Golgo 13

Back again boys and girls. Hold your applause. After the last night's viewing of Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon, I was surprised to find out that it was in fact the sequel to the 1973 film. Now ordinarily I am aware of my detailed research of film facts but was stunned to find out Sonny Chiba filled in for a previous actor for the role. Meanwhile the manga and anime looks like Chiba only to now know that Ken Tarakura (The Yakuza and Black Rain) was the first man to handle the ArmaLite M-16. So with this revelation, I think it only appropriate to give the first film a viewing and see if the sequel surpassed it or at least, was equal to it. This is Golgo 13.

Hey! That's not Sonny Chiba!

 Now keep in mind the manga (Japanese comic or graphic novel) written and drawn by Takao Saito and first published in Shogakukan Big Comic Magazine has been in publication since 1968, making it the oldest manga still being produced. A quick bit of info. The code name of Golgo 13 for those that never have read the manga, Golgo is shorten from Golgotha, the place of Christ's crucifixion and referenced as the apostle Judas that hung the crown of thorns on Christ's brow. A bit dark I know.

Our anti-hero can handle a wide array of weapons such as: pistols, blades and his extensive martial arts. His specialty is a custom M16 rifle with scope where it is said, he never misses a target. So if you need his services typically you are looking a million dollars to peak his interest and best be wired to his Swiss bank account or half up front in cash.

An organization reaches out to Golgo to smoke a crime boss Boa (Ahmad Ghadakchian of The Hour of Calamity, Mirage, The Target, The Desire, The Red Line, Soil and Blood and The Escape), due to him and his chronies wiping out spies of various nations poking their noses in his business. With director of Bullet Train, Jun'ya Sato (The Private Police, Jitsuroku Shisetsu Ginza keisatsu, Manhunt, Never Give Up, G Men'82, Ku-kai and Lost in the Wilderness) this film proves he can do location, good blocking and create a complex story and appreciate the source material so far as to hire Takao Saito for the screenplay. Wise move.

Once again we are greeted with water crashing a beachhead with the Toei Company LTD logo proudly displayed. A common staple for this time. Right into a external night shot and THANK GOD not a Day for Night filter in sight! Praise God!

Our story starts in Tehran with a paranoid looking man, Evans (Ali Dehghan of A Man from the South of the City, In the Nick of Time, Entourage and Love and Violence) walking to an alley. Probably the last alley he will see. Methinks the white linen suit under the cover of dark might have pointed him out easily. With a gaggle of men pummeling the everloving crap out of this fellow, it is clear to even the most casual observer, that he is boned. After a mass beating, our white linen fellow bit off his own tongue to spare the secrets he had.

I brought a tiny man for our transaction. Is that weird?

 On to Beirut! With Evans gone; four men sent to the same assignment, all have turned up missing. Never a body to be found. After a heated debate and country borders as a problem, it is decided to just kill Boa rather than attempt another arrest. The call to Golgo 13 is out.

A teletype is going on as to establish Duke Togo's credibility, without knowledge of his birth place, nationality or even potential political ties. Seems dicey to me but hey, I'm not the guy hiring a hit man. A bit of subterfuge, Golgo sneaks in the hotel room these agents are housed in and makes sure they are on the up and up. Sneaky maneuver didn't endear him to everyone but the man is safety conscious and has made enough enemies over his tenure as a sniper, I don't blame him at all.

These Always commercials are confusing

Head of operations, Flanagan (Nosratallah Karimi of The Interim Husband, The Triple Bed, The Carriage Driver, Khane-kharab and The Uninvited Guest) tells Golgo why he is here and what the assignment is. Shockingly Boa is not an upstanding citizen but a trafficker of drugs, women and weapons. He is connected enough to have many subordinates posing as him, so Flanagan doesn't even know who the real Boa is. Should have watched a few minutes into the film, I could have told you. One more hurdle is Flanagan's secretary/agent is been dropped in Togo's lap. Now he has a babysitter Catherine (Pouri Baneai of The Black Suit Thief, Alley of Valiants, Golgo 13, Tovbekar, The Moon and a Mumur, Missile X: The Neutron Bomb Incident and Shirin) who is to take on the role of his wife as part of his cover. Apparently she is a full service girl. Um, I really don't know where to go from that, so new topic!

