Black Rain (1989)

Two New York City cops arrest a Yakuza member and must escort him when he is extradited to Japan.I got this movie on accident. I was looking for "Black Rain", a 1989 Japanese film. Instead I got "Black Rain", a 1989 American film that happens to have Japan as a big part of the plot. Strange, and I am sure I am not the first one to make this mistake. But you really cannot complain when you get to check another Ridley Scott film off your list.This is a rather strong film for Michael Douglas. Not quite as strong as "Falling Down", but it does have some of his most vulgar and tough dialogue. The line "I usually get kissed before..." has become a small part of the popular culture.

I first saw Black Rain on its initial release, sitting on the front row of the enormous screen of the Odeon Leicester Square London. It was very exciting then and after seeing it once again for the first time in over 25 years, it is still immensely enjoyable.Like many other reviewers, I am mystified by how underrated it is. In its day it was a blockbuster with a big reputation. The basic storyline is gripping with many interesting plot twists. The contrasts between American and Japanese culture are deftly handled and worked into the plot well. Of course it's shot in a moody, stylistic way, but it is of course a moody cop film noir thriller. I think the cinematography is superb, with one aerial shot in particular, of an impressionist sunrise over the industrial hinterland of Tokyo, absolutely breathtaking.Cast-wise, it's a strong showing as Kate Capshaw smoulders (even if we see her all too briefly), Andy Garcia is boyishly charming, and Ken Takakura is great as the perplexed Japanese detective, but Michael Douglas is immense and steals the show. Rarely has barely-controlled rage been portrayed so effectively and his performance stands up against all the cop portrayals in cinema history (and I am aware that is a big statement).In short, watch it - you won't be disappointed!

Well, the opening gets way too long, and in my opinion, doesn't really detail anything except to connect at the finale action sequence. That, in my opinion is kind of stupid because it waste enough minutes to have a not so significant connection. The story gets so very predictable, just like a typical Steven Segal or Van Damme movie where he would go into a place outside the US and wreak havoc and beat the living hell out of the sorry people there. Having a very predictable plot, it gets even more stupid by presenting it just over two hours long. The scenes take too long while most viewers would have guessed where they would lead to after the first 2 or three minutes into them anyways. Michael Douglas tried to act as the tough guy cop, but in my opinion, he should stick to dramas, or at most thrillers, and stay away from action movie.

"Black Rain" is a good crime picture, no more and no less. None of the characters are all that complex or interesting, but there's still plenty of atmosphere that's inherent to the setting. It's got a familiar culture clash / fish out of water story, and the fact that the extremely capable director Ridley Scott is at the helm ensures that it will be visually striking and never boring.Michael Douglas stars as Nick Conklin, a streetwise NYC cop who's being investigated by Internal Affairs on charges of corruption. Nick and his fun loving, brash young partner Charlie Vincent (Andy Garcia) happen to arrest a bold killer named Sato (Yusaku Matsuda), who butchers two associates in a restaurant full of people. Nick and Charlie are saddled with the duty of escorting Sato back to the authorities in Japan, and unknowingly deliver Sato to his own people, who masquerade as detectives. The two Americans get caught in the middle of a war among members of the Yakuza while the Japanese police assign a well meaning cop named Masahiro (Ken Takakura) to work with them.We've seen hard headed, reckless cops like Nick in countless other action movies, and as good as Douglas is, we kind of know what to expect from his character, and know that he isn't all that bad and will be looking to regain his honour. Ultimately, having or regaining that sense of honour is the theme of the movie. It's as slick as all get out, with Jan de Bont doing a bang-up job of capturing the colourful locales of Japan on film. The movie does go on for quite a bit, but it does end things on a high note with a solid action climax and a touching scene between Nick and Masahiro (or Mas, as Nick and Charlie start nicknaming him). Kate Capshaw doesn't make much of an impact as Joyce, an American living in Japan and working as a club hostess. Familiar character players among the supporting cast include John Spencer, Luis Guzman, John Costelloe, Stephen Root, Richard Riehle, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and in "blink and you'll miss them" parts, Professor Toru Tanaka and Al Leong. Garcia is quite likable as Charlie, Tomisaburo Wakayama has a great screen presence as mob boss Sugai, but the man who really makes "Black Rain" worth seeing is Takakura, who's endearing as the kind of character who's by-the-book to begin with, but who will eventually start following the maverick leads' example.Action fans should enjoy this, as well as Ridley Scott and Michael Douglas completists. It may not be terribly innovative (at least script wise), but it's good filmmaking and efficient storytelling that does entertain.Seven out of 10.