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Black Rain
1989
Drama, Crime
2h 5m
Two New York cops get involved in a gang war between members of the Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia. (imdb)
Directed by:
Ridley ScottBlack Rain
1989
Drama, Crime
2h 5m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 42.45% from 1023 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews
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Rated 21 Aug 2019
77
72nd
A perfectly 80's dirty cop, fish out of water tale featuring antihero Douglas and his oh so American casual racism. He's more gruff than McGruff the Crime Dog but only half as house trained. The real fish out of water was Kate Capshaw surrounded by all these professional actors.
Rated 21 Aug 2019
Rated 27 Jan 2014
40
23rd
I think the movie wants me to think Douglas' cop character is 'a badass loner who doesn't play by the rules' rather than 'a petulant child who has absolutely no impulse control'. It doesn't do a very good job at that. Scott's Japan is stylish to a fault, and the xenophobic loathing is nearly palpable. Kind of a miserable experience.
Rated 27 Jan 2014
Rated 15 Dec 2013
8
76th
Black Rain is possibly Ridley Scott's most underrated film. Michael Douglas gives a solid performance and I'd of loved to of seen him do more roles like this. Both Ken Takakura and Yusaku Matsuda are great also. But Andy Garcia is horribly annoying. Atmospherically Jan De Bont's gloomy cinematography is stunning and Hans Zimmer's brilliant score superbly captures Japan. It's regarded by many as just another 80's action/thriller, but I think Black Rain is definitely something of an unsung gem.
Rated 15 Dec 2013
Rated 09 Nov 2015
60
20th
Looks great for the most part, but the script is so stupid, with Douglas's character such an absurd walking cliché of a renegade "badass" cop that the whole thing regularly resembles more of a parody than a straight thriller. My favourite part was probably Matsuda's deranged, bug-eyed performance, but even that was under-utilised.
Rated 09 Nov 2015
Rated 11 Sep 2014
68
70th
Though there's quite a bit of enjoyable substance and detail to Black Rain, it drifts more and more toward its genre's stupid convention culminating in an embarrassingly cliched finale. I can't give it points for originality, but it stands head and shoulders above most 80s action fare in terms of performances (Garcia, Takakura and Douglas in his top form, as well as a good supporting cast), gorgeous sets and photography, nice tension and a perfect spot of humor. The synth music did not impress.
Rated 11 Sep 2014
Rated 10 Jan 2013
75
65th
Guh go away Kate Capshaw . I thought you were only contained within Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Rated 10 Jan 2013
Rated 19 Nov 2010
78
38th
Fish out of water detective story, where the fish is kind of a moron who screws things up, with a bit of light criticism of the US. Ridley Scott directs with his usual polish, some twists scribble outside the expected genre lines to add a bit of depth and interest, and it has aged remarkably well apart from flagrantly 80s music. It's a thoroughly decent detective film that is easy to enjoy.
Rated 19 Nov 2010
Rated 29 Sep 2008
70
61st
It's funny, but Tokyo in real life looks less realistic than the set of scott's earlier film Blade Runner
Rated 29 Sep 2008
Rated 14 Aug 2007
44
48th
The longer I live in Japan, the more ridiculous this movie feels. The 'looking like somebody stuck a chopstick up your ass' acting style gets annoying quickly.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 26 Sep 2023
2
22nd
Absurdus maximus? Not entirely. The last section salvages some of the name and fame associated with the movie.
Rated 26 Sep 2023
Rated 28 May 2023
83
96th
Rarely any Douglas's movies that is not top-notch. He gets the best storylines and is a great actor.
Rated 28 May 2023
Rated 11 Mar 2023
74
48th
A fish out of water story of an American cop mixed up in something that leads him to Japan, and given his fast and loose strategy in a country filled with red tape and restraint, it would seem like a prime set up for a comedy, but "Black Rain" tries to be serious and gritty and while it does work, it's also counterintuitive and feels unnatural.
