A Japanese gangster is exiled to Los Angeles where his brother lives with a small but respectable multi-racial gang, who he inspires to expand their influence.
The boss of a major crime syndicate orders his lieutenant to bring a rogue gang of drug traffickers in line, a job that gets passed on to his long-suffering subordinate.
Beat Takeshi, a prominent actor, meets a lookalike named Kitano, who is a struggling actor, but after the meeting, Kitano's dreams take a violent, surreal turn.
As the police launch a full-scale crackdown on organized crime, it ignites a national yakuza struggle between the Sanno of the East and Hanabishi of the West.
The blind masseur/swordsman comes to a town in control of warring gangs, and while bunking with a farming family, he meets two women with their own agenda.
A young, naive boy sets out alone on the road to find his wayward mother. Soon he finds an unlikely protector in a crotchety man and the two have a series of unexpected adventures along the way.
Dropping out of high school, two friends at first find success, one as a up-and-coming boxer and one as a low level gangster. Yet, their life decisions still find a way of catching up with them.
Takeshi Kitano plays a version of himself in which he's a struggling director cycling through a number of different genres in an effort to complete his latest project.
A Japanese Yakuza gangster is exiled to the United States. Takeshi settles in Los Angeles where his younger, half brother lives and finds that although the turf is new, the rules are still the same as they try to take over the local drug trade.Written by
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Ken takes the photo of the potential blackmail victim with his right hand while his left hand is on the table. In the close-up he's holding it with both hands, and then he returns the picture with his right hand while his left hand is on the table again. See more »
Normally I like to give more detail in a review, but this is a quick one.
I enjoyed this movie a lot. I'm not entirely sure why. I think mostly it was just plain fun. 'Beat' Takeshi was just brilliant in the role of Aniki. It's a sign of a great actor when he can command your attention without really doing anything.
I loved its thoughtful pace and purpose, and how there was a real symmetry in the story. In terms of introduction of the characters and their interactions, the story closes in reverse really nicely. I won't say much more, as I don't want to spoil it; it's not major, just nicely done.
All in all, I highly recommend it. It's quite violent at times, but if you're okay with that (and hell, perhaps even like it in a Kill Bill kind of way) then definitely check this out.
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Normally I like to give more detail in a review, but this is a quick one.
I enjoyed this movie a lot. I'm not entirely sure why. I think mostly it was just plain fun. 'Beat' Takeshi was just brilliant in the role of Aniki. It's a sign of a great actor when he can command your attention without really doing anything.
I loved its thoughtful pace and purpose, and how there was a real symmetry in the story. In terms of introduction of the characters and their interactions, the story closes in reverse really nicely. I won't say much more, as I don't want to spoil it; it's not major, just nicely done.
All in all, I highly recommend it. It's quite violent at times, but if you're okay with that (and hell, perhaps even like it in a Kill Bill kind of way) then definitely check this out.