recommended

Overrated and overhyped

Beautiful, moving film.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Yusaku Matsuda stars in this what the Japanese call action/romance movie. Matsuda was a very popular action star in Japan until his untimely demise after filming "The Black Rain" with Michael Douglas.Shohei Narumi (Yuusaku Matsuda) is a gun for hire. He's been recruited by Tonichi Electric company to rescue Chairman's son in law who's the president of the company from kidnappers. The kidnapping is a cover, and the real motive is over defense budget, and the rival company is trying to assassinate the key personnel of Tonichi Electric. The head of the rival company Seishiro Adachi is the ring leader of kidnappers. He has no qualms over killing people to forward his business agenda. Narumi is paid handsomely, and he accepts the contract. He finds that the story is not so strait forward as kidnappers includes the police. He's also asked to assassinate Adachi, but finds that Adachi is cohort with unexpected company.The story is very '70s Japan style that resembles the then popular action novel of Haruhiko Ooyabu. It's supposed to be very gritty and macho with lot of sexual innuendo, but compared to today's level of violence on cinema, it's very tame. It's almost innocent by today's standard. But like most of Yuusaku Matsuda's films, this is an entertaining movie. It has comical elements as well as plot that's fairly outrageous. It's sort of escapism, but it works.This movie is not to be taken too seriously. It's made for audience to just kick back and enjoy. The format is dated, but for old time Yuusaku Matsuda fans, this movie should give the right dose of his action.