusation of rival prosecutor, Reiji Mitsurugi (Miles Edgeworth). Naruhodō's greatest ally is Chihiro's younger sister Mayoi (Maya Fey), a spirit medium whose body is posessed by Chihiro to communicate with him. As well as the supernatural, sci-fi elements are also used, including attorneys bringing up projected images of evidence during trials as a representation of the in-game court record.

Cast

 * Ryuichi Naruhodou (Phoenix Wright) - Hiroshige Narimiya
 * Reiji Mitsurugi (Miles Edgeworth) - Takumi Saito
 * Mayoi Ayasato (Maya Fey) - Mirei Kiritani
 * Masashi Yahari (Larry Butz) - Akiyoshi Nakao
 * Keisuke Itonokogiri (Dick Gumshoe) - Shunsuke Daito
 * Saibancho (the judge) - Akira Emoto
 * Chihiro Ayasato (Mia Fey) - Rei Dan
 * Natsumi Oosawagi (Lotta Hart) - Mitsuki Tanimura
 * Shin Mitsurugi (Gregory Edgeworth) - Takehiro Hira
 * Yukio Namakura (Robert Hammond) - Eisuke Sasai
 * Masaru Konaka (Redd White) - Makoto Ayukawa
 * Maiko Ayasato (Misty Fey) - Kimiko Yo
 * Gou Karuma (Manfred von Karma) - Ryo Ishibashi
 * Koutarou Haine (Yanni Yogi) - Fumiyo Kohinata
 * Hoshio Yamano (Frank Sahwit) - Ayumu Saitô
 * Sakura Himegami (Dee Vasquez) - Miho Ninagawa
 * Takefumi Auchi (Winston Payne) - Seminosuke Murasugi
 * Young Mayoi Ayasato (young Maya Fey) - ?
 * Young Chihiro Ayasato (young Mia Fey) - Minami Hamabe
 * Sayuri (Polly Jenkins) - Yuko Nakamura
 * Sayuri (Polly the parrot) - ?
 * Taiho-kun (Blue Badger) - ?
 * Shingo Outorou (Matt Engarde)? - ?
 * Kirio Kamiya (Adrian Andrews)? - ?

General differences

 * Spirits summoned via the Kurain Channeling Technique do not seem to be visible to everyone.


 * A human-sized Blue Badger constantly follow police officers around and helps them with various tasks.


 * A giant machine is concealed in the court's ceiling that can display interactive holograms, analyze evidence thrown into the air, and throw confetti after a non-guilty verdict. Sometimes the court's janitors are instead the ones throwing confetti while cleaning the floor from a previous trial.


 * The film Miles Edgeworth appears to have a preference for the Jammin' Ninja (instead of being a secret fan of the Steel Samurai like he is in the games).


 * Trials in the film are seen as more of a "sport" or "attraction", where anyone can purchase tickets to see the trial. It also appears that to see a whole trial, three separate tickets are required (corresponding to the bench trials in the games having a limit of three days).
 * The ordinary judge in the movie has hair, while in the game he is bald.


 * The only characters who show a similar breakdown to those in the games are Frank Sahwit and Winston Payne.


 * The presiding judge for the majority of the movie is far more calm and collected than his, at times, rather comical video game counterpart.
 * Maya and Gumshoe, while still having goofy moments, are more reserved and serious than their game counterparts.
 * In the movie, Manfred von Karma watched every case which featured Miles Edgeworth. (Episode 2 and Episode 3) In the game, he was not shown until the fourth episode.
 * Manfred von Karma acts more 'tame' in the movie. He even shook Wright's hand before the trial of Edgeworth began. Because of that, the judge was not intimidated by him.
 * On the contrary, his game appearance showed his arrogance right when the trial began. He even arranged the court's proceeding and overruled objections.

The First Turnabout

 * A judge different from the other cases is assigned to the trial.


 * The courtroom used in this trial is different from the other cases.


 * The murder weapon is no longer a clock made in the image of The Thinker.


 * Mia Fey is the one who presents Cindy Stone's passport as evidence to prove Larry Butz's innocence.


 * Instead of only making two copies of The Thinker, one for Cindy Stone and one for himself, in the movie Butz sells copies of The Thinker at his Gourd Lake shop.

Turnabout Sisters

 * April May, the Bellboy, and Marvin Grossberg are never seen or mentioned.


 * Larry Butz, who wasn't present during the original episode in the game, is seen during the Turnabout Sisters part of the film.


 * Detective Gumshoe does not mess up the order of his testimony, instead mentioning the dying message first.


 * Redd White is a completely different character in appearance, personality, and profession. In the game, he is a smug, confident, and powerful businessman who blackmails various important figures. In the film, he has medium-length black hair and sports a black trenchcoat with sunglasses. He also breaks out a megaphone at one point when he loses his temper towards Wright. The film version is eventually revealed to be a former investigator of the DL-6 Incident, who has been manipulated by von Karma. He later dies of poisoning while in detention.


 * The evidence hidden in The Thinker is the bullet from the DL-6 Incident (rather than evidence of White's blackmailing), which White fails to steal.

Turnabout Samurai

 * The case occurs before Mia Fey's murder and doesn't involve Wright or Maya Fey at all. It is instead presented as an introduction to Miles Edgeworth as he finds Dee Vasquez guilty.
 * The defense attorney of this case in the movie is not Phoenix Wright.


 * Dee Vasquez acts more crazed and flustered than in the game.
 * Penny Nichols, Wendy Oldbag and Will Powers was never mentioned or shown in the movie.
 * Sal Manella, while his name was not mentioned and he was not shown, was referred as the 'script writer' in the movie.
 * Global Studios was not shown in the movie.