Rated 11 Mar 2023
Rated 29 Dec 2022
68
41st
When I saw Michael Douglas on a bike in the first few minutes, little did I know he would finish the classic 80s third act action all bloody and muddy but with honor so he can redeem himself but mostly a new partner after he lost his first to Yakuza (ofc he gets the girl).
Rated 29 Dec 2022
Rated 20 Oct 2022
80
59th
It's Blade Runner, but without the sci-fi... Very wet and rainy. And I love it!
Rated 20 Oct 2022
Rated 08 Jun 2022
71
49th
Scott's late 80s action thriller might have been better if made by his brother, but this is still boasts a style and a soundtrack that rocks. Garcia is riding high in his goofy phase of his career and Ken Takakura is always a pleasure to watch.
Rated 08 Jun 2022
Rated 16 Feb 2021
46
41st
Black Rain is perhaps the prime example of American insecurities about Japan in pop culture in the late 80's/early 90's. Visually it's amazing because Scott doubles down on the aesthetic of Blade Runner, everything is giant neon or angled light pouring in through a ventilation fan. Besides that it's mediocre, as Douglas doesn't work as an action star and both Garcia and Capshaw are terrible. The culture clash dynamic is surface level and the stakes involved in the gang war aren't interesting.
Rated 16 Feb 2021
Rated 08 Jul 2020
50
22nd
"öcü gibi korkuyorlar gelecek-japon yoldaşımdan" döneminin açık mensupları içerisinde görece eli yüzü daha düzgün olanlardan. scott reklam filmi çeker gibi çalışıyor, douglas'un uyuz karakteri de dönemin gözdelerinden andy garcia'nın manik performansı da standart hikaye de ne ilginç bir şeyler sunuyor ne de geviş getirirken boğuyor.
Rated 08 Jul 2020
Rated 25 Apr 2018
71
40th
Long-winded action film elevated by Scott's innate style behind the camera, and the perpetual satisfaction of seeing Douglas go rogue in the final act of a thriller, but this is ultimately a pretty flabby affair, not helped by a lack of logic to key plot points (especially the major incident at the halfway mark). The film also wallows in dated cultural imperialist notions to sometimes cringe-worthy extremes (and Capshaw's role is laughable). Still, for Douglas and Scott fans, it's worth a watch.
Rated 25 Apr 2018
Rated 08 Mar 2017
51
28th
Cliche '80s film all around but it tries its best. Visuals and feel of the location are great when there isn't any cliche '80s steam filling the screen. A decent watch if it's on tv on a boring Sunday afternoon but I wouldn't go further than that
Rated 08 Mar 2017
Rated 05 Sep 2016
71
29th
It's not a bad cop movie, but Douglas' character gets annoying over the course of two hours as he seems to be more of a petulant child than conflicted policeman.
Rated 05 Sep 2016
Rated 18 May 2015
45
19th
Absolutely ridiculous premise, it becomes unwatchable the more you mull upon how braindead stupid the plot is
Rated 18 May 2015
Rated 18 Jan 2015
3
0th
Ridley Scott has been hella racist before now! Total trash - ugly, repetitive, overlong, unexciting, standard cop fare. Devoid of value.
Rated 18 Jan 2015
Rated 11 Aug 2014
85
68th
Ridley took what could've been paint-by-numbers and created a stylish, genuine dramatic thriller about relationships forming across massive divides to confront a common villain.
Rated 11 Aug 2014
Rated 24 Jun 2014
77
57th
Miss those movies where it is always night.
Rated 24 Jun 2014
Rated 21 Mar 2014
80
30th
Decent late 80's cop flick; The cinematography and the soundtrack are great and the visuals of Osaka Japan look great. The acting pretty good. Andy Garcia and Michael Douglas put in good performances but Yusaku Matsuda steals it as the villain Saito, a role which would be his last.Plays heavily on the culture clash between US/JPN & the anxieties both countries have about the other. It's worth checking out if you're into 80's cop flicks or just like 80's action flicks,you'll enjoy this film.
