Rising Sun

Great film

Rising Sun is directed by Philip Kaufman who also co-writes with Michael Crichton and Michael Backes, with the adaptation coming form Crichton's own novel of the same name. It stars Sean Connery, Wesley Snipes, Harvey Keitel, Ray Wise and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. Music is by Tôru Takemitsu and cinematography by Michael Chapman. Story sees Capt. John Connor (Connery) and Lt. Webster "Web" Smith (Snipes) paired together to try and solve the mystery of a woman murdered at a Japanese high corporation party. With powerful people possibly involved and relations between the American and Japanese people starting to strain, Connor and Smith must crack the case sooner rather than later. A tough ask because there's the distinct whiff of a cover up in the air and only a grainy CCTV video as evidence to go on.It was a controversial novel, a best seller for sure, but Michael Crichton was accused of crafting an anti-Japanese diatribe, though in some quarters it was heralded as a wake up call that America was losing the business war to Japan. Even though Crichton was brought in to adapt the screenplay, it ultimately stands as Kaufman's work because alterations have been made to Crichton's text to balance out, as it were, the villainy/corruption quota between the two opposing cultures. The end result is a film that has no real urgency, excitement, tension or boldness; unless the sexual deviant behaviour of the poor lady murdered counts for the latter that is? Clearly Kaufman and Crichton are not meant to be, the former's stylish leanings can't harness the intricate paranoia from Crichton's page, which ultimately leaves us with a rather routine murder mystery. Shame, because the thirst third is pretty great stuff, visually arresting and with characters formed, story simmers nicely like it's going to boil over into murky intrigue and cross cultural bitterness. Sadly it doesn't.The director tries to beef things up with some nudity, confrontations and a number of shifty characters on the edges of the frame, but these only still further bring home just how ponderous the story actually is. There's no raising the pulse for the finale either, it may try and come off as an ambiguous tester, but ultimately it's lightweight and wasn't worth the wait. Cast wise Connery and Snipes work well together in that father figure/student way (or sempai/kohai to be exactly on plotting), but the former's gruff beefy charm is diluted and Snipes is given very little to do. Keitel turns in an interesting one, as does Ray Wise, but even these portrayals tend to shine only because what's around them is borderline dull. It does look nice though, where a very modernist sheen plays host to some shifty shenanigans. Perhaps it really is a simple case of too much compromise going on in here? Hell, Kaufman even changed the killer from that of the one in the novel. But considering the talent involved in the production and a fire-cracker source to work from , this really should have been much better. A wasted chance it remains. 4/10

This is a fantastic film film with two great actors as they work together after some minor conflicts between each other along the way.A murder is investigated & Snipes & Connery work to track down the culprit.Connery who understands the Japanese tries to teach snipes along the way what to do & what to avoid relating to Japanese customs. Connery gives some superb fighting tricks along the wayDefinatly worth waching again

I ordered this movie because I saw it many years ago, and I remembered it as being a very good movie. After I watched it again I had the same great feeling as I had back then.The movie is about 2 policemen who are trying to solve a murder on a women, committed at a big Japanese company.They are led in one direction in their investigation, when they watch a tape that shows the murderer, but they finds out that every thing isn't as i seems to be, and starts to ask questions about the origin of the tape.Their chief of staff, just want to close the case down, and charge the guy on the tape, but Snipes and Connery decides to investigate the case more deeply themselves.Rising Sun has a lot of unexpected turns, and the coolest thing about it is that Connery an Snipes are so brilliant together as police partners.This is a movie, where You just sit back and relax and enjoy the show!

There have been one or two reviews already that I agree with - the mixed & but basically sympathetic ones. So just to recap the particular areas where I agree most strongly. 1) largely entertaining film and certainly not identikit or insult-the-intelligence-of-the-audience stuff. 2) Slipshod in parts and occasionally confusing, particularly when trying to unfold the true sequence of events and the true motivation for the murder. 3) Connery brings enjoyable, if predictable, star quality throughout. 4) Not racist unless you are superficial. 5) Strong sense of place & atmosphere. 6) Snipes plays quite well off and with Connery, although could have been better still. As to the Blu-ray, I sit back and enjoy the film, rather than nitpicking, but it looked just fine on my 50 inch Pioneer panel, certainly better than I recall the DVD being (although I did not do a side-by-side test or anything close). This is not a great film, but it is a bit different and worth re-watching, and if you do that, I recommend the extra small cost for the Blu-ray if you have the appropriate player.

The idea of Sean Connery playing a Scottish expert on Japanese culture, whilst investigating a brutal murder in corporate Los Angeles, holds about as much water as my old grandfather's leaky bladder, but here we are, with Wesley Snipes in tow, brining evil to justice, and educating us about Japanese business superiority, along the way.Connery is one of those timeless actors. No matter what film he's in, he always seems to play the same role. Soviet Submarine captains, immortal Spaniards, James Bond...Connery is Connery, and his career is all the more better for it. Like Michael Caine or even Tom Cruise, he moves from role to role, but the accent is always there. The persona overshadows the role.Based on the Michael Crichton best seller, this is Connery by the numbers - solving murders, educating the dumb (Wesley Snipes) and dropping some great one-liners along the way.Yes, we've seen this sort of film a hundred times before, but it's still a damn good slice of entertainment.

Japan based crime drama, very good

Two great actors, an interesting story-line, and a lot about Japanese business behaviour which Hollywood has put through the mangle. Yes, the story line is based on what is now old technology, and not really believable even back when it was current, but again, it is Hollywood - were you expecting realism anyway? It is still good entertainment.