The Hunted (1995 film): Difference between revisions
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The film was shot in [[Japan]] and [[Canada]].<ref name="chicago tribune review">{{cite web|last1=Wilmington|first1=Michael|title=Ninja Nonsense|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-02-26/features/9502260237_1_ninjas-paul-racine-hunted|website=[[Chicago Tribune]]|accessdate=October 13, 2016|date=February 26, 1995}}</ref><ref name="joblo review">{{cite web|last1=Shirey|first1=Paul|title=The Best Movie You Never Saw: The Hunted (1995)|url=http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/the-best-movie-you-never-saw-the-hunted-1995|website=[[JoBlo.com]]|accessdate=October 13, 2016|date=May 24, 2013}}</ref> Only the [[establishing shot]]s were filmed in [[Nagoya]], while the rest of the film was shot in [[Vancouver]] area, including [[Queen Elizabeth Park, British Columbia|Queen Elizabeth Park]] and [[Lynn Canyon Park]].<ref name="reelingback vancouver">{{cite web|last1=Walsh|first1=Michael|authorlink1=Michael Walsh (film critic)|title=Feature films made in Vancouver|url=http://reelingback.com/articles/our_feature_film_fest_13|website=ReelingBack.com|accessdate=October 14, 2016|date=July 28, 2015}}</ref> |
The film was shot in [[Japan]] and [[Canada]].<ref name="chicago tribune review">{{cite web|last1=Wilmington|first1=Michael|title=Ninja Nonsense|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-02-26/features/9502260237_1_ninjas-paul-racine-hunted|website=[[Chicago Tribune]]|accessdate=October 13, 2016|date=February 26, 1995}}</ref><ref name="joblo review">{{cite web|last1=Shirey|first1=Paul|title=The Best Movie You Never Saw: The Hunted (1995)|url=http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/the-best-movie-you-never-saw-the-hunted-1995|website=[[JoBlo.com]]|accessdate=October 13, 2016|date=May 24, 2013}}</ref> Only the [[establishing shot]]s were filmed in [[Nagoya]], while the rest of the film was shot in [[Vancouver]] area, including [[Queen Elizabeth Park, British Columbia|Queen Elizabeth Park]] and [[Lynn Canyon Park]].<ref name="reelingback vancouver">{{cite web|last1=Walsh|first1=Michael|authorlink1=Michael Walsh (film critic)|title=Feature films made in Vancouver|url=http://reelingback.com/articles/our_feature_film_fest_13|website=ReelingBack.com|accessdate=October 14, 2016|date=July 28, 2015}}</ref> |
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''The Hunted'' was released on February 24, 1995. The film took in $2.7 million on its opening weekend, ultimately grossing $6,609,661 in the United States (approx. ${{Inflation|US|6.6096|1995|r=1}} million in {{CURRENTYEAR}} dollars).<ref name="box office mojo">{{cite web|title=The Hunted (1995)|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hunted95.htm|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|accessdate=October 13, 2016}}</ref> It was rated [[MPAA rating|R]] in the USA,<ref name="nytimes review">{{cite web|last1=Grimes|first1=William|authorlink1=William Grimes (journalist)|title=Bodies Pile Up Like Cordwood in a Ninja Fight|url=http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=990CE7D8113FF936A15751C0A963958260|website=[[New York Times]]|accessdate=October 13, 2016|date=February 25, 1995}}</ref> and received an [[18 certificate]] in the UK.<ref name="uk dvd">{{cite AV media|title=The Hunted|publisher=Universal Studios Home Entertainment|date=August 27, 2001|people=Lawton, J.F. (director, writer)|medium=DVD|asin=B00005AVWC}}</ref> The film was released on [[VHS]] |
''The Hunted'' was released on February 24, 1995. The film took in $2.7 million on its opening weekend, ultimately grossing $6,609,661 in the United States (approx. ${{Inflation|US|6.6096|1995|r=1}} million in {{CURRENTYEAR}} dollars).<ref name="box office mojo">{{cite web|title=The Hunted (1995)|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hunted95.htm|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|accessdate=October 13, 2016}}</ref> It was rated [[MPAA rating|R]] in the USA,<ref name="nytimes review">{{cite web|last1=Grimes|first1=William|authorlink1=William Grimes (journalist)|title=Bodies Pile Up Like Cordwood in a Ninja Fight|url=http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=990CE7D8113FF936A15751C0A963958260|website=[[New York Times]]|accessdate=October 13, 2016|date=February 25, 1995}}</ref> and received an [[18 certificate]] in the UK.