Rated 21 Mar 2014
Rated 16 Jun 2012
54
40th
It's less badass than it looks, but Douglas makes this pretty watchable and entertaining. Hollywood would make better asian american cop films in the following decade.
Rated 16 Jun 2012
Rated 19 Dec 2011
68
24th
This movie had a few interesting scenes. There were no real strong female characters in the film. The action scenes were very ho hum. This would be just an average film overall.
Rated 19 Dec 2011
Rated 06 Sep 2011
81
79th
Steeped in 80s style twice over, Japan becomes a recreation of Blade Runner's futuristic L.A., full of diffuse lighting, neon, cycling fans, low ceilings, and small humans trying to make it through this cold, concrete environment. . A pleasure to look at, and if Michael Douglas's morally gray New York cop remains inaccessible, Scott still captures the noir mood -- listless, lost, and, to use that word again, gray.
Rated 06 Sep 2011
Rated 22 Sep 2010
64
39th
Weaker entry from Scott is watchable, but nothing special.
Rated 22 Sep 2010
Rated 14 May 2010
65
52nd
This film is excellent proof of how much better action films _looked_ in 80s/90s, sadly it is not all that good apart from that.
Rated 14 May 2010
Rated 30 Dec 2009
82
95th
Slow, dense, stylish, grumpy, tense, and hard as nails. The production value is through the roof and the whole movie feels like an adapted graphic novel. Possibly the definitive 80's cop thriller.
Rated 30 Dec 2009
Rated 02 Nov 2009
66
19th
American cop with attitude aggravates, annoys and offends his colleagues on foreign soil but a mutual respect develops through their work despite their differing approaches. It might sound good but this description could be duplicated and used for a number of films. Nothing new or exciting !
Rated 02 Nov 2009
Rated 13 Oct 2009
60
49th
Essentially this is every Steven Seagal movie ever made, just done well, boasting a scriptwriter who appreciates the nuances of cultural differences, actual actors and a proper director involved.
Rated 13 Oct 2009
Rated 16 May 2009
60
47th
It's put together decently enough, and it's not dull. It's just so... *normal*. Nothing on display here is really special
Rated 16 May 2009
Rated 23 Dec 2008
3
26th
Rated 12 Jun 2008
60
40th
This was the beginning of Ridley Scott sucking.
Rated 12 Jun 2008
Rated 13 May 2008
66
60th
The characters in this aren't as charismatic as one might expect, and a lot of what's here is fairly by-the-books for a cop movie. What elevates this is the performances, and the lack of subtitles. Most notably, though, it's the cinematography, which has some of the most unique and atmospheric footage of Japan to be seen in an American movie.
Rated 13 May 2008
Rated 20 Feb 2008
73
94th
I seem to enjoy this more and more each time I watch it. Everything is "top drawer": cinematograghy by DeBont, score by Zimmer, tough dialogue, etc.
There are some outdated aspects: Douglas' mullet, cop cliches, antipathy towards Japanese but they still fit the film. Douglas, Takakura and Garcia are
all in fine form and director Ridley Scott manages to create a world which mixes his own Blade Runner, real Japan and fantasy but still feels belieavable. One of best action films of 80's.
Rated 20 Feb 2008
Rated 14 Aug 2007
87
74th
The aftermath of Hiroshima on a very personal level. A couple want to see their niece get married but survivors of the bombing are not desirable. Thoughtful and heart breaking.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
16th
I saw this in the theater, and that's all I remember. Some kind of cop thing that obviously left no impression on me at all.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 18 May 2007
40
15th
Had potential, but they blew it. Wonder why...
Rated 18 May 2007
Rated 01 Mar 2007
55
49th
Pretty good cop film.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
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Directed by:
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