The Hunted

THE STORY: One of these days I'm going to have to go to Japan. I don't totally understand the culture, but it seems like a pretty cool place. I'll probably have to pay a lot for it though. I have a friend who has an assignment there. Its probably the only assignment for my MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) there; and she says she ain't leavin' until the army makes her leave! (Not that I can complain....I  feel the same way about Europe!)

Paul Racine is an American executive on business in Tokyo. After settling a big deal he goes to his hotel to have a quiet drink and get to sleep. But he meets a woman, Karina, in the hotel bar and they strike up a relationship. Well, to be honest their hormones do. Racine ends up spending a night or two in her company. Racine's not a love 'em and leave 'em type though. He really likes Karina and plans to extend his stay in Japan so he can spend more time with her. Karina turns him down though.You see, she knows she is going to die and pretty soon. Her ex-lover has hired ninjas to assassinate her. Not just run of the mill ninjas either...the best! Kinjo, leader of the Makato, a ninja clan, personally drops in Karina's hotel room to snuff her. Kinjo is moved by Karina's courage at facing death...indeed he regrets having to do it. He honors her request that she be allowed to see his face before she dies. No one is allowed to see Kinjo's face except his fellow ninjas and live. Kinjo removes his mask, but just as he strikes, Racine comes into the room. Kinjo kills Karina and tries to kill Racine but only wounds him badly.

Racine is rushed to the hospital. Doctor Yamura saves Racine's life but is disturbed by the shuriken throwing star used to injure Racine. He takes a picture of it to his friend, Takeda. Takeda is a samurai master and martial arts teacher. Upon seeing this shuriken and learning that his old enemy Kinjo failed to kill someone who has seen his face, Takeda and his wife, Mieko go see Racine in the hospital. Takeda offers Racine protection from the ninjas. They will surely try to kill him again. But Racine is under police protection and refuses their help. Takeda leaves a number to reach him at and leaves. Now, I agree with Racine's decision to stay under police guard in the hospital...but I'll bet he regrets making that decision. The cops guarding him sure do.

You see, Kinjo sends several of his ninjas after Racine that night. The ninjas manage to just about kill everyone else in the ward but Racine escapes. Still wounded and in pain, Racine has no choice but to call Takeda and Mieko. They arrange to meet him at a train station. Racine makes it there but the ninjas follow. Here comes the really cool part of the movie. The ninjas kill the engineer and set the train to not stop until it reaches its last destination. Then they decide to kill EVERYONE on the train and Racine. By filling the train with dead bodies they'll show the world that no one escapes the Makato! Takeda knows they're on board and he gets as many passengers as he can safely hidden in the rear of the train. The ninjas, working their way through the train are slaughtering every single freaking person they meet...until the meet Takeda. Takeda, carrying his Samurai sword slices the ninjas up like so many pizzas. After the battle is over Takeda is upset. Racine looks at the dead ninjas and tells Takeda that none of them are Kinjo!

Takeda and Mieko take Racine to their big freaking castle home on a nearby island. Racine recuperates and makes friends with Oshima, Takeda's master swordmaker. Oshima makes Takeda a new sword and Racine learns more about the ways of the samurai. Its there that Racine also learns about Takeda. A hundred years ago, the Makato and Takeda's family were at war. The Makato decimated Takeda's family and Takeda wants to face Kinjo...the Makato leader...for revenge and honor. Takeda isn't protecting Racine out of the kindness of his heart. He's using Racine as bait, since Kinjo must kill Racine! Racine, angry about this wants to leave and go back to the good ol' US of A, but Takeda won't let him. Racine reasons that Takeda told the ninjas that he was on the train. He also knows that Takeda will tell Kinjo he's on the island. Racine is infuriated...dozens of people were killed because Takeda wanted to draw Kinjo out.

