Review by Dragan Antulov
2 stars out of 4
The author of this review, while being introduced to the
phenomenon called "straight-to-video" in the early 1990,
made an interesting observation. It dealt with the trailers
of the "straight-to-video" movies. The good trailers usually
meant bad or unwatchable movies. The trailer for AMERICAN
YAKUZA, 1993 action film by Nick A. Capello, was one of the
better ones. But the movie itself was one of the rare
exceptions to the rule above; it was surprisingly good and
it delivered the goods promised in the trailer.
The plot of this movie, based on the screenplay by John
Allen Nelson and Max Strom, uses the very same American
phobias as much more spectacular (and less successful)
RISING SUN - phobias based on the great success of Japanese
economy in 1980s and the infiltration of Japanese capital
into American mainland. But in order for this film to have
attractive "straight-to-video" potential, the Japanese
invasion of USA happens in the form of yakuzas - Japanese
crime organisations that are taking over lucrative crime
businesses from the locals like Mafia. Of course, that leads
to the series of bloody conflicts and one of the people
caught in the crossfire is Nick Davis (played by Viggo
Mortensen), convict recently released from prison. He
happens to be in the right place and the right time and
saves the life of an important yakuza. Yakuza reward him by
employing his services and he gradually begins to get their
trust and friendship. Of course, they don't know that Davis
is undercover FBI agent, now torn between his official duty
and the loyalty he feels towards his new friends.
Although the screenplay seems rather weak excuse for the
series of standard action scenes, the writers should be
commended because very few of them would use the form of an
action movie to preach multiculturalism, like Nelson and
Strom do. Of course, the plot is full of simplifications and
sometimes not very plausible events, like in many
straight-to-video films. But AMERICAN YAKUZA still has a
very good impact, because the direction by Nick A. Capello,
very MTV-like style (few years before that style became
fashionable), reminds the viewers of John Woo's Hong Kong
films. The music by David C. Williams is also very good. But
the most impressive element of the film is Viggo Mortensen,
one of the most capable American character actors, here in a
very unusual role of an action lead - tough, but sensitive
man with a hidden agenda. AMERICAN YAKUZA is still a
low-budget action film in its essence, but the talent of its
makers managed to cross the barriers of such genre
designation.
Copyright © 1999 Dragan Antulov
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