Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Golgo 13 Blu-ray Movie Review

Golgo 13 is an action-adventure film based on the original manga from author and creator Takao Saitô. Produced by Morteza Jafari, Sunao Sakagami, Kôji Shundô, Kunimitsu Teranishi, Hisashi Yabe, and Kineo Yoshimine, Golgo 13 brings the manga to life with the live-action feature film offering fans of the Golgo 13 franchise a compelling take on the character. Golgo 13 stars Ken Takakura, Mohsen Sohrabi, Jaleh Sam, and Poori Banai.

Golgo 13 (Ken Takakura) sets out on a new and dangerous mission – perhaps his most dangerous mission of all. Golgo 13 travels into the seedy criminal underworld located in Tehran, Iran. The goal of the mission? To seek out and find the criminal boss leading a large crime syndicate with international affiliations: Max Boa.

The crime group is hustling money through weapons sales, drug trafficking, and even the sales of kidnapped women and girls. Though Max Boa is the boss of the crime syndicate, can the boss match up against the skills of Golgo 13? Golgo 13 may be the best match for the crime boss to date – with his gun taking aim and with piercingly accurate results.

Ken Takakura delivers a fantastic performance in the lead role. This is one of the best aspects of the film and why it worked so well. Takakura certainly understands the character and what the requirements of the role are. Delving in to the role with a sense of confidence that helps to carry the filmmaking in an important way, Takakura is capable of bringing something unique the table with the production. The performance isn’t one that shies away from being compelling – with Takakura highlighting the unique qualities of Golgo 13 – such as the laidback nature of his outstretched legs during one sequence or the lighting of a cigarette in another. Golgo 13 evokes a sense of “cool” suave that adds to the charm of the film.

The filmmaking looks ambitious in scope and scale and this contributes a great deal to the effectiveness of Golgo 13 as well. The film features excellent production design work by Baku Fujita (The Executioner, Bodyguard Kiba). These elements are incredible and one of the reasons the film is so easy to enjoy on the whole. The design highlights the filmmaking and adds to the grittiness of the tale. This is a good aspect of the film and something worth commending.

Edited by Osamu Tanaka (Submersion of Japan, Prophecies of Nostradamus), Golgo 13 is a well-paced film with a good sense of rhythm. The pace doesn’t feel uneven and there is a good consistency here. The editing is certainly a big part of the reason the film flows as well as it does and that is one of the central reasons why editing is such a complex art form in the world of filmmaking. A good effort by editor Tanaka.

The cinematography by Masahiko Iimura (Station to Heaven, The Battle of Port Arthur) is fantastic and provides a compelling sense of visual finesse to the filmmaking. The cinematography showcases the sophisticated and gritty aesthetic of Golgo 13. The barren outdoors and the canvas of the film are enhanced by the strong visuals. The style feels perfect for an action-adventure film and offers an impressive sense of gritty appeal as well. A good effort by Iimura.

The score composed by Chûji Kinoshita (Somewhere Under the Broad Sky, The Garden of Women) is a highlight of Golgo 13. The music certainly is one of the key components of the filmmaking and why it excels. The score doesn’t simply take a backseat to the production. The music helps to aid the film’s action backbeat and the result is all the more effective and compelling as a result. Composer Kinoshita has fun exploring this terrain and the film is all the better for it.

The screenplay by Takao Saitô (Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon, Kage gari) and K. Motomitsu adds some fun and excitement to the filmmaking, too. The script is certainly more effective than some might be expecting to find – if some are merely expecting standard action-fare. The script highlights the main character well and this is where it finds the most essential element. A well written screenplay by Takao Saitô.

Golgo 13 brings to life the vision of director Jun'ya Satô (Bullet Train, Thirst for Love). The filmmaker has a compelling sense of style and the filmmaking highlights the blend of action-adventure in a wonderfully compelling way. The sense of fun apparent throughout the film is one of the key reasons the filmmaking works as well as it does. The tale allows for some darkness but director Jun'ya Satô doesn’t want to just overlook the fun of the filmmaking, either. Bringing forth an excellent performance from the central lead, director Satô provides the genre goods that action fans have come to expect. Golgo 13 offers audiences a fun trip – matinee or not.

Golgo 13 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Golgo 13 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. The transfer on the release is impressive and does a good job of showcasing the cinematography in Golgo 13. The scan looks naturally filmic and capably preserves fine detail in the image. Though the print is not entirely flawless – there are some occasional slight specks of dirt on the print, the presentation is pleasing overall and has very little in the way of print damage of wear.

The presentation is nice and crisp – sharp and easy on the eyes. The encoding from Discotek Media is excellent as well and capably preserves the image. A transfer with a healthy bit-rate. One of the best strengths of the Blu-ray disc format is the excellent picture quality that is possible (and it still far surpasses that of streaming services).

Golgo 13 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 mono (with English subtitles). The lossless audio quality on the release is excellent sounding. The quality of the presentation is superb and capably handles the dialogue, sound effects, and music. The dialogue sounds especially crisp and easy on the ears. The score is well integrated on the release as well. One of the strengths of the release is that lossless encoding, which offers superior audio clarity compared to streaming film services (which typically limit audio quality to lossy sound presentations). This is of great important to audiophiles who prefer a more well-rounded audio experience – something with greater overall clarity and depth for the presentation. The English subtitles are impressive and are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors. A quality encoding effort from distributor Discotek Media.

Golgo 13 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release is almost barebones and doesn't include a more expansive supplemental package. This is one of the main drawbacks of the release. The package could have been a little more well-rounded if audio commentaries, making-of documentaries, or behind-the-scenes featurettes had been included. Even some staff or cast interviews would have helped to make the package a bit more impressive. On the bright side, the release does include a nice-looking o-card slipcover with unique artwork (different from the sleeve artwork underneath the slipcover).

The only on disc supplement is a Golgo 13 trailer (HD, 3:26). That's it. (Nothing else.)

Golgo 13 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

 Golgo 13 is an exciting and action-packed thriller with a sense of suave cool that carries on throughout the filmmaking. The lead performance by Ken Takakura is one of the big takeaways from the film and this performance carries the entire production. The role was a perfect match for the suave cool of Takakura. Directed by Jun'ya Satô (Bullet Train), action fans will especially enjoy this film for its undeniably sleek aesthetic and cool sequences. There is a lot to appreciate for genre fans.

The Blu-ray release features a strong video and audio presentation. The release has a lackluster supplemental package and the only on disc extra is a trailer for the film. At least the Blu-ray release provides a cool o-card slipcover (with unique art separate from the main sleeve artwork). Fans of Golgo 13 will consider this a release well worth picking up for the excellent high-definition presentation and to own a nice copy for their shelf. Recommended.