<ref name="uk dvd">{{cite AV media|title=The Hunted|publisher=Universal Studios Home Entertainment|date=August 27, 2001|people=Lawton, J.F. (director, writer)|medium=DVD|asin=B00005AVWC}}</ref> The film was released on [[VHS]] the same year,<ref name="vhscollector">{{cite web|title=The Hunted|url=http://vhscollector.com/movie/hunted-1|website=VHSCollector.com|accessdate=October 19, 2016}}</ref> and on [[DVD]] in 1998.<ref name="dvd">{{cite AV media|title=The Hunted|publisher=Universal Studios Home Entertainment|date=December 15, 1998|people=Lawton, J.F. (director, writer)|medium=DVD}}</ref> ''Filmsondisc.com'' gave the DVD transfer a grade of A-, calling it "ravishing".<ref name="filmsondisc review" /> |
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==Reception== |
==Reception== |
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Revision as of 23:47, 19 October 2016
| The Hunted | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | J. F. Lawton |
| Written by | J. F. Lawton |
| Produced by | John Davis Gary W. Goldstein William Fay |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jack Conroy |
| Edited by | Robert A. Ferretti Eric Strand |
| Music by | Leonard Eto Motofumi Yamaguchi |
Production companies | Bregman/Baer Productions, Inc. Davis Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Universal Studios |
Release date |
|
Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English Japanese |
| Budget | $25 million[1] |
| Box office | $6,609,661 (USA) |
The Hunted is a 1995 martial arts thriller film written and directed by J. F. Lawton and starring Christopher Lambert, John Lone, Joan Chen, Yoshio Harada and Yoko Shimada. Lambert plays Paul Racine, an American businessman who by accident earns the wrath of a ninja clan led by Lone's character, Kinjo. The film received mixed-to-negative reviews, most of them criticizing the clichéed plot and unconvincing acting. However, some reviewers praised Yoshio Harada's performance as samurai Takeda, Racine's protector and Kinjo's sworn enemy. The critically well-received soundtrack featured music by the Japanese taiko troupe Kodō, which pervades the film. The Hunting was released on VHS and DVD.
Plot
Paul Racine (Lambert), a computer chip company executive from New York, is on a business trip to Nagoya. He meets Kirina (Chen) in the hotel lounge, and they have a one-night stand. After they part ways, Kirina is approached by Kinjo (Lone) and two henchmen. Kinjo is the leader of the Makato cult, an organization of ninja assassins that was hired to kill her. He boasts that no one has seen his face and lived. Kirina shows no fear of death, so he grants her final wish to show his face. Racine returns, looking for his room key and belatedly comes to Kirina's defense, as Kinjo decapitates her. Enraged that Racine has seen Kinjo's face, Kinjo's men stab him, hit him with a poisoned shuriken and slash his throat, leaving him for dead.
Racine awakes in a hospital room, but his claims of his encounter with ninjas are met with disbelief by the police. Lieutenant Wadakura (Okada) dismisses the allegation and suspects that the murder is the work of a yakuza syndicate. Racine is approached by Ijuro Takeda (Harada), an expert on the cult and on Kinjo. Racine finds out that Takeda is the last in a samurai line and has a score to settle with Kinjo. The ninjas attempt to finish Racine off at the hospital, killing several hospital staff and police officers, including Wadakura, but Racine escapes. Takeda and his wife Mieko (Shimada) subsequently take Racine to their family's stronghold, located on an island several hundred miles away. Leaving the city, Takeda secretly uses Racine as bait to draw Kinjo out, leading to a battle on the train where several passenger cars of innocent people are slaughtered by the ninjas. Takeda and Mieko defeat the attackers, but discover that Kinjo did not take part in the assault. The ninjas' leader was Junko (Natsuki), Kinjo's lover. This increases Kinjo's motivation to kill Racine and Takeda.
