Undercover Untouchable Usurps Undesirables
Charles Brickley
from Andover, Hampshire England
[Highly rated reviewer]
, 19/01/2008
At first this looks like an episode of a routine Gangster Gangbuster of the 50's, especially as the lead role is played by Robert Stack who became the archtypal Elliott Ness on the TV series 'The Untouchables'.
However this is a Samuel Fuller film which makes the difference as apart from the story being set in Tokyo with ex-GI hardmen running their own crime wave, there is a lot of atmosphere and artistic photography whilst taking advantage of the Japanese setting.
Whilst it may not be a classic film it is a classical time capsule of the post war crime fighting scene in Japan. This story of undercover police operations will look dated when compared to CSI or 'Spooks' but it is a reminder of the good old days when manual records were kept and computers were the size of a suburbian Bungalow.
Nostalgia may not be what it used to, however this production is well shot and accurate as well as being 100 minutes of what was innovative cinema in 1955.
Worth the money, especially if you are a Sam Fuller Fan.
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