Turnabout Goodbyes

 * Butz's Steel Samurai balloon is much larger than in the game.


 * Butz is not dressed as Santa Claus like he is in the game.


 * The stolen money that is at the center of the class trial does not belong to Miles Edgeworth, but to another student entirely. Additionally, Edgeworth does not figure out that Butz is the thief until after von Karma is arrested.


 * While Maya sets off Lotta Hart's camera with a party popper and a sneezing fit in the game, it is not even triggered by Maya's shouting in the movie.


 * Hart's camera takes three photos instead of two. Because the camera is set up to take a single picture instead of an entire roll, the additional photo is from the second gunshot that occurred during Miles Edgeworth's meeting on the boat.


 * Hart doesn't lie about taking pictures of Gourdy, nor does she make up the excuse that she was taking photographs of a meteor shower.


 * Maya is not detained after her outburst during Hart's testimony.
 * The police still trust Miles Edgeworth in the movie, while in the game, only Detective Gumshoe seemed to trust him.


 * Wright and Maya's first visit to the caretaker's shack never occurs, including Polly's revelation of Yanni Yogi's link with the DL-6 Incident.


 * The caretaker's shack itself is wildly different in appearance, and is in extremely poor condition.


 * Yogi does not pretend to constantly doze off during conversations.
 * While in the game Wright and Maya found the Gas Tank which Butz used to inflate the Steel Samurai Balloon, in the movie, Butz found the Steel Samurai balloon still attached to the Gas Tank in the lake.


 * The radio DJ that Butz was listening to during the murder was an older man, rather than a woman.


 * The stun gun attack occurs inside the caretaker's shack immediately after the discovery of Manfred von Karma's instructions by Wright and Maya. The circumstances behind the attack allows the attacker, von Karma, to conceal his identity as the mastermind until Wright's accusation.
 * Manfred Von Karna is shot in the left shoulder, instead of the right.


 * Polly is a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo instead of resembling a Scarlet Macaw like she does in the game.


 * Polly's testimony is extended to include her owner's name, since the circumstantial evidence does not convince the judge of a pattern.


 * The letter containing the murder instructions are printed instead of being handwritten, and also include a bottle of acid which Yanni Yogi uses to burn his fingerprints off.


 * Yogi sees his wife's ghost after his confession. He is the only one to notice her.
 * Although The Thinker was not seen again after the second episode in the game, it was brought again into the courtroom in the movie, which led to the discovery of the second bullet..


 * During the discovery of what happened to the second bullet, Maya actually channels Mia.


 * The metal detector is provided by Butz instead of Detective Dick Gumshoe.


 * The DL-6 Incident occurs in the Records Room instead of the courthouse's elevator. This causes Miles Edgeworth to believe that his father was the one forging evidence, instead of von Karma. The truth is only revealed when Wright compares the second bullet from the DL-6 Incident with the forged evidence that triggered it.
 * While Polly Jenkins was Yanni Yogi's fiancé in the game, she was his wife in the movie adaptation.
 * Yanni Yogi's house was vandalized by people in the movie. However, the vandalization of his house was not mentioned in the game.
 * Wright mentions that he plans on defending Yogi in court.

Rise from the Ashes

 * The events of Rise from the Ashes are not mentioned or shown.

References to other cases

 * There are multiple references to Farewell, My Turnabout at the very end of the movie. Butz's Gourd Lake shop and merchandise are re-branded to that of the Jammin' Ninja. A trial is also seen with Wright as the defense attorney, Edgeworth holding the Jammin' Ninja's signature bright red guitar, and with a witness appearing to be Matt Engarde (albeit wearing a different outfit). A woman resembling Adrian Andrews can also be seen when said witness first appears.


 * The film's arranged version of Objection! 2001 contains a section that is a slower version of "Apollo Justice ~ A New Chapter of Trials!". The section is question plays during von Karma's arrest in the film and can be listened to here.

Cameo appearances

 * The film's director, Takashi Miike, as a court spectator.


 * Shu Takumi, creator of the Ace Attorney series, can be seen during the fourth case celebrating with Larry Butz.

Soundtrack
The film's music was composed by Kōji Endō, known for scoring other films by Takashi Miike. For the soundtrack, Endō chose to utilize various themes by Masakazu Sugimori from the original video game and re-arranged them for a musical ensemble consisting of strings, oboe, clarinet, horn, trumpet, and a choir. Additional background music was also newly composed in this manner. The soundtrack was later released on CD to tie in with the movie. The film's theme song, "2012 Spark", was composed and performed by the Japanese male rock group Porno Graffitti.

Reception
The movie earned over US$1,547,000 in its opening weekend, grossing over US$6,145,000 during its theatrical run in Japan. Richard Eisenbeis of Kotaku praised the movie, calling it "the best video game movie ever," and "on its own a fun, engaging mystery/comedy." Paul Verhoeven of IGN gave the film a score of 8 out of 10, a "Great" rating, describing it as "explosive, high-camp melodrama, but it manages to work both as a legal thriller and a pitch-perfect adaptation of the game." On the other hand, Jay Weissberg of Variety referred to the film as a "dull production" that was "criminally long and generally lacking in [Miike's] playful visual hyperbole."

Home release
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 22 August 2012, in Japan. In Spain, the DVD and the Blu-Ray was released on 11 December 2012 in both Spanish and Japanese by the company Selecta Vision. A German release of the DVD and Blu-ray is also planned in spring 2013.