The Hunted (1995)

Director:

J.F. Lawton

Writer (WGA):

J.F. Lawton (written by)

Release Date:

24 February 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Action

Tagline:

He's trapped in a world where killing is an art and revenge is an obsession

Plot:

Paul is on one of his many business trips to Tokyo, as a computer-chip executive from New York, when he meets a beautiful and mysterious woman...

Plot Keywords:

Female Nudity | Bare Butt | Bathing Scene | Male Nudity | Katana Sword

Cast

Christopher Lambert	...	Paul Racine
John Lone	...	Kinjo
Joan Chen	...	Kirina
Yoshio Harada	...	Takeda Sensei
Yôko Shimada	...	Mieko Takeda
Mari Natsuki	...	Junko
Tak Kubota	...	Oshima
Masumi Okada	...	Lt. Wadakura
Tatsuya Irie	...	Hiryu
Michael Warren	...	Chase
Bart Anderson	...	John
James Saito	...	Nemura
Seth Sakai	...	Dr. Otozo Yamura
Toshirô Obata	...	Ryuma
Ken Kensei	...	Sujin
Hiroyasu Takagi	...	Misato
Michio Itano	...	Sumato
Naoko Sasaki	...	Officer Naoko
Warren Takeuchi	...	Officer at Hospital
Dean Choe	...	Ninja #1
Victor Kimura	...	Medical Technician
Iris Salmon	...	Surgeon #1
Jack Mar	...	Surgeon #2
Anthony Towe	...	Fumio
Kuniharu Tamura	...	Noraki
Tong Lung	...	Detective
Reina Reyes	...	Helpful Little Girl
Hiroshi Nakatsuka	...	Taxi Driver
Jay Ono	...	Train Controlman
Hiro Kanagawa	...	Lieutenant
Mercedes Tang	...	Mistress
Ryoto Sakata	...	Officer on Train
Kenji Shimizu	...	Rookie
Sumi Mutoh	...	Sumi
Chieko Sugano	...	Dancer

Directed by
J.F. Lawton

Writing credits (WGA)
J.F. Lawton		(written by)

Produced by
John Davis	....	producer
William Fay	....	executive producer
Gary W. Goldstein	....	producer
Yuriko Matsubara	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Leonard Eto
Motofumi Yamaguchi

Cinematography by
Jack Conroy

Film Editing by
Robert A. Ferretti
Eric Strand

Production Design by
Phil Dagort

Art Direction by
Sheila Haley

Set Decoration by
Lin MacDonald

Production Management
Cellin Gluck	....	production supervisor
Brad Goodman	....	post-production supervisor
Justis Greene	....	unit production manager
Kazutoshi Wadakura	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Barry	....	third assistant director
Brian Giddens	....	first assistant director
Cellin Gluck	....	second unit director
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	second unit director

Art Department
Perry Battista	....	set dresser
Doug Hardwick	....	construction coordinator
Sean Lavoie	....	lead painter
Glenn MacDonald	....	on-set dresser
Max Matsuoka	....	assistant property master
Dale Menzies	....	lead carpenter
Tony Soragnese	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Sandina Bailo-Lape	....	foley editor
Tom Barwick	....	foley artist
Phil Benson	....	sound effects editor
Gloria S. Borders	....	supervising sound editor
Karen Brocco	....	assistant sound editor
Lindakay Brown	....	assistant sound editor
Tony Eckert	....	foley recordist
Sean England	....	machine room operator
Frank E. Eulner	....	sound editor
Cameron Hamza	....	sound mixer: Los Angeles
Lora Hirschberg	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Laurel Ladevich	....	adr editor
Dennis Leonard	....	sound effects editor
Kevin Rose-Williams	....	assistant sound editor
Susan Sanford	....	assistant sound editor
Robert Shoup	....	supervising sound editor
Michael Silvers	....	dialogue editor
Dianna Stirpe	....	dialogue editor
Larry Sutton	....	location sound mixer
Dennie Thorpe	....	foley artist
Hugh Waddell	....	adr editor
Ronald G. Roumas	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bob Comer	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
Kevin J. Andruschak	....	stunts (as Kevin Andruschak)
Lauro Chartrand	....	stunts
Mike Ching	....	stunts
Dean Choe	....	stunts
Mike Crestejo	....	stunts (as Michael Cretejo)
Allixandra East	....	stunts
Marny Eng	....	stunts
Robyn Gildemeester	....	stunts
Glenn Harada	....	stunts
Michael Hirano	....	stunts
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunt coordinator
Shishir Inocalla	....	stunts
Russell Jung	....	stunts
Janine Kamiya	....	stunts
Yuka Kobayashi	....	stunts (as Yuka Koyayashi)
Robert Lee	....	stunts (as Bob Lee)
Howard Louie	....	stunts
Derek Lowe	....	stunts
Tong Lung	....	stunt actor
Johnny Mah	....	stunts
Kiyoto Matsumoto	....	stunts
Thomas 'Dusty' Miller	....	stunts (as Thomas "Dusty" Miller)
Mike Mitchell	....	stunts
Akiko Morison	....	stunts
Tom Muzila	....	stunt fight coordinator
Hideo Nagahiro	....	stunts
Philip Nishkihawa	....	stunts (as Philip Nishikihama)
Mark Noda	....	stunts
Paul Pat	....	stunts
Darryl Scheelar	....	stunts
David Soo	....	stunts
Edwin Soo	....	stunts
David Sung	....	stunts
Anthony Towe	....	stunts
John Wardlow	....	stunt coordinator
Richard Yee	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Simon Barry	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Kurt Braun	....	steadicam operator
Larry Portmann	....	clapper loader
Attila Szalay	....	camera operator
A.J. Vesak	....	camera operator: "b" camera
A.J. Vesak	....	director of photography: second unit