Kinjo arrives to face Takeda. Being evil, the ninjas skulk into Takeda's compound and attack the Takeda's warriors. They pretty much wipe out the entire Takeda clan. Racine and Oshima at first try to escape the island before the Ninjas find them, but Racine changes his mind and heads toward the battle. Too many people are dying because Kinjo wants him. He arrives too late. Kinjo and Takeda fight and Kinjo wins. But he's badly injured. Taking advantage of Kinjo's weakness Racine gets New York on his ass and does a pretty good job of beating the crap outta the ninja assassin. Of course, Kinjo has one last chance to kill Racine after it looks like he's beaten....and Racine cuts his head off with Takeda's sword. Though wounded, Mieko is still alive. The last we see is Racine and Oshima helping her to the castle.

This movie was pretty kick-ass. I was afraid it would get kind of corny towards the middle. Oshima teaches Racine Japanese swordsmanship and the fear there was that somehow Racine was going to become a master swordsman and take on Kinjo himself. Luckily we learn that while Racine did learn some basics he's not that good. There's a part where Racine and Takeda have a fight. Racine boasts that Oshima has taught him some things, but Takeda effortlessly beats him and says that he could have killed him ten times by now. Racine's final bout with Kinjo is believable (at least in the Movie Universe) because Kinjo is injured and delirious...and he almost wins! While Racine may know some basics, Kinjo is a master and still dangerous, even when he's on his last leg.

Racine was actor Christopher Lambert. Lambert was the title character in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan and he played the immortal Conor McCleod in the movie Highlander. Mieko was actress Joan Chen. Kinjo was played by John Lone.

Best Lines: "That's exactly what I'm gonna do. I'm taking the first flight back to New York; and I'm going to send Kinjo a postcard...see how well he does on my turf!"-Racine, angry with Takeda, decides to leave Japan.

1.) Its moderately funny when the police detective assures Racine that he's well protected and that ninjas no longer exist in modern Japan only to be hit in the neck a few seconds afterward by a ninja assassin's arrow. I almost hoped he say "Message for you, sir!".

2.) Kinjo kills the crime boss that ordered the Karina's assassination. He does it because he regrets killing her for some reason. So why does he go blame the crime boss? Kinjo himself did the actual murder.

3.) There's a really bad edit towards the end of the film. Kinjo's men are about to kill Takeda when Mieko shoots one of them in the neck with an arrow. The way the scene is edited you can virtually see the cut from where the film stops and the arrow is put on the actor. I was suprised. Another flub occurs just as Kinjo is about to kill Mieko. In the shot showing Kinjo is raining buckets, but when the camera changes to Mieko you can hear the sound of rain, but its hardly sprinkling.

4.) When Racine slices Kinjo's head off at the end I expected all of this lightning and stuff to happen. (Only Highlander fans will get that, since Christopher Lambert was in the original Highlander movie)

NUDITY AND SEX: None

HUH?: Obviously the Makato value secrecy. No one outside of the Makato is supposed to see Kinjo's face and live and the fact that no one believes they exist is an advantage. So why do the ninja's use such heavy handed tactics while trying to kill Racine in the hospital? You can argue that the ninjas killed the doctor and the police guarding Racine so no one did see them and live to tell the tale...(except Racine, of course) but Racine shot one of them. So now the cops have a ninja body! I don't see how the other ninjas could have escaped carrying the dead guy.

The whole secrecy thing MUST be kiboshed when the ninjas attack on the train. They killed almost all of the passengers! The police must be looking for them now! I'm not trying to be funny here, either...it can't be too difficult to find them. Japan just ain't that big!

Doesn't anyone in the US wonder what the hell happened to Racine? Surely his employers must want to know. He's almost killed, disappears from the hospital and stays with Takeda for nearly a month!

I know Joan Chen is Chinese and I'm not sure but I think John Lone is also. Couldn't they find any actual Japanese actors to play these parts? They're both excellent actors, but its kind of silly ain't it? Like those old westerns where they had white actors playing the parts of indians.

THE TALLY: As far as swordplay movies go this was a good choice. If you like samurai flicks and Japanese culture look for this one when you visit the video store. It can get pretty bloody but its not a gross-out movie. The characters are well acted...perhaps a little bit too caricature-like, but still believable. I liked it and I think most people will too.