Crusher Joe: The Movie Pt I

Crusher Joe (1983 ) Nippon Sunrise Director Yoshikazu Yasuhiko Written by Haruka Takachiho.

Alright, I've featured a lot about Crusher Joe, but I've never actually talked much about the movie itself. So without further ado...

Crusher Joe; The Movie synopsis...

I know... about time!!!

Our story begins in the year 2161 AD and a large transport truck on its way to a space port is suddenly assaulted by a series of vehicles armed with the intent of stopping it.

Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark!!!

A firefight ensues that results in the chase vehicles getting trashed. As the pursuants manage to evade capture they convene to a safehouse where it is revealed that they are carrying a female in cryogenic stasis.

Cut to the introduction of the Crusher Team. Joe and his compatriots decide to take a break after a tough assignment on the Planet of Opus.

There the team comes in contact with a man named Valenstinos who claims he has a job for them.

He informs the team that he wishes them to transport a medical patient named Elena, who is in cryogenic suspension and they need to get her to the Planet Miccola for medical attention.

Valenstinos

He stresses that time is of the essence, they only have 30 hours to obtain the necessary operation or she will die.

Joe points out the the distance is only a few short warp jumps away and that they don't need the Crusher's to do what essentially a trivial job.

Crushers: Joe, Talos, Ricky and Alfin

 Valestinos explains that the client is Elena Scoran, a wealthy heiress to a powerful industrial group and that they need to keep the matter quiet due to the fact that if revealed could lead to rival family members being involved in a power grab.

When asked for proof Valenstinos present them with a Scoran special card showing his authenticity as a steward to the Scoran family. 

Impressed by the credentials they agree  to take the job emphasizing that task won't be cheap. 

The crew take their passengers on board their cruiser the Minerva and prepare for the jump to their destination. Everything seems to be routine until the ship suddenly the jump coordinates go wrong and the team passes out in unknown space. 

When they come to they not only find that they're off course. by 700 light years, but the passenger crew quarters are empty and the body that they were to transport has disappeared as well.

All indications point to the fact that they were carried to this point in space which happens to be in the middle of a trade route. 

Cordoba and Minerva

Suddenly they detect a ship coming out of warp. A United Space Force battle ship Cordoba fires a warning shot across the Minerva's bow.

The captain of the Cordoba, Kowalsky accuses the Crushers of being pirates. 

The Crushers try to explain the situation but with no passengers, no cargo and no contracts or manifest to prove their story the captain locks them up for trial.

Capt. Kowalsky

While being interrogated the captain is met by an Intelligence operative named Bard, who orders him to

let
the Crushers go on his authority. 

The Captain is incredulous to the operatives' orders but he is told that the orders come straight from the Home Planet of the Crusher council Aramis.

Bard gives the captain his assurances that the Crushers are to be used as bait in an operation to capture some major key criminals. 

Crusher Dan

The crew are detained on the Planet Stargis where they are met By Crusher Dan, the head of the Crusher organization and Joe's father. 

Dan reprimands the team for taking on the job without approval from the Crusher council, and places them on a six month suspension. 

Joe's team is told he is to go back to the Planet Aramis, where he and he team will serve  their time. 

Joe reluctantly complies with the order and the team agree to head back to Aramis... they then proceed to get drunk...

The gang hang out at the local dance club. While drinking Joe espouses about how his father treats him, and feels he is not being taken seriously.

Talos tries to calm him down by saying his father is just looking out for him and how he wants his son to become an established Crusher.

Joe and Alfin end the argument by hitting the dance floor... and a fight immediately breaks out. 

Agent Bard

As the Crushers proceed to accumulate assault victims and property damage they are rescued by Bard.

It turns out that Talos and Bard had teamed up together in the past along with Dan as the original Crusher team. When asked what he's been up to Bard tells them that he is now a Lt Colonel and part of the 2nd Intelligence team of the Space Force, which Talos casually dismisses as being a spy.

 Bard reveals that the reason he sought the Crushers out was to provide them a lead that will clear them of the charges from Kowalsky's report.

He informs the team that the Scorlan special card was genuine but was stolen by a man Named Yosef Dodge AKA Valenstinos. By creating a cover he managed to create an identity to become the Scorlans' secretary and stole the exclusive card.

The Crushers head for Lagol

Through the agency's findings Joe and his team are told that Dodge is currently hiding at Lagol, a solar system in the Aries sector where the Space  Force has limited jurisdiction.

It turns out that the Planet has a mass immigration policy that that is lax on criminality, and the system is a known sanctuary for pirates.

There is a loophole however as the area is not restricted to Crushers. 

Cordoba on standby

Talos is against the idea stating that their orders were to return to Aramis, but Joe reasons that while they are on their way they should be allowed to make a short stopover on the way back. 

Meanwhile Bard contacts Kowalsky to standby.

As Joe, Alfin Talos and Ricky make their way to Lagol Joe tells the crew that the system contains three planetoids with Minaus being the one that has been terraformed by The Crusher Kevin team. 

Pirate Nero

On approach the planet the Joe team is asked to divert to the orbital space station for inspection. In the

midst of docking Yosef, AKA Valenstinos recognizes the Crusher ship on a monitor and begins to panic.

As Yosef ponders his fate we are introduced to pirate henchman Nero and Norma, both itching to test the Crushers' mettle in combat.

As the team makes their way planet-side they are met with a welcoming committee of incoming fighters led by Nero and Norma.

Pirate Norma

The Minerva engages the attacking Siren  and Harpy Fighters. but the team realizes that they are being outmaneuvered and Joe and Alfin decide to board Fighter One telling Talos and Ricky to get to safety. 

As the duo engage the attacking squadron of enemy fighters they mange to take out the majority save the ones piloted by Nero and Norma.

Sirens attack	Fighter One launches
Enemies engaged	Nero and Norma pursue

Unfortunately for the valiant Crushers they are unable to shake their pursuers, so Joe decides to take a gamble and cuts the fighters' engines. 

He plummets the fighter tempting the enemies to follow and suddenly engages the engines shooting straight up between Nero and Norma causing them to avoid direct collision and making them crash into each other.

However the daring maneuver causes too much strain on their own engines and Fighter One crashes to the ground.

Joe and Alfin soon realize they are alone in the forests with no backup and the fate of the Minerva unknown.

Screen shots:

To be continued...