Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Stephan Hammond It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

SnoopyStyle NYPD detective Nick Conklin (Michael Douglas) is under internal affairs investigation. He and his partner Charlie Vincent (Andy Garcia) are monitoring the local mob when Yakuza members crash in. They arrest the Yakuza thug and transfer him back to Japan. They get tricked and the prisoner escape. They hunt for him with the help of local cop Masahiro (Ken Takakura) and American ex-pat Joyce (Kate Capshaw).Director Ridley Scott injects this with great energy and intensity. Douglas plays up the fish-out-of-water angle. It's great to get the Japanese flavor no matter how hard it was for Scott. It did come at a time of high fascination with Japan before their financial crash and that added a lot to the intensity. The present Japan no longer holds the same fascination and that does diminish the movie. However it was great at its time.

tgchan How about, some vintage action film from late 80's by none other than Ridley Scott ? It has Yakuza, must be good! Right?1 minutes - and I already love the scenery, music and what I see... Ah, 80's and 90's, those were the times...2 minutes - oh... music is made by Hans Zimmer... that explains it 23 minutes - the action is decent and so far it is a pleasure to watch it 54 minutes - boring1h 55minutes - LOL at the final fight scene, this is badOh well, I don't know... I hate films which are not bad but far from good, and this is one of them. If you are really a fan of Michael Douglas or Ridley Scott, go ahead and try it. If not, you will miss nothing skipping this one.tgchan's rating: 6/10

wiseguygabriel Some may think that this is just another cop action movie but nothing could be father from the truth.It is a story of good,evil,love,friendship and deep loyalty.A clash of two different culture creates a unbreakable bond between them.The music that was made specifically for this movie is what makes a part of the greatness of this movie.The rest is just great acting.I watched this movie a very long time ago(like 20 something years ago)but i never forgot it and the feeling i had when i watched it.This movie contains all what makes a human being and the essence of life.

morrison-dylan-fan Despite owning the video for a number of years,I always found myself pushing it to the side,due to the film appearing to be rather dry.With a poll taking place on IMDb's Classic Film board for the best titles of 1989,I was happily caught by surprise,when a very kind IMDb'er gave me the chance to at last take a look at the movie,which led to me getting set to see the black rain pour.The plot:Sitting in a bar with a rookie cop called Charlie Vincent, police officer Nick Conklin begins celebrating the fact that he's been officially cleared from an internal investigation related to missing cash from a criminal case.Putting a stop to Nick and Charlie's planned night of partying,2 separate gangs of Japanese men enter the bar and begin getting into a fight.Showing signs that he clearly disagrees with what the rival gang leader says, a gangster called Sato kills his rival as Sato's gang starts to tear the bar apart.Grabbing a small box that the rival gang had brought with them,Sato and his gang start to run away from the scene.Quickly gathering their wits,Vincent and Conklin chase after Sato,so that they can hit him with 'the book'.Catching Sato, (who has made the box disappear)Charlie and Nick are ordered by their boss to escort Sato to Japan,in order for him to be taken by Japanese authorities.Originally expecting this to be a simple handover,Vincent and Conkiln soon discover that they have inadvertently entered the middle of a gang war,where they will soon learn the meaning behind the word 'Yakuza'.View on the film:Teaming up with the cinematography who had given Die Hard its crystal clear appearance, (who would end up working with this titles originally chosen directed,when he crossed legs with lead actor Michael Douglas on the Erotic Thriller Basic Instinct) director Ridley Scott and Jan De Bont give the movie a strong futuristic appearance,thanks to Scott and De Bont's making Black Rain's US look like a burning industrial zone,whose colour patterns are emphasised by De Bont and Scott brilliantly covering Japan in flashing,face meltingly bright,neon lights.Cut by over 30 minutes,the screenplay by Craig Bolotin and Warren Lewis never quite gel the 2 excellent strips of the title into one whole entity.For the US set part of the ,movie,and also the beginning of Vincent and Conklin adventure in Japan,the writers decide to take a fish out of water approach with the plot,which despite allowing some charming 'buddy cop' moments to rise to the surface,leads to the potentially interested new Japan based characters to be rather 2D,thanks to all of their relationships with Vincent and Conklin being shown as disconnected.Taking the movie in a wonderful Neo-Noir direction for the second half,the writers peel the buddy cop side away and instead introduce a burnt out cop,who despite having been used as a punch line for the first half,is successfully used to pull Charlie and Nick into the vicious underground of the Yakuza.Made just 5 weeks before he was to tragically pass away from cancer,Yusaku Matsuda gives a terrific sharp performance as Sato,with Matsuda keeping Sato away from becoming a simple boo-hiss villain,thanks to showing that Sato has a real skill in making others drop their guard,in order for he and his gang to strike at their hardest.Taking on Sato,Andy Garcia gives a delightfully playful performance as Charlie Vincent,with Garcia showing Vincent to be a quick-witted cop,who will also never turn down a chance to party.Entering the movie on a stylish motorbike,Michael Douglas gives an excellent performance as Nick Conklin,thanks to Douglas balancing Conklin's laid-back attitude that he has with Vincent with a wonderful tough'n'gruff Neo-Noir edge,which Douglas brings to the front of the title,as Nick Conklin starts to see black rain fall from the sky.