Back to Back

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

Lots of action strung together with converging story lines. "Back to Back" has some peculiarities, some that work and some that don't. For one thing, for a movie with such over the top violence, and an "R" rating, why don't the strippers strip? Fortunately there is plenty of dark humor, and some really great character actors, Vincent Schiavelli, Fred Willard, and Bobcat Goldthwait, being the most memorable. You also get a teenager with an attitude, Danielle Harris, and Elvis even gets to play a part. The film is fast paced, has a high body count, with just enough humor to carry the film into above average territory. Definitely entertaining, and recommended of it's type. - MERK

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

"Back to Back" didn't stun the world with its market impact when released. Watching it five years later there doesn't seem to be much wrong with it, there's sufficient action and plot to stop most people falling asleep on the sofa. It has an "R" rating, but for me the violence is in context and doesn't detract from the entertainment value of the movie.

The director, Roger Nygard, obviously knows his job. As a piece of film making, "Back to Back" is well put together. The cast and crew do a good job with a neat script. Admittedly, coincidence does have a field day in the story line. The script boasts two yakuza hit men (one a disciple of Elvis), suitably evil mafiosi, a disgraced ex-cop, his much exasperated daughter, a mad bomber bank robber and, last but not least, an obnoxious, corrupt detective who you just know has been responsible for everything that has gone wrong for years.

The cast is definitely above average. Some of the names are regulars among the ranks of supporting players featuring in bigger budget movies. There's Michael Rooker (Bob Malone), who I last saw making a fair job of Stan Zedkov in "The Replacement Killers" (1998). Sci-Fi enthusiasts will I'm sure be pleased to spot Stephen Furst, Vir Cotto from "Babylon 5", in the minor role of Jimmy, one of two no-accounts planning to sell Hideo back to the Mob. Also, a real inspiration in the casting of "Back to Back" has to be offering Bobcat Goldthwait the part of the psycho bank robber. Villainous and comic, he's great!

Danielle Harris is much more than eye candy as daughter Chelsea Malone: wayward fathers need a firm hand! It is entertaining to see the changes brought about by advancing years (at least in this young lady's case it is!). I remember DH as little Melissa, the younger daughter of the Crandell family in "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead" (1991). By 1996 she certainly had looks and screen presence aplenty. I recently spotted her again in "Urban Legend", dating from 1998, a movie in which costume and make up render her almost unrecognizable.

I have not seen the two Japanese actors before who play Koji and Hideo. The mentor and his pupil scenario is nicely done. If I didn't know from experience how difficult it is to find the work of Japanese actors, it would be interesting to see other things they've done. Look out too for the enjoyable cameo from Leland Orser as the Wheelchair Guy. His brief screen appearance is a realistic peek into the precarious existence of someone surviving on the street.

TV movies are sometimes bland, this one is well worth seeing.

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.