You get the interesting team of Connery & Snipes in this Japanese infused tale that was one movie in a wave of similar entries in the 90's. However you can be forgiven if you find the story meandering on route to a simplistic ending or just too long in the tooth. At over two hours in length, there's only so much the cast of faces can do.
On the eve of a controversial merger between Japanese company Nakamoto and an American firm, a woman Cheryl (Tatjana Patitz) is murdered in an LA boardroom during a party. Lt. Web Smith (Wesley Snipes) is put on the case and he's told to get Cpt. John Conner (Sean Connery) a specialist in Japanese affairs to assist. At first, it's seems very simple. A sexual tryst gone wrong and the lady's boyfriend Eddie Sakamura (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) is guilty, but everything is not what it seems in this clash of cultures.
You get prominent appearances by Mako, Harvey Keitel, Ray Wise, Tia Carrere. Unfortunately none of them stand out as they're one note functionary roles. Connery turns in a decent trip, but it's a character very much suited to him. That leaves Snipes to be the slightly out of his depth, ignorant American pawn. Tagawa gets the best role and has some fun with it.
The conspiracy, the lies. Watching the duo chase down leads, talk to people is somewhat mundane. You get some fun moments like Snipes having to fight off a naked woman on his back and Connery quickly disarming a bodyguard though. Balance that with cliches like Web in the ghetto to get help or Connery knowing all the right people.
'Rising Sun' wants you to believe there's more going on here than there really is because they dress it up in some exotic sense of mystique. That's all surface level. Fans of Connery & Snipes will be the biggest audience giving this a go, but will agree it's neither man's best work.
On the eve of a controversial merger between Japanese company Nakamoto and an American firm, a woman Cheryl (Tatjana Patitz) is murdered in an LA boardroom during a party. Lt. Web Smith (Wesley Snipes) is put on the case and he's told to get Cpt. John Conner (Sean Connery) a specialist in Japanese affairs to assist. At first, it's seems very simple. A sexual tryst gone wrong and the lady's boyfriend Eddie Sakamura (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) is guilty, but everything is not what it seems in this clash of cultures.
You get prominent appearances by Mako, Harvey Keitel, Ray Wise, Tia Carrere. Unfortunately none of them stand out as they're one note functionary roles. Connery turns in a decent trip, but it's a character very much suited to him. That leaves Snipes to be the slightly out of his depth, ignorant American pawn. Tagawa gets the best role and has some fun with it.
The conspiracy, the lies. Watching the duo chase down leads, talk to people is somewhat mundane. You get some fun moments like Snipes having to fight off a naked woman on his back and Connery quickly disarming a bodyguard though. Balance that with cliches like Web in the ghetto to get help or Connery knowing all the right people.
'Rising Sun' wants you to believe there's more going on here than there really is because they dress it up in some exotic sense of mystique. That's all surface level. Fans of Connery & Snipes will be the biggest audience giving this a go, but will agree it's neither man's best work.