On the island, Racine spends time with the drunken bladesmith Oshima (Kubota), who is constructing a katana for Takeda. Despite the language barrier, the old man teaches him about smithing and swordsmanship. Mieko explains the history of the conflict between the two clans and the samurai concepts of courage and honor. Mieko is sympathetic toward Racine, who is the polar opposite of her husband, although she remains loyal to Takeda. Meanwhile, Kinjo decides to find out who hired his clan to murder Kirina. The man he finds, Nemura (Saito), is a powerful yakuza figure who bought Kirina from her pimp uncle, then ordered her death when she left him after years of servitude. Disgusted that he killed an innocent woman over such a petty grievance, Kinjo kills the man.
Three weeks after Kirina's death, Takeda's new sword is ready, and Racine's injuries have healed. Takeda arrives at the island and is dismayed to find that Oshima has been training Racine. He humiliates Racine in a friendly duel. When Racine announces that he wants to leave the island and return home to New York, Takeda has him imprisoned and alerts Kinjo of his whereabouts. Takeda's inexperienced samurai are overwhelmed by the hordes of ninjas who arrive, but Takeda gets the duel with Kinjo he wants. Kinjo is victorious, stabbing Takeda through the torso; Takeda in turn stabs Kinjo in the leg, but soon dies.
As Kinjo is about to kill a helpless Mieko he is caught off-guard by Racine, whom Oshima had released on Mieko's instructions. Racine stabs Kinjo in the right shoulder, but is armed with only a sword he barely knows how to use. With his newfound skills, a lot of luck and assistance from Mieko, Racine decapitates Kinjo. Oshima turns up in battle gear, but is annoyed to find all the ninjas are dead. Racine, Mieko, and Oshima head up the hill toward the family castle.
Cast
Production and release
The film was shot in Japan and Canada.[2][3] Only the establishing shots were filmed in Nagoya, while the rest of the film was shot in Vancouver area, including Queen Elizabeth Park and Lynn Canyon Park.[4]
The Hunted was released on February 24, 1995. The film took in $2.7 million on its opening weekend, ultimately grossing $6,609,661 in the United States (approx. $13.2 million in 2024 dollars).[5] It was rated R in the USA,[6] and received an 18 certificate in the UK.[7] The film was released on VHS the same year,[8] and on DVD in 1998.[9] Filmsondisc.com gave the DVD transfer a grade of A-, calling it "ravishing".[10]
Reception
The Hunted was mostly panned by contemporary critics. Michael Wilmington of Chicago Tribune gave it one star out of four, expressing dislike of Frenchman Lambert being cast as an American and Hong Kong native Lone playing a Japanese character. He derided the plot, calling the film "shameless".[2] Variety compared the film to low-budget martial arts films, claiming that the film will perform best in the home video release. The reviewer, Brian Lowry, found the film loaded with clichés and the lead actors unconvincing.[11] Stephen Hunter, writing for Baltimore Sun, thought that Takeda was the only character that stood out, saying that director Lawton "clearly saw The Seven Samurai one time too many."[1] Mick LaSalle for San Francisco Chronicle deemed the film "absurd and overlong", saying it was not afforded a press screening "so as not to make the Friday papers", but thought that the humor and the tour de force style might save the film.[12]
William Grimes for New York Times called it "a slightly better than adequate B thriller", adding that "within limits [...] the film delivers." He commented positively on the taiko drum soundtrack by Kodō.[6] Paul Shirey, writing for JoBlo.com, saw The Hunted in a much better light, awarding the film a score of 100%. He said that casting Lambert as an unexpected hero was "refreshing", and praised the dynamic between Takeda and Kinjo. Shirey selected the battle in the bullet train as the most outstanding scene of the film.[3] Filmsondisc.com gave the film a B+ rating, saying that plot holes can be ignored because of "consistent characters" and "concentrated and polished" production.[10] The reviewer found Lambert "well-suited to his role", and deemed Lone "better than usual".[10] Brian McKay for eFilmCritic.com gave the film 4 stars out of 5, calling the film "pretty entertaining" and praising the sword fights, but concluding that the film focuses too much on Lambert's character instead of Harada's,[13] the latter sentiment echoed by The Austin Chronicle.[14]
