Rising Sun (1993)

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

RELEASED IN 1993 and directed by Philip Kaufman based on Michael Crichton's 1992 novel, "Rising Sun" stars Sean Connery & Wesley Snipes as two L.A. detectives familiar with Japanese culture who are assigned to investigate the murder of a prostitute at a Japanese owned skyscraper. Harvey Keitel plays the tough cop in charge of the investigation while Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa appears as the charismatic Japanese suspect.It should be stressed that this isn't an action movie, like the "Die Hard" flicks, it's a modern film noir suspense thriller with a Far East mystery. Yes, there's some action, but it's more crime drama. That said, I generally enjoyed the movie. Connery and Snipes have good chemistry and there are a several genuinely amusing moments (e.g. Snipe's explanation of gang culture paralleling Connery's explanation of Japanese culture) or insightful lines (e.g. "He's plundering our natural resources" and "Look, 'sempai,' apple pie, whatever").The film's interesting in its insights on Japan's culture (the Taiko percussionists), including the dark side (e.g. their abuse of women, ethnocentrism and corresponding racism) which, to be expected, outrages whiney politically correct pundits. Crichton's novel emphasizes the differences between the Japanese and Western mindsets, particularly in the areas of business strategy and corporate culture."Rising Sun" scores pretty well on the female front, highlighted by Tia Carrere, Alexandra Powers, Tylyn John and Tatjana Patitz. But there's too much sleaze quotient for my tastes, although it's anticipated considering the plot.Speaking of the plot, there are too many eye-rolling plot holes if you look too closely, like the reporter's elaboration on the burnt-to-a-crisp guy in the car immediately following the accident. Why sure! Another example is when Connery's character confidently claims that criminals in Japan expect to be caught because convictions run 90%. This is neither true nor proves that criminals are being caught and convicted. Japanese police only investigate crimes they think they can solve. If they find a slain prostitute in an alley with her throat slit, for instance, they'll write it up as a suicide or accidental death. It's easy to SAY you have low crime and low unsolved murders and high convictions (for the obvious honor of the nation and governing officials), but it's harder to prove the right people were caught as opposed to just "rounding up the usual suspects." Were crimes labeled accurately or for the convenience and honor of police and politicians? How many dead bodies are hidden in the concrete of some Japanese skyscraper and written up as missing people instead of homicide victims? (Which, to the film's credit, IS noted in the movie).THE MOVIE RUNS 129 minutes and was shot in Los Angeles, as well as Long Beach & Venice. ADDITIONAL CAST: Kevin Anderson appears as an American lawyer linked with the Japanese company while Ray Wise appears as a senator.GRADE: B/B- (6.5/10)

At the offices of a Japanese corporation, during a party, a woman, who is evidently a professional mistress, is found dead, apparently after some rough hanky panky.1993 was apparently a good year for Michael Crichton. He had "Jurassic Park", one of the biggest hits of all time. And then he had this, which I think has been more or less forgotten. Which is a bit of a shame, because the Connery / Snipes pairing is interesting, as is the slight dip into the Yakuza.My concern with the film is its emphasis on digital technology. I was around in 1993 and computer literate. Surely editing a video was possible, but to the extent it is shown here? It would be darn near impossible... the frame-by-frame editing would take much too long. But if I ignore that, it makes for a great thriller.

My favourite buddy cop film and one of my favourite films simply because of how entertaining, unusual, laid back and fun it is. This is a film that took me by surprise when I first watched it because of how chill and easygoing it is, much like character John Conner, played by Sean Connery, an eccentric detective and friend of the Japanese businessmen they're investigating, who knows the Japanese inside out and is therefore the best man for the case. It's almost comical to see Connery deal with the Japanese and give wisdom to his "Kohai" played by Wesley Snipes, knock out opponents like a ninja and spout mind-bending expressions, putting the American police department he derides to shame all the way, especially an arrogant, crooked detective played by Harvey Keitel. Connery couldn't be more perfect as he knocks out a tough body guard and then quips to the other "they say if you have to resort to violence you've already lost...would you like to find out Jeff?" He's justifiably and hilariously pleased with himself, but not the point of smugness as having learned from a superior culture as opposed to the "fragmented mtv rap video" culture of America he's basically a far better detective. The Japanese expect to be caught in Japan, but in America they take advantage because they think the American authorities are crooked and stupid, and aren't often wrong, so when a murder occurs in the Nakumora building during vital business negotiations, an obsequious, highly Americanized little subordinate thinks he can sloppily cover up a scandal with murder and forged evidence. It's up to John Conner to casually play golf with the head of the company get free membership and gain information on the Japanese' terms while Snipes learns and becomes a better detective. It's also a bit of an educational film about the way the Japanese do things, far more direct, simple and precise, and with honour of course, and I guess some kind of strange Japanese/American relations film. It's light entertainment, colourful and fun with a great cast all round, also including Steve Buscemi as a reporter who gets told by Sean Connery. Sean Connery steals the show in quite possibly my favourite performance of his so far, and it's worth watching for him alone. Also it was great to watch Ray Wise from Twin Peaks play a senator. There's a Twin Peaks reference at one point, and there's some Leland Palmer in his performance.

Here's another film that cops too much flack. It's an underrated movie, which at times loses it's punch, but it becomes such an engrossing movie that gets with the times. It's set around a big computer organization, where everything's not black and white. We have a beautiful high priced girl/mistress, who's been accidentally strangled, or was she murdered, while engaged in a session of rough sex that got out of control. All evidence, instantly points towards Eddie Sakamoto, the son of the original owner of the business, I think, as he was in a relationship with the dead lass, and they had argued at the start while singing "Don't fence me in" at karaoke, where she just stormed out, where he gives chase. The exterior trick shot, outside the bar where the sports car is made to look really small as it takes off, outside the park, was a cool shot on Kaufman's part (this is the dude that made The Wanderers). Enter Connery, a cop was a mysterious past and Snipes who's assigned with him. The teaming up of these two is interesting. Like the Seagal characters, Connery's here is kept pretty secretive, as if almost boxed up. He's flawlessly great, disposing of tight situations, with a hand to the throat, when muscle bound geezers, give him trouble. We learn too about Snipes's background some, but this film really opens our eyes, to the deception in computer graphics, and the falsity of misrepresenting images, where's Eddie's may of been planted, preferably by the killer and his goons, possible employees of the business. RS is a nice cool mixture with the just the right of amount of sex, (it's hot, especially, naked sushi scene, much alike to the one in the dreaded, Showdown in Little Tokyo). There's nice looking broads, and some action, but on the surface, it's a drama thriller, but it's a very good drama thriller, right to the end, that has you wondering, if the supposed killer that dies at the end, is really our guy. These thrillers, who's victim is killed right at the start (Saigon, Basic Instinct) where the rest of the movie you're left to guess the killer, I love. RS has it all, = one big surprise, plus some of those great actors from Reservoir Dogs, Buscemi, playing a pussy character in this too. We even have a car chase, where at Snipes request, these homeboys stall these not so happy Asians. The interrogation scenes with Snipes, the interrogated set in before or after scenario's, I liked too which really gave it an interesting and serious angle. These after scenarios could have you thinking they took place after the end of the story, which is rather cool. After all poor Snipes has got enough personal problems. Also we have same real racial hatred going, thanks to a conflict of opinions, and ill favour. Don't believe the bad hype on this. Rent it today.