American Yakuza (1993)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Frank A. Cappello

Writers:

Takashige Ichise (story)
Max Strom (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 December 1993 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The mob has a new enemy.

Plot:

An American FBI agent is lured away by the Japanese Mafia--the Yakuza--in this action film. |

Plot Keywords:

FBI | Sex | Yakuza | Undercover Agent | Forklift

Cast

Viggo Mortensen	...	Nick Davis / David Brandt
Ryo Ishibashi	...	Shuji Sawamoto
Michael Nouri	...	Dino Campanela
Franklyn Ajaye	...	Sam
Yuji Okumoto	...	Kazuo
Cristina Lawson	...	Yuko
Robert Forster	...	Littman
John Fujioka	...	Isshin Tendo
Nicky Katt	...	Vic
James Taenaka	...	Taka (as James Katsuyuki Taenaka)
Saiko Isshiki	...	Aya
Fritz Mashimo	...	Okazaki
Jeff Bankert	...	Medical Student
Rosine 'Ace' Hatem	...	Agent #1
John Hammil	...	Agent #2

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | Germany:18 | USA:R | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Echo Park Lake, Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

First Look International

Trivia:

For the shot near the beginning of the inside of a time clock as someone clocks in, an enormous time clock was built by the director and shot in his garage. The paper inserted is about 2 feet wide, and it was shot sideways so that they could just let the heavy stamper drop rather than come up from the side to hit the paper.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Back to Back (1996) (TV)

Soundtrack:

I Have You To Love

Above average b-grade action movie with a great cast!

'American Yakuza' rises above most of the other b-grade action movies that clog up the video shelves because of its outstanding cast. Viggo Mortensen, is now well on his way to being a major star thanks to Peter Jackson's Tolkien trilogy, but many of us have been following his career for quite some time, since Sean Penn's brilliant 'The Indian Runner' say. Mortensen is excellent as "Nick" an undercover FBI agent who infiltrates the Yakuza, and finds himself caught between his obligations and his loyalties, especially when a gang war with the Mob escalates. Ryo Ishbashi ('Audition') plays Sawamoto, the Yakuza who becomes Nick's friend and mentor, and Michael Nouri ('The Hidden') plays Sawamoto's Mafia rival Campanela. The rest of the cast includes comedian Franklyn Ajaye ('Carwash') as Nick's contact, Robert Forster ('Jackie Brown') as his boss, Nicky Katt ('The Limey') as Campanela's right hand man, and Yuji Okumoto ('Brain Smasher... A Love Story') as one of Sawamoto's crew. This is by no means the best crime thriller I've ever seen but thanks to the great cast I enjoyed watching it. Definitely worth a rental this one.