Casting Department
Susan Taylor Brouse	....	casting: Canada

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lyne Talbot	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Jordan Acomba	....	apprentice editor
Cheryl Buckman	....	assistant editor
Carlyn Montes De Oca	....	post-production consultant
Caroline Hardon	....	assistant editor: Canada
Steve Moe	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Max Bowers	....	assistant music editor
Kodo	....	composer: additional original music
Denise Okimoto	....	assistant music editor

Transportation Department
Blue Angus	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Steve Beeson	....	production accountant
Jaap Broeker	....	stand-in (as Jaap Broker)
Bruce L. Brownstein	....	location manager
Dixie Cutler	....	publicist
Tish Heaven	....	stand-in
Dorne Huebler	....	title designer
Thomas 'Dusty' Miller	....	advisor: ninjitsu (as Thomas 'Dusty' Miller)
Don Munro	....	office production assistant
Seiji Okamura	....	kantoku hosa
Pauline Olsen	....	stand-in
Stephen Tibbetts	....	stand-in
Hidenobu Togo	....	technical advisor: special martial arts
Timothy Scott Ralston	....	studio projectionist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bregman/Baer Productions
• Davis Entertainment
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1995) (USA) (laserdisc)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Argentina)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• OCS/Freeze Frame/Pixel Magic (digital visual effects)

Other Companies

• Focus on Food  catering
• Illusion Arts  matte paintings
• Lumeni Productions  main title production
• Pacific Title and Art Studio  opticals
• Skywalker Sound  post-production sound services
• Sony Music  soundtrack
• Titra California Inc.  subtitles

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody ninja violence and some sexuality.

Runtime:

106 min | USA:111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

Philippines:R-18 | Sweden:15 | South Korea:18 | Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-18 | Germany:18 | Ireland:18 | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 | UK:18 (video premiere) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Japan

Company:

Bregman/Baer Productions

Trivia:

Exterior shots of the train were filmed on location on Japan, however, the interior shots were filmed on a set at Bridge Studios in Vancouver, B.C. The scenery rushing by outside the windows was simulated using large rotating drums with "blurred" scenery painted on it.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the Opening scene where Racine is walking with his business partners talking about "selling ice to Eskimos", Racine enters the taxi-cab with his trench coat on. When he arrives at the hotel, he gets out of the cab without the trench coat.

Quotes:

Kinjo: How much blood do I have to bath in, to get clean?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Your Studio and You (1995)

Enjoyable trash without too much flair

Businessman Paul Racine is in Japan for work when he is picked up by an attractive young woman. He goes back to her flat but leaves early. Going back after second thoughts Racine witnesses her being killed by the mysterious ninja assassin Kinjo. He survives Kinjo's ninjas but is badly hurt. In hospital he is approached by Takeda and his wife, who offer him protection as everyone else who has seen Kinjo face has been killed. After a ninja attack on his hospital Racine goes with them and they prepare for a final showdown.

I've seen this film twice now. This second time I watched it because I wanted to review it but couldn't remember it clearly enough to be fair on it. The second viewing reminded why it had faded in my mind – it is trashy yet enjoyable fun. The plot is poor (laughable parts and inconsistencies) but it is short, has energy and requires no thought. The idea that this businessman would survive several ninja attacks when training samurai are easily killed is silly. Worse still is the idea (no matter how justified) that Racine could even temporarily match any of these men after only a few basic lessons in how to hold a sword! However it is quite exciting if you're in the mood. The high point is probably a train journey that is exciting simply because it is shockingly violent in it's intent. The addition of some comic relief in the final third (the old swordmaker) helps the film along to the conclusion.

Although it is not great, it is slightly refreshing to see a film of this genre without tonnes of flashy wire work or moves (having just suffered Bulletproof Monk and Cradle 2 The Grave I was glad of the basic fights). Little inconsistencies spoil it slightly – in one scene Racine is saved when a samurai sword jams in a wooden door, however later the same swords easily cuts though thick wooden pillars. Those looking for something trashy and slightly exciting should be pleased I think.

Lambert is not great in the lead and the film suffers form his character being the focal point. He mumbles his way through his lines (I think he thinks it makes him tough and mysterious) and his transformation from green businessman to ninja warrior is of no value. On the flip side of this is Yoshio Harada. Harada gives a really cool performance – he is strong and driven with an air of mystery, the script even makes him a little dark and complex too! The film would have been better if it had gradually swung the films focus from Racine to Harada's Takeda. Lone is OK as Kinjo but is not as meaty a role as Takeda. Considering the quality of the film I was watching I thought Harada did very well.

Overall I was ready for a trashy ninja movie with low value but reasonably entertaining – and that's what I got. Anyone looking for more than that should look elsewhere, but if you're in the mood this forgettable ninja movie will pass 90 minutes without being disappointing.