Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly good little actioner
Review: While clearly not big studio fare this fun little film sneaks up and takes you by surprise. Director Frank Cappello moves an interesting set of characters along in a fun and engaging way that is far above what you expect in this kind of low-budget genre piece. Cinematography is especially good and the movie has a slick and stylish look. Effects and action sequences are modest, but well done. The film never seems to take itself too seriously, which is a big plus at this level. I highly recommend this one, but I liked "American Yakuza," the previous effort by this same director-producer-cameraman team even better. Check them both out.
Rating: 
Summary: If collecting the lot...
Review: While I am a huge fan of Crowe's... this was NOT one of his better performances.There is plenty of action, more than average suspense but the dialogue is lacking greatly. Phrases and sentences that just don't make a lot of sense permeate the entire script. More specifically, I found myself saying "would they REALLY say that in this situation???". Russell drops in and out of his "American" accent, which is a painful reminder of the fact that this is one of the earlier films in his now stalwartly coral of films. STILL, that all being said... if you are collecting the lot of them... it is worth the purchase if not for anything other than to be able to see just how far he has come. Enjoy!
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