To add more salt to the wounds, an Inspector is trying to track down the missing girls, assumes Golgo is involved and keeps trying to arrest him.

We have car chases, gun fights, martial arts, a bit of nudity and a decent story. I would say that both this film and Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon is on par with each other. Ken and Sonny are both excellent for the cold calculating assassin and both exhibit some level of empathy that somehow hasn't been completely ebbed out of the soul of the character. Boa's men are thugs and sadists. Some delight at the opportunity to beat their victims, others are fair shots but most are just cannon fodder. With everyone wondering who is the real Max Boa, I say smoke them all and then trace phone calls.

Got to say I was impressed with the performance of this notorious assassin and Ken Takakura was pretty convincing as the cold blooded sniper.

Okay Rob Schneider, this is were you die!

Golgo 13: Assigment Kowloon

And we're back again.  Yeah two in a row, it must be confusing as hell.   Hello ladies and gents.   I will be pushing more Sonny Chiba on you and you're gonna take it.   Yeah that may have sounded a lot more filthy than intended.  Today's film is based on a Manga which has existed from creator Takao Saito of Big Comic since 1968.  This film is oddly enough the sequel to its predecessor that came out in 1973.   This is Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon.

The post office is gonna pay.

The previous movie had actor Ken Takakura of Manhunt, The Yellow Hankerchief, The Yakuza, Black Rain, Mr. Baseball, 47 Ronin and The Firefly as lead character Golgo 13/ Duke Togo.   This time we have Sonny Chiba, who honestly resembles the Manga character more so.  You'd swear they modeled Duke after Chiba.  Solid muscle yet lean build, piercing eyes and mirrored aviator's glasses.

Once again a Toei Production as so many drama and science fiction films in Japan, our hired killer is hired by an American mob to bump off Chou Lei Fang (Nick Lam Wai Kei of Dangerous Encounters, The Amazing Spider-Man, Stoner, Twisted Love and Mercenaries) , a key member of the same mob via Hong Kong branch. 

And what can you bring to this firm?

Concerned how public this assignment must be, Togo cases the location, checks wind and exit locations but notices a capable detective Smith (Lun Chia of Cold Blooded Murder, Qi wu shi, Killer Rose, The Lost Generation and Magnum Thunderbolt) trying to get Chou on drug trafficking charges.   He sent in his aid Lin Li (Etsuko Shiomi of Fall Guy, Moon Mask Rider, Kabamaru the Ninja, Legend of Eight Samurai, The Audition, Shadow Warriors IV and Cabaret)to infiltrate the drug trade but she is captured by Chou's men after she was wailing the monkey crap out of his men. 

Chou and Smith both are aware of the arrival of Golgo 13.   For Smith, Golgo 13 sniped a foreign diplomat he was protecting.  Trying to get his chief to arrest Chou for his own protection, the chief reluctantly agrees after Chou's presentation... the presentation that he is scheduled to most likely get shot at.  Derp!  Togo in position to take the shot but a white girl pops Chou before him and Togo knows now he's the fall guy.   He hightails it out, chucking his weapons and disappears.

Go Speed Racer GoooOOoo!!!

Chou's widow Leika (Dana of Infra-Man, Bruce Li in New Guinea, The Bamboo House, Miao Jie nu q and Wan Zai si tiao nu) clearly heartbroken over the death of her husband does the humpty dance with Togo as part of the grieving stage no doubt.  Duke "pumps" her for information ending that "interrogation" with a gun fight.

Can Golgo 13 find out who screwed him over?  How many more bodies ending up on the slab?

When you think about it, this is one of the first comic book movie with an R rating.  Suck it Deadpool!   