Soundtrack
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [15] |
The Hunted features music by the Japanese taiko drum troupe Kodō.[16][11] A soundtrack CD was released on May 9, 1995 by TriStar Music, consisting of songs composed by Motofumi Yamaguchi and Leonard Eto. The song "Matsuri (Irodori)" was recorded on the set, representing a performance attended by the characters Racine and Kirina. Adam Greenberg, writing for Allmusic, gave the soundtrack 4.5 stars out of 5, extolling Lawton's decision to have Kodō handle the entire soundtrack. He was most impressed by "Kirina's Theme" and recommended the soundtrack to fans of Japanese music.[15] Jack Donen of Djembe Magazine deemed the soundtrack "tailored to Western ears", owing to a greater use of syncopation and several synthesizer sequences.[16]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Hunted Main Theme" | Motofumi Yamaguchi | 5:03 |
| 2. | "Kirina's Theme" | Motofumi Yamaguchi | 1:02 |
| 3. | "Intruder" | Motofumi Yamaguchi | 1:21 |
| 4. | "Love Affair (Papa's Palm Wine)" | Leonard Eto | 2:13 |
| 5. | "Punishment of Betrayal" | Motofumi Yamaguchi | 0:59 |
| 6. | "Matsuri (Irodori)" | Leonard Eto | 9:59 |
| 7. | "Darkness" | Motofumi Yamaguchi | 1:39 |
| 8. | "Kirina's Theme" | Motofumi Yamaguchi | 1:25 |
| 9. | "Irritation" | Motofumi Yamaguchi | 1:39 |
| 10. | "Oshima's Theme (Tsuki-No-Sei)" | Leonard Eto | 2:44 |
| 11. | "Run" | Motofumi Yamaguchi | 1:55 |
| 12. | "Remembering Kirina 1" | Motofumi Yamaguchi | 1:24 |
| 13. | "The Battle" | Motofumi Yamaguchi | 4:23 |
| 14. | "Remembering Kirina 2" | Motofumi Yamaguchi | 1:04 |
| 15. | "The Hunted Ending Theme" | Motofumi Yamaguchi | 7:32 |
References
- ^ a b Hunter, Stephen (February 25, 1995). "Makers of 'The Hunted' must have lost their heads". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ a b Wilmington, Michael (February 26, 1995). "Ninja Nonsense". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ a b Shirey, Paul (May 24, 2013). "The Best Movie You Never Saw: The Hunted (1995)". JoBlo.com. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ Walsh, Michael (July 28, 2015). "Feature films made in Vancouver". ReelingBack.com. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ "The Hunted (1995)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ a b Grimes, William (February 25, 1995). "Bodies Pile Up Like Cordwood in a Ninja Fight". New York Times. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ Lawton, J.F. (director, writer) (August 27, 2001). The Hunted (DVD). Universal Studios Home Entertainment. ASIN B00005AVWC.
- ^ "The Hunted". VHSCollector.com. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ Lawton, J.F. (director, writer) (December 15, 1998). The Hunted (DVD). Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
- ^ a b c Kobak, Stuart J. "Hunted, The / B+, A-". Filmsondisc.com. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ a b Lowry, Brian (February 26, 1995). "Review: 'The Hunted'". Variety. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ LaSalle, Mick (February 25, 1995). "Ninjas Wreak Usual Havoc in 'Hunted'". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ McKay, Brian (September 1, 2002). "Hunted, The (1995)". eFilmCritic.com. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ O'Bryan, Joey (March 3, 1995). "The Hunted". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ a b Greenberg, Adam. "The Hunted [1995] - Original Soundtrack". Allmusic. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ a b Donen, Jack (April 1996). "Kodo: The Hunted - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Taiko Resource. Retrieved October 13, 2016.