Black Rain...Pour Down on Me

"Black Rain" stars Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, and co-stars Ken Takakura, and Kate Capshaw. It's directed by the three time Oscar Nominated director Ridley Scott and written by Craig Bolotin and Warren Lewis.

After arresting a member of the Yakuza, two New York cops (Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia) are ordered to escort him back to Japan. Once arriving in Japan, the two cops are tricked and the convict escapes. In search of the Yakuza member, they are lured deep into the underground world of Japan, the center of the Japanese Mafia.

This has got to be the most stylish character Michael Douglas' has portrayed in his career. He just reeks with coolness through the whole movie. The film opens with him riding a motorcycle, wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses, and a cigarette hanging out of the left side of his mouth. You know, the type of guy who has a hard time saying "thanks". Michael Douglas rules this character, taking the public eye away from veteran actor Andy Garcia. Some of the dialog is bland but, once in a while Michael Douglas blurts out a few intelligent one-liners.

It's got a dimly lit and foggy atmosphere, non-stop action, and is highly entertaining. These are the many things that gives it the feeling of a Ridley Scott film. It also has a few explosions here and there. Not to mention, it's chalk full of gunfire. The multiple chase scenes and shootouts are shot with style. Ridley Scott turns an otherwise mediocre movie into a damn good one. It could have been cut a little shorter, but the pace is snappy enough that it doesn't feel long.

The fight scenes are intense, and who wouldn't want to see Michael Douglas take names. This isn't the best Ridley Scott film, but it certainly isn't his worst. He accomplished an undeniably entertaining feature here. With some experience in working with films involving police (i.e. "Someone to Watch Over Me"), I think it's safe to say that Ridley Scott has found his genre. 4/5 stars