Rounding off at 83 minutes, mild nudity and a fair degree of gun and hand-to-hand violence, it's an impressive story, Chiba is a bad ass who even gets off one of those bullet through the telescope shots.  I had fun with this.  Hell the whole point of watching this flick is the the wharf fight scene alone.  Six toughs attempt to gut Togo and well...you have to see it to believe it.

Pushy waiter!  No tip!

Obscure Superhero Week: Ultraman

A hardy welcome and on to day 3 of Obscure Superhero Week. I have noticed the trend of the suffix "man" needs to added to far far too many heroes so I will look tomorrow for female heroes in film that doesn't involve them just being primarily jiggly entertainment for hetro men and I suppose lesbians that simply want eye candy to gawk at.  Today's feature is based from the 1966 creation by SFX director, producer and director Eiji Tsuburaya (The H-Man, The Last War, The Mysterians and The Three Treasures) and prior in 1954 was the series Ultra Q similar to the Outer Limits, this film was broken into 24 minute TV episodes. This is Ultraman.

BEHOLD!!!  MY MOOSE KNUCKLE!!!!

The SSSP (Science Special Search Party) an international police organization with so much clearance seeks out aberrant anomalies, kaiju attacks, paranormal and extra-terrestrial goings on, have multiple headquarters around the planet ranging from New York, London to Paris, Tokyo and even Brazil. Their telephone number is apparently international as well as it is only 999.   C'mon folks, make it a bit more fun than that. Try 0118 999 881 999 119 725... 3.  Works wonders. Back to the review now, the people of the planet Nebula in the universe M-78 discovered... the power of the Ultra.

It's only a model.

Finding themselves with a conscience and conviction for justice, these people became the Space Garrison, an organization with vim and vigor to help neighboring planets in times of peril so much so, they would dispatch an Ultraman to deal with the threats against said planet and fight to the very death defending it if needs be. Lead stuntman/model for suit and actor Bin Furuya (Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Ultra Q, Ultraman, Ultra Seven, Ultraman: Monster Big Battle, The Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit and Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends- The Movie) is the man in vinyl and spandex gadding it up.

Gamera is friend to all children and...ow! Stop that!

Ultraman comes to Earth in pursuit of a kaiju Ultraman's ship crashes into Space Patrol Shin Hayata damaging him rather severely. Rather than Hayata facing um... Ultrajustice? Ultraman allows his powers to be transferred to Shin (Clearly Ultraman is a great judge of character) giving him instant costume change, martial arts, the ability to travel in the vacuum of space, density and height shifting and whatever they hadn't written down at the time. Honestly they have qualities of DC comics Green Lantern Corps or Marvel Comics Nova Corps. Take your pick. So yeah now Hayata can be 60 to 80 feet tall and do battle with men in rubber suits...I mean Kaijui!

This series is the Japanese Doctor Who, spawning multiple TV series, mini-series, TV movies and theatrical films as well ranging from 1966 to 2015. Sadly, it sort of follows the Godzilla re-imaging and branding issues of continuity being altered but general story ideas being the same. The transition retcon (retroactive continuity for new info on a per-established continuity of existing fictional work) has not be obscene as it was for Godzilla but the M-78 Universe or galaxy has altered a lot from an artificial satellite giving Ultra powers to the folks of Land of the Light to the universal spark animating armored beings solely for combat against evil.

At the end of the day, you have men of power fighting in foreign worlds and asking for no reward...which is good considering how much of the landscape, communities and buildings get smashed on a regular basis in these series. Hell there is an official trailer for a 2016 for Ultraman X- The Movie: Here it Comes! You can embrace this phenomenon for what it is. A giant space alien smacking the ever-loving crap out of kaiju that originate from space or Earth itself.

Not sure why no Ultragirl or Ultrawoman so that seems screwed up.   Guess the Ultra power is Y chromosome only??

Dammit guys, we all cosplayed an X-Wing pilot!?!