Back to Back

Retired cop Malone finds himself caught up in a battle between Japanese Yakuza and local mobsters when a psycho bombs a restaurant. He joins forces with Koji in order to protect his daughter and not only discovers that he was framed by a corrupt cop but also discovers a lot about honour and friendship.

When I saw this as American Yakuza 2, I didn't expect much, and I wasn't disappointed. The story relies on unlikely events to get moving and keep moving. For example the whole chain of events that bring Malone and Koji together is set off by a psycho's unlikely hostage situation in a diner! This is typical of the story, in that big dumb situations are used to drive the plot. However, I have to admit that it wasn't terrible. Yes, it's very predictable and quite silly but it is generally quite entertaining and actually has some genuinely good moments.

Rooker is an OK actor but rarely gets good leads - here is no exception. Danielle Harris is quite good as his daughter, while Ishibashi is good as Koji. The rest of the cast are nothing more than cop and mobster stereotypes that fill out the cast.

Overall it's not great but if you're in the mood it's reasonably enjoyable without being too demanding on the old grey matter.

Back to Back is movie made in the same vein as the American Yakuza. Ryo Ishibashi plays role of Yakuza again. Bob Malone (Michael Rooker) is an ex-cop who has anger issues living with his daughter (Danielle Harris) in LA. There're three plots going on at the same time. One with Malone with his daughter Chelsea, and another with Yakuza Koji (Ryo Ishibashi), and Hideo (Koh Takasugi) where they are trying to make delivery of who knows what, and Leonardo (Vincent Scavelli) the gangster and police Sargent Dussecq (John Laughlin) who's actually working together.

The event that brings all of them together is the bank robbery by robber Psycho (Bob Goldswaith) that goes awry thanks to Malone bludgeoning the guy waiting in the getaway car to a pulp during the heist. Psycho gets away and ends up in a restaurant Koji and Hideo is having coffee. This restaurant is also the meeting place for Leonardo and his associates. The funny twist to the story is that no one at the restaurant knows that Koji is an Yakuza including Psycho, Leonardo's associate and the restaurant employee who all in their own way belittles Koji and Hideo and tests their patience. Psycho is the first to get the taste of Koji's violence Yakuza style when he gets his hand chopped off with a cooking knife. Police arrive at the scene and Psycho with his hand chopped off goes out firing his machine gun in a hail of fire. Flagship killing (in my opinion) of this movie happens shortly afterwards.

From there Koji, Chelsea, and Malone meet in the police station and the plot builds up to the final confrontation between Malone + Koji vs. Leonardo and Dussec. the story is well told from the view of people living in the back side of the society, with friendship, and loyalty which is an universal code between warriors of two countries. Ryo Ishibashi and Daniel Harris steals the show with their acting. A hidden gem of a movie I'm sure you'll agree if you've seen it.

I rented this one only because Bobcat was on the cover of the box in the video store. Disappointingly He isn't in the movie for that long, BUT was I surprised, this movie is amazing! I loved it! The acting is pretty good and there is actually a storyline in there, and not just mindless violence. Great Movie! And considering the Cast isn't that well known it was an even nicer surprise! I give it 3.5 out of 5

That terrific character actor Michael Rooker stars in the poorly titled BACK TO BACK, about a perpetually angry ex-cop caught up in a feud between the Japanese and American mobs. Against his better judgment, he teams up with a Yakuza killer (Ryo Ishibashi) to take down a capo who owes money to the Yakuza. The ex-cop's teen daughter (Danielle Harris of HALLOWEEN sequels fame) is along for the ride, and some of the best parts of the movie are the constant bickering between dad and daughter. Shot locally in L.A. and filled with Hollywood types in unnecessary cameos (Tim Thomerson, Bobcat Goldthwait, Fred Willard), the film leans heavily on Rooker, and he comes through as a divorced, aging dad with extreme anger management issues. Whatever the movie may lack otherwise, like a budget and a script, is at least partially made up for in the frequent, John Woo-style shootouts and fistfights, all of which are gorgeously bloody and well-staged. Good for insomniacs, like me. All others, approach with caution.

I would've never seen this movie if Cinemax didn't show it every 5 days. It's a perfect guy's flick, with a classic mismatched buddy formula, slick gun and martial arts action, and some decently amusing one-liners and situations. The Japanese and American mobs are at war, and in the process a down-and-out American cop gets caught in the middle. The real star is the Japanese hitman played by Ryo Ishibashi, who reminds me of Chow Yun-Fat at his stoic, tough guy best. Michael Rooker is typecast but does a decent job playing the straight man, and between the two there's a lot of shooting and ass