Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic, lyrical movie
Review: This movie exudes class, style and poetry. It is a beautiful, beautiful movie about honour and indebtedness and is steeped in the philosophy of the Samurarai.All the characters are great, especially Forest Whitaker (who engulfs the screen with quiet power and depth). The violence is an exquiste paradox: clipped to the point of meaninglessness when it comes to Ghost Dog's hit or his revenge on the mafiosi but stark and painful when it comes to the death of the pigeons. However, this is no humourless movie. It is deeply funny too especially the French speaking ice cream man and the brainless behaviour of the mafia goons. I loved this movie. I expected it to be good but it surpassed my high expectations. I did not need to check out the DVD extras because on its own this movie is worth the money. Go buy it and love it. I am off to by a copy of Rashomon and Hagekure!
Rating:
Summary: Philosophy in chaos
Review: Ghost Dog is a masterful piece of art that is hard to describe. Despite the gritty violence and the otherwise trite depiction of a Mafia family, this movie still manages to show us this surreal thing of poetry, of ideals and images and books that is not usually shown. The picture is an interweaving of two tales. The first is a gritty violent tale of murder, deception, distrust and revenge. The second is that of ice cream and beautiful french poetry and ships being built on top of skyscrapers and children. The way these two stories, these two worlds play against each other sets this movie apart.
Rating:
Summary: Hard to describe....
Review: This movie begs many questions; trying to review it only opens one up to more than atleast this reviewer has the capacity to answer. What kind of movie is this? Is it a comedy-- a mixture of speghetti Western, a mobster movie from the sixties, a traditional black comedy, or something more troubling? Who is the man character-- is he insane, out of touch-- perhaps just funny? A movie that asks so many questions should by definition be called brilliant. I am not the person to comment on the direction or artistic scope of the movie though I can note that I was impressed with it. This movie was too weird to ever be a crossover success; too smart to attract traditional fans of any of its genres-- perhaps too smart even to make ONE coherent statement about society or culture, or even the place of the samurai in the modern world.... This is a movie that every hip-hop fan should watch, every fan of art-movies, every person interested in Eastern literature and Japanese culture and cinematography and life. Not that any of these people will ever have anything to say to each other; not that they will be able to understand each other (as do the Hatian ice-cream vendor and the inner-city samurai.....) But they will all enjoy themselves and take SOMETHING from the experience.... Definately watch this movie if you haven't. The movie is scored well, shot well, thought out well, and even.... well acted.... though humorously at times. This was one of 1999's best... and sadly, most underappreciated....
Rating:
Summary: Ghost Dog the Top Dog
Review: This is the best movie out right now. Every thing about this movie is absolutely great. If you have not seen this yet, you need to.
Rating: 
Summary: An interesting movie
Review: This movie is based on two main topics: First, gangs, mafia treats, and life in poor neighborhoods; second, moral, friendship and mutual understanding. However, the second topic will not make you see this movie through rose-colored glasses. Finally, concepts from martial arts are used to unite the above topics in a nice way, making the movie interesting, worthy of watching.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: This film is so beautiful, I don't even know what to say about it. It would get more than 4 stars but I don't like to give a 'perfect' score.
Rating:
Summary: A movie that really makes you think.
Review: When I rented this movie, I really didn't know what I was in for. All I had seen was the preview, but that was enough to convince me. The unique plot keeps you there, even if it is somewhat slow. The entire movie is unique and artistic; one that really makes you think. Forest Whittaker plays his role very well, and the rest of the cast is good as well. (I enjoyed his two friends, the Haitian and the child.) The jokes, if somewhat subtle, are humorous, and the assasination scenes are well done. This is a very good movie for anyone who is interested in a "true" samurai movie, so rent it as soon as you can, and if you like it, buy it as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Man, I don't know... (warning, mild spoilers)
Review: When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I laughed out loud. Forest Whitaker as a modern-day samurai? Okay, guys, if you say so. Strangely enough, though, now that I've seen it I actually think that would have worked if the movie didn't have so many ridiculous little moments that simply don't make sense and cannot be taken seriously. Take the little blinking device Ghost Dog uses to steal cars. Is it magic? It certainly seems so, since that little gizmo can apparently do anything Ghost Dog needs for whatever situation he's in. Or the scene where Ghost Dog practices with his sword on the roof-- why show him practicing with it if he never uses it and we never see it again? Or showing him twirl his silencer gun like a sword whenever shoots someone (my friends and I were laughing uncontrollably every time this happened)? But worst of all is the moment when our big, fat samurai hero kills a mobster by shooting him up through the drain of a bathroom faucet. It's like a "Find everything preposterous and unbelievable about this scene" exercise for film students. I also think everything really should have ended with the shootout at the big mansion, and the "bear hunter" scene should have been the last one, going straight to the credits when Ghost Dog points his gun at the screen and fires. But no, it drags on for another barely watchable half hour. I really don't know why this film has generated such a favorable following, and it certainly hasn't made me want to see any of Jim Jarmusch's other films. Just because it's "unique" and "off-beat" doesn't mean it's good...
Rating:
Summary: Another great film for 2000!
Review: In looking over the other reviews of this film I realize that a great deal has already been said. Jim Jarmusch is a great filmmaker with a very pure vision. This film is another in a group of examples of his unique sense of humor and specific pacing. Forest Whitaker is breathtaking here and it makes you see just how carefully he was selected(and written specifically for) by Jarmusch. The Suzuki and Melville influences are noticeable and are helpful to setting a great mood. Great dvd-has an isolated score track(Rza's score is fantastic) and a featurette which is very nice. Jarmusch fans pick it up now if you haven't. Check this movie out.
Rating:
Summary: Cool.
Review: This is a surreal action movie laced with eastern philisophy and Japanese literature. Ghost Dog is a mafia hitman who subscribes to the way of the samurai. After one hit goes bad his employers try to rub him out. Big mistake the carnage begins as he hunts them down one by one. The visuals in this are amazing especially the scene where he enters the country hideout.
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