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Amazon.co.uk Review
A guilty pleasure if ever there was one, Black Rain is a ridiculously entertaining thriller by Ridley Scott (Alien), starring Michael Douglas as a tough New York cop who--along with his partner (Andy Garcia)--goes to Japan to deliver a local mobster. When the latter escapes, Douglas's brand of gonzo crime fighting rubs his Japanese hosts the wrong way. Slick, mechanistic, and absurd, the film is all surface action and attitude (not to mention Scott's incredibly busy, trademark art direction); and one can get lost in the sheer indulgence of it. However, if you can buy Douglas as an iconoclastic lawman, you can buy anything else here, including the notion of Kate Capshaw as a blonde escort highly desired by Japanese businessmen. -- Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
Special Features
2.35 Wide Screen
English
Region 2
English
Region 2
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Ridley Scott's Black Rain is a lavishly mounted but rather hollow affair, transporting all the usual cop movie clichés from New York to Japan: New York cops are mavericks who don't like suits; Japanese cops are team players who like karaoke. Stylishly shot, with Tokyo looking like the sets from Blade Runner with extra neon, The Yakuza it ain't despite the presence of the great Takakura Ken (who even cracks what may be his first onscreen smile), and it suffers from some outrageous 80s power ballading and serenading on the soundtrack ("You're so bright you could be a candle/Hold you so tight you could be a handle/Smell so sweet you could be perfume/Swept me off your feet like you were a broom"). But if you lower expectations and aren't looking for anything too demanding it fills the spot and is certainly better than most of Scott's troubled post-Blade Runner, pre-Gladiator films.
If the film is a 3/5, the Region 1 NTSC collectors edition DVD earns an extra star for an excellent selection of extras - a particularly good commentary from Scott, an excellent hour-long four-part documentary and the release trailer (though none of the teaser trailers are included). It's just a pity that there are no deleted scenes or the alternate ending that was apparently shot. The 2.35:1 widescreen transfer is also particularly good.
If the film is a 3/5, the Region 1 NTSC collectors edition DVD earns an extra star for an excellent selection of extras - a particularly good commentary from Scott, an excellent hour-long four-part documentary and the release trailer (though none of the teaser trailers are included). It's just a pity that there are no deleted scenes or the alternate ending that was apparently shot. The 2.35:1 widescreen transfer is also particularly good.
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I was just starting my Senior year of high school when Black Rain was released. My high school friends were huge fans of Ridley Scott, solely based on his direction of Blade Runner, and they were also fans of the cyberpunk genre which Scott had furthered in that film. Of course, we all had interests in Japanese-American relations (I would go onto to study that in university) and the sordid world of the Yakuza.
Black Rain is a product of its time. In the 1980s, there was a not-so-latent fear in America that its superpower position was being eroded by the rise of Japan's economy. Black Rain plays on those fears as well as the culture clash between two nations that are more similar and more historically tied together than either would like to admit.
The movie is not subtle: in the opening scene, NYPD detective Nick Conklin on his Harley races a young upstart on a Kawasaki. We learn that Nick is under investigation by Internal Affairs for association with crooked cops. Nick represents that world weary American willing to cut corners to get the job done. His partner, Charlie, is young and idealistic--the flip side of the stereotyped American character. However, when both capture a Yakuza upstart named Sato after he perpetrates a vicious murder in New York, both detectives have to escort him back to Osaka, an alien place neither American can understand or function in effectively.
Scott, at this time, was still in love with the cyberpunk visuals of Blade Runner. Osaka is first shown in red and dark hues with black smoke rising from industrial plants. Outside on the street, it's often dark or wet. Bright lights from the city center shine.
I am not giving any secrets away by telling you that Sato of course escapes and Nick and Charlie have to track him down. They are assisted by Assistant Inspector Masahiro Matsumoto of the Osaka Prefectural Police. Again, I tell you nothing you could not have figured out on your own to learn that the movie will soon center on Nick and Masahiro. Nick, the rugged American individualist willing to cut corners, confronts the duty-bound Matsumoto, who is afraid of ostracision from the group.
Though the plot can be formulaic, and fears about Japan now replaced by fears of the Islamic world, Black Rain is still an enjoyable enough police action movie. This is largely due to solid performances by Michael Douglas as Nick, Andy Garcia as Charlie, and Ken Takakura as Matsumoto. The one downside is Kate Capshaw as Joyce. Though the film won't go right out and say it, Joyce is an American madam in an Osaka club--highly unlikely in itself--who comes to Nick's aid. Perhaps she was supposed to be his love interest but the film veers away from this. American critic Roger Ebert said it best when he said her presence was another example of Hollywood being reluctant to pair a White leading man with an Asian female character. At any rate, her involvement doesn't detract from the overall story. The soundtrack, which my friend used to play ALL the time, is pretty darn good too.
In reality, a 3 star film, but I'm giving a bonus star for nostalgia's sake.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
I saw this film on crappy pan and scan VHS when I was about 12 and I didn't really understand it and I wasn't really up on Ridley Scott's work. As a result, the impact of the film was somewhat lost on me. I was expecting an action film instead of a character drama with lots of police procedure. But now, older and wiser and with a brand new Blu Ray of the movie, I am finally able to appreciate how clever the film is.
