Review of Black Rain (1989) by Daniel G — 08 Jul 2009
Ridley Scott tries his hand at the "East meets West" scenario and ultimately fails. Although, "Black Rain" isn't awful. It just wasn't very good.
Michael Douglas plays a "cop on the edge." He doesn't buy into the American justice system so he tends to walk the line between good and bad. He's supposed to be a badass. Instead, he comes across as comical. Michael Douglas just isn't a badass. Still, his thirst for revenge drives an otherwise bland script.
His obsession to get the bad guy leads him to Japan where he finds himself on the fast track to hell. Jan de Bont's cinematography is beautiful and conveys an almost storybook quality to a "reality" based film. It's interesting and I think it works.
While in Japan, Douglas learns that the Japanese are worth trusting, and their style of life is not all that different from Americans. Maybe this was pivotal and interesting in 1989, but twenty years later, I find it lame and completely shallow.
"Black Rain" only worsens in the last 5 minutes when our main character actually speaks what he learned, saves the day, accomplishes his goals, and gets the girl. It's completely irrational, corny, and just plain Hollywood. I hated it and it ruined an otherwise stylish crime drama.
This review of Black Rain (1989) was written by Daniel G on 08 Jul 2009.
Black Rain has generally received positive reviews.
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