Rating: 
Summary: Rising Sun
Review: The novel was paranoia, the film was worse.
Rating: 
Summary: A great novel, an okay movie
Review: There's no question that the novel upon which this movie is based is infinitely more complex and subtle. That being said -- when isn't that true in a comparison between paper and film?Moving on to the film itself... the story is ostensibly about a young woman found murdered in a Japanese corporation's hq during a major gala. This main plot intersects with the secondary plot about this same corporation's controversial impending buy-out of a major American chip manufacturing company, thus potentially putting American secrets into Japanese hands. What the movie is really about, of course, is the buy-out of an impoverished, corrupt, lazy, disorganized, and short-sighted America by the evil, manipulative, unfeeling, unsportsmanlike, and well, un-American, Japanese. There's no question that the anti-Japanese tone of Crighton's novel is carried directly to the screen. That being said, this is a fairly interesting murder mystery, with lots of good red herrings and complex strategy involved in solving the case. It also has some interesting predictive scenes about the easy manipulation of video technology -- cutting edge in 1993, but commonplace now. Sean Connery is his smooth, masterful self in this movie, and Wesley Snipes, while not given much to do except react in bafflement to both the Japanese and his new mentor, does the best he can. The film is a bit long, but a perfectly satisfactory rental, esp. if you like Connery or Snipes.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie; Works best for action fans
Review: This is one of my all time favorites. I know people are complaining that this movie does not follow the novel and it was changed around a lot. That does not make it a bad movie. From a personal standpoint I could not care less where this movies are spawned. As an action-adventure buddy cop murder mystery movie; well they don't come better than this. The naked girls, the action, as well as a deep mystery that always twisting and turning. Connery and Snipes make a fantastic and intriguing team and work well together. I don't think we will see this every again. A definite highlight to my DVD collection. Buy this now!!! *****
5 Stars out of 5
Rating: 
Summary: Crichton's Japan
Review: This is the Jurassic Park mentality of dealing with xenophobia. You just treat the Japanese or any other foreigner with the same awe and fear that you first saw (or even read) the CGI dinosaurs in Spielberg's blockbuster.
Crichton's novel is essentially a pot-boiler of a homicide thriller. To make it sound more exotic, he added a Japanese-cum-American rivalry context with any a healthy dose of "yellow fever" and xenophobia thrown in.
Sean Connery "water walks" through his usual role of the umpteenth time of being a master detective with a younger co-star being tagged along. He has seen better days. (Namely, The Name of the Rose and The Untouchables). Frankly speaking, he could have had just played Sherlock Holmes and get it done and over with.
Connery plays a so-called legendary cop who is trained in the way of the Japanese culture. So, he more or less knows a thing or two about the Japanese. Wesley Snipes, acts as a hot-headed "fool" of a co-star who fumbles and tumbles till Connery rescues him in the Highland way.
The fact that the kung fu action scenes are being inserted sparsely throughout the movie shows that the director, Philip Kaufman is using martial arts as an alarm clock to wake any uninterested audience members who dozed off in his convoluted plot.
Tia Carrera in another thankless role that requires her to draw upon her Asian background to act as a foil for both stars. The ending in regards to her is so lame and in fact ambiguous speaks for the rest of the movie. It remains respectful and xenophobic about the Japanese at the same time, that the movie doesn't know who or what it is, and this turns out to be an identity crisis, in terms of plot and direction.
Rating:
Summary: Yakuza classic
Review: This move is simply amazing. Excellent mixture of action flick with a gangster edge.
Rating:
Summary: A True Masterpiece
Review: This movie is one of my favorites. It really makes you think hard about "who-dunnit". There couldn't be another action/mystery film better than Rising Sun. It never fails to amuse its viewers and it gets you so entwined in the story that when the end comes you'll want to rewind it as fast as possible and watch it 5 more times.
Rating:
Summary: Infuriated
Review: Watching this movie made me cringe. It was the most offensive film I have ever seen in my life! I cannot believe that some people actually enjoy this movie. Poor Westly Snipes. He was only cast in it to make it seem like it wasn't a RACIST movie. And the representation of the Japanese culture was so inacurate. Most of the Asian cast coudn't even speak Japanese! Also ALL of the female characters were blatantly degrading! I wish that Hollywood will open up their minds and portray people of color and women as PEOPLE and not just sex objects and villains.
| 