The story unfortunately IS riddled with 80s Cop Movie clichés and goes through quite a lot of familiar motions. But if you see past that you'll appreciate the immense atmosphere and mood that Ridley Scott piles on. Simply put, Michael Douglas is Nick Conklin, a bad cop (pretty much the exact same character in Basic Instinct) who drag races on his superbike to pay alimony and pinches drug money instead of turning it in for evidence. Enjoying lunch with partner Charlie (Andy Garcia) in a steakhouse in New York's meat-packing district, they just happen to witness a Yakuza execution by wanted Japanese criminal Sato (Yusaku Matsuda, who was dying of cancer during filming and didn't tell anyone). After a quick punch-up and shoot-out they find themselves chaperoning Sato back to Osaka. But when they arrive there he manages to escape, leaving them embarrassed with lots of questions to answer.
Nick and Charlie find themselves in a very foreign and intolerant world and recapturing Sato proves to be difficult in many ways. Not the least of which is Japan's alienating culture (from an NYPD point of view) and rigid rules. Nonetheless, Nick is determined to catch Sato and restore his honor.
Like I said, the atmosphere of the film is overwhelming, which is really all the film needs. The clichés and stereotypes don't matter so much when you are involved this much. Hans Zimmer (his first film with Ridley Scott) provides a deeply emotional and very melodic score that'll be rattling around in your head for days. It's a shame it's never had a comprehensive CD release, as it's one of Zimmer's most impressive efforts.
You could call it a pretty 80s movies, but I still do feel that it holds up pretty well today. As one of Ridley Scott's more forgotten works, it's well worth checking out.
The Blu Ray features a brilliant 2.4:1 1080p image with DTS 6.1 sound and a great retrospecive documentary by Laurent Bouzereau. But why is it split into 3 parts? Totally pointless! In total it makes for about an hour's worth. A commentary by Scott and a trailer is also included.
The story unfortunately IS riddled with 80s Cop Movie clichés and goes through quite a lot of familiar motions. But if you see past that you'll appreciate the immense atmosphere and mood that Ridley Scott piles on. Simply put, Michael Douglas is Nick Conklin, a bad cop (pretty much the exact same character in Basic Instinct) who drag races on his superbike to pay alimony and pinches drug money instead of turning it in for evidence. Enjoying lunch with partner Charlie (Andy Garcia) in a steakhouse in New York's meat-packing district, they just happen to witness a Yakuza execution by wanted Japanese criminal Sato (Yusaku Matsuda, who was dying of cancer during filming and didn't tell anyone). After a quick punch-up and shoot-out they find themselves chaperoning Sato back to Osaka. But when they arrive there he manages to escape, leaving them embarrassed with lots of questions to answer.
Nick and Charlie find themselves in a very foreign and intolerant world and recapturing Sato proves to be difficult in many ways. Not the least of which is Japan's alienating culture (from an NYPD point of view) and rigid rules. Nonetheless, Nick is determined to catch Sato and restore his honor.
Like I said, the atmosphere of the film is overwhelming, which is really all the film needs. The clichés and stereotypes don't matter so much when you are involved this much. Hans Zimmer (his first film with Ridley Scott) provides a deeply emotional and very melodic score that'll be rattling around in your head for days. It's a shame it's never had a comprehensive CD release, as it's one of Zimmer's most impressive efforts.
You could call it a pretty 80s movies, but I still do feel that it holds up pretty well today. As one of Ridley Scott's more forgotten works, it's well worth checking out.
The Blu Ray features a brilliant 2.4:1 1080p image with DTS 6.1 sound and a great retrospecive documentary by Laurent Bouzereau. But why is it split into 3 parts? Totally pointless! In total it makes for about an hour's worth. A commentary by Scott and a trailer is also included.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Boring!
Oh my god, how boring. So slow! Took me 3 days to watch it all, fell asleep every time I put it on. Dont waste 2 hours of your life watching it.
Published 2 months ago by Baz P
old school favourite
love this film, i remember watching it when i was a kid! only remembering bits of it until i watched it all again it came back to me how good the film is, michael douglas is top... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. C. J. Davies
NOT an anamorphic transfer
Just wanted to warn people with widescreen TVs. This DVD is NOT an anamorphic transfer. That means that for most TVs it will only be able to be played as widescreen with black bars... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mark Douglas
Amazing 80's Cop thriller
This is one of my favorite movies of all time and easy the best buddy cop movie, i would expect nothing less from Ridley scott i just whish that there was more movies like this,... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Lee Jones
Brooding Douglas In Japan
It's been quite a few years since I watched this film and it was interesting to see it now.
The films wears well and has a dark, brooding look about it. Read more
The films wears well and has a dark, brooding look about it. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Patrick Duffy
Good action film.
Excellent Michael Douglas film. Atmospheric settings with an "Eastern culture meets Western culture" mood to it. Sometimes fast, brash and pacey and then quiet and contemplative. Read more
Published 12 months ago by A. Watt
Make sure you buy it on blu-ray
Okay,
I was being a cheap skate and bought this on DVD. Well, the DVD was released back in 2000 and I don't think anyone bothered remastering it. Read more
I was being a cheap skate and bought this on DVD. Well, the DVD was released back in 2000 and I don't think anyone bothered remastering it. Read more
Published 15 months ago by David Walker
Great film, great picture quality
I am amazed at how good this transfer is onto Blu Ray. Considering how old the film is, I am very impressed with the transfer. Read more
Published 18 months ago by G. CRITCHELL
Cool, Gritty & Exciting
'Black Rain' is a Cop action-thriller that released in 1989 to critical acclaim and box-office success. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mitun
Mind the mullet!
Tough, uncompromising New York cop (Michael Douglas) battles the Japanese Yakuza armed only with a mullet and a motorbike. Read more
Published on 29 April 2010 by A. Willard
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