Cheap Black Rain (DVD) (Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Ken Takakura, Kate Capshaw) (Ridley Scott) Price

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Customer Reviews of Black Rain

A Well Made Action/Thriller.
A Maverick New York City Detective (Two Time Oscar-Winner:Micheal Douglas) and His Partner (Andy Garcia) are Assigned to Deliver a Yukuzn Gangster (Yusaku Matsuda) to the Japanese Authorities but Once, they Arrived in Japan, the Cops ended up losing the Criminal and then the Cops are in the Search of the Felon, who Escape from Them. Despite Protests from the Japanese Police, the American Cops are Staying in Japan and the Lead Detective (Ken Takakura) is Forced to Help Them.

Directed by Ridley Scott (Thelma & Louise, 1492:The Conquest of Paradise, White Squall) brings a Stylish Action-Thriller, which is Entertaining and Visual Good-Looking Flick, thanks to Cinematogrpher:Jan De Bont (Cujo, The Hunt for the Red October, Basic Instinct) and Screenplay by Criag Bolotin and Warren Lewis makes this Action Movie Works. Micheal Douglas gives a Solid Performance. This was a Box Office Hit in the Fall of 1989. One of the Top-Best Cops (Action-Thriller) Films of the 1980`s. It was Oscar Nominated for Best Sound Editing and Best Sound. Panavision. Grade:B+.

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Brilliant movie - Insulting visual transfer
Before I review Black Rain, let me tell you that I agree with some of the previous reviewers that the picture quality of this DVD (its better on VHS) is totally unacceptable. When I first watched it, I had to check my cable connections to make sure they weren't at fault. What a let-down. Mr. Scott should be raising hell over this.

With that said, this is one of my favorite action movies. It portrays Detective Nick Conklin (Michael Douglas) as an outgoing, old-school cop who takes moral short-cuts to get the job done. His partner, a relatively new Detective (Andy Garcia) is along for the ride. They have a run-in with a Japanese mobster (Yakuza) named Sato. After arresting Sato for commiting two murders in a New York restaurant, the Detectives are ordered to escort him back to Japan to face charges there. They manage to let Sato escape as he arrives in Japan. A Japanese Detective (Ken Takarara) is assigned to help out the New York Detectives.

Douglas, Garcia and Takarara are excellenty cast in their respective roles. The screenplay is well written. I must say that the cinematography is really good. Japan, the once-conquered nation, is now an industrial powerhouse. But, like the U.S., it suffers from the ills of corruption and violence. Ridley Scott does a great job of showing the tension between the two cultures. The Japanese, "bound by duty and honor", and the Americans, loud and outspoken, are viewed as somewhat obnoxious by their counterparts. The musical score is incredible. Hans Zimmer really brings this movie to life with an array of Japanese and American-themed music that injects just the right amount of tension for the corresponding scene. Brilliantly done.

This movie is 5-Star material, but the DVD version is a huge disapointment. I would wait to see if a special edition DVD comes out (I can only hope) with the video quality this movie deserves.

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Culture Clash
Black Rain may not have some of the epic qualities of other Ridley Scott films, like Blade Runner, Gladiator, or even Black Hawk Down, but it is still a solid cop thrller/fish out of water story.

Just as New York detective Mike Conklin (Michael Douglas) faces an investigation for corruption, Japan's yakuza hit man Sato (Yusaku Matsuda) kills two American mobsters in New York, he's then extradited to Osaka to face trial. Conklin and his partner Charlie Vincent (Andy Garcia) are assigned as his escorts back home. Mistakenly turning over their prisoner to yakuza disguised as police, Conklin and Vincent realize, after running down some blind alleys, that they have no chance of finding Sato in the unfamiliar city and enlist the services of Japanese desk cop Masahiro "Mas" Masumoto (Ken Takakura). While relaxing with Mas at a karaoke bar, the cops also get information on the world of the yakuza from Joyce Kinglsey (Kate Capshaw), a high-class bargirl. As they continue the search for Sato, the scrupulous, methodical, and civilized style of Japanese police work rubs the improvisational, rule-breaking Americans the wrong way. All three men must find a way to work together though, to succeed.

Scott certainly knows how to keep the action moving at a nice pace. Douglas is very good playing yet another cop on the edge. A very young Garcia makes the most of a fairly predictable role. Takakura gets along well with his "american" compatriots. His character is as much out of his element, while adjusting to the two westerners, as the two americans are. This makes the film even more fun. Special mention has to be made of the superb photography of future director Jan de Bont, who had just come off of Die Hard, in the movie. The Japan backdrop looks great and is at its grittiest. The film's biggest problem lies within its script. Some of its twists are easy to forecast before they occur. Fortunately though, everything else works pretty well, so as not to bring down the flick.

I like Black Rain a whole lot and would welcome a special edition DVD release of the movie. As it stands right now though, the current disc only has the theatrical trailer, for its bonus material. Since most Ridley Scott films make for great SE DVDs, I'm sure if done right, Black Rain would be as well. Recommended.