Back to Back
Back to Back
| 29 August 1996 (USA)
Back to Back Trailers

An ex-cop finds himself caught up in a battle between Japanese mobsters and local gangland thugs and discovers that he was framed for wrong-doings by a corrupt cop.

Reviews
Scanialara You won't be disappointed!
Interesteg What makes it different from others?
Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring
Staci Frederick Blistering performances.
merklekranz Lots of action strung together with converging story lines. "Back to Back" has some peculiarities, some that work and some that don't. For one thing, for a movie with such over the top violence, and an "R" rating, why don't the strippers strip? Fortunately there is plenty of dark humor, and some really great character actors, Vincent Schiavelli, Fred Willard, and Bobcat Goldthwait, being the most memorable. You also get a teenager with an attitude, Danielle Harris, and Elvis even gets to play a part. The film is fast paced, has a high body count, with just enough humor to carry the film into above average territory. Definitely entertaining, and recommended of it's type. - MERK
mangoatis2 After watching this movie, I was disappointed that they could've done better with the action with gang members using melee weapons such as Mob hit men armed with retractable cross blades and gang members performing in-your-face matrix-style fist fights on villains, making it from a shoot-em-up to a beat-em-up action adventure.The transitions are too old-school and would be better if they were replaced by bullet holes being shot across the screen as if it was in a video game. And the action should be downright violent and extreme to make it a cutting edge film from other movies. If they were to make a sequel to American Yakuza 2, the name should be titled "B2B:Back 2 Back" (Spelled with an inverted number two) since it would give character to the story and make it more chill.D.H. should be cast in place of Michael Rooker's role as a thug/all-girl gang leader with a lethal fighting ability who rages out when she fights using a set of glowstick-like nunchakus who later cracks heads with a Yakuza hit-man to rescue her father from the government-ruling mafia.Also, the soundtrack would be a blast if it were replaced by a Techno/Electronica score other than Rock and Country for the action scenes because it would fit well with the movie and make it look cool. A good example of this would be the opening of the movie being replaced by JXL's remix of Elvis Presley's "A little less Conversation" followed by Squarepusher's Paistow flex out for Hideo's on-foot-journey to the strip club followed by The Orb's remix of Blue room as he enters the club, immediately following that, a track from the band Tempest titled "Deepsky" as he sits down about to die as he draws out his shades.I Also think that it would be interesting if Danielle Harris were to put her Scream-Queen persona aside once and for all and star in a role where she finally fights back and gets downright brutal with her enemies. I'm for once, sick and tired of seeing her be a victim in all of the action movies she's in and would like to someday see her As a lead character in an action/thriller flick (No comedies or children's movies) fighting villains.Believe it or not, this may sound like I'm trying to damage the original but If the director is reading this, I think this should be an awesome and exciting idea for a third sequel or series to this movie.
lastliberal Actually better that American Yakuza, even if it feature a strip club with no stripping. Sheesh! Michael Rooker is an ex-cop trying to take care of his daughter Chelsea, played by Danielle Harris (Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, "That's Life", "The Wild Thornberrys", Halloween 4 & 5). He joins up with Ryo Ishibashi to take out a mobster to protect her.Lots of shooting and the opening with Bob Goldthwait was a real riot. He really blows!Also features the late Vincent Schiavelli.One of many Pulp Fiction knockoffs, but it really is funny.
blue hermit "Back to Back" didn't stun the world with its market impact when released. Watching it five years later there doesn't seem to be much wrong with it, there's sufficient action and plot to stop most people falling asleep on the sofa. It has an "R" rating, but for me the violence is in context and doesn't detract from the entertainment value of the movie.The director, Roger Nygard, obviously knows his job. As a piece of film making, "Back to Back" is well put together. The cast and crew do a good job with a neat script. Admittedly, coincidence does have a field day in the story line. The script boasts two yakuza hit men (one a disciple of Elvis), suitably evil mafiosi, a disgraced ex-cop, his much exasperated daughter, a mad bomber bank robber and, last but not least, an obnoxious, corrupt detective who you just know has been responsible for everything that has gone wrong for years.The cast is definitely above average. Some of the names are regulars among the ranks of supporting players featuring in bigger budget movies. There's Michael Rooker (Bob Malone), who I last saw making a fair job of Stan Zedkov in "The Replacement Killers" (1998). Sci-Fi enthusiasts will I'm sure be pleased to spot Stephen Furst, Vir Cotto from "Babylon 5", in the minor role of Jimmy, one of two no-accounts planning to sell Hideo back to the Mob. Also, a real inspiration in the casting of "Back to Back" has to be offering Bobcat Goldthwait the part of the psycho bank robber. Villainous and comic, he's great!Danielle Harris is much more than eye candy as daughter Chelsea Malone: wayward fathers need a firm hand! It is entertaining to see the changes brought about by advancing years (at least in this young lady's case it is!). I remember DH as little Melissa, the younger daughter of the Crandell family in "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead" (1991). By 1996 she certainly had looks and screen presence aplenty. I recently spotted her again in "Urban Legend", dating from 1998, a movie in which costume and make up render her almost unrecognizable.I have not seen the two Japanese actors before who play Koji and Hideo. The mentor and his pupil scenario is nicely done. If I didn't know from experience how difficult it is to find the work of Japanese actors, it would be interesting to see other things they've done. Look out too for the enjoyable cameo from Leland Orser as the Wheelchair Guy. His brief screen appearance is a realistic peek into the precarious existence of someone surviving on the street.TV movies are sometimes bland, this one is well worth seeing.