Review of Rising Sun (1993) by Jack W — 23 Jan 2011

Having read the novel I remember being particularly excited to see this film and that I thought it was very good on my initial viewing. Re-watching it though allows me to step outside of being a fan and to see this film in a much harsher light.

The story is decent enough, though the implied importance has failed to materialize as the Japanese business threat never became what many feared it would become. The narrative moves at a nice pace, though there are too many leaps made, effectively undercutting any authenticity to the story.

The casting is very good, and having Connery as Connor is great, a reminiscent nod to You Only Live Twice. The acting is okay, rather over the top at times, especially Keitel. There is not much in the way of groundbreaking production value as this film really just follows through on it's packaging.

Highly successful novel, two bankable stars, controversial subject. Nice time filler but not much else. One last thing, it never rains that much in LA. What was the deal with that? Maddening...