Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Rising Sun Blu-ray Movie Review

When Photoshop Was Young or, 'Rising Sun.'

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 19, 2010

You don't think video can be altered?

The late novelist Michael Crichton was renowned for his implementation of advanced technology amidst a world of danger, intrigue, and action. Though not one of the author's more noted works of fiction-turned-motion picture -- thanks in large part to one Mr. Steven Spielberg -- 1993's Rising Sun is nevertheless vintage Crichton, the story incorporating a deadly game of murder, mystery, and sleight-of-hand thanks not only to clever tricksters and corporate musclemen, but (then) radically-advanced technology that can almost seamlessly place anyone and anything at the scene of the crime. Rising Sun certainly isn't crowd-pleasing Spielbergian cinema, but it's still a smart, if not somewhat awkwardly paced, Thriller that holds up despite the dated technology that, not even 20 years later, is but a commonplace computer software accessory. Fortunately, the story surrounding the technology proves moderately intriguing and occasionally gripping, Director Philip Kaufman's (The Right Stuff) picture more than a star vehicle for two of the 1990's hottest commodities, Sean Connery (Entrapment) and Wesley Snipes (7 Seconds).

And thus the "floating head" cover art concept was born.

It's business-as-usual at a multimillion dollar U.S.-based Japanese firm headed by renowned businessman Yoshida (Mako, Seven Years in Tibet) until a high-priced call girl is found murdered in the board room. Detective Web Smith (Snipes) and former police Captain and Japanese cultural expert, John Connor (Connery), who is now on suspended leave from the force, are sent to investigate the crime. Within the skyscraper's walls, they discover a world that's both very much alike and very much unlike their own, a universe that superficially looks and feels familiar but one with its own customs, traditions, and means of conducting business, both of the monetary kind and in the realm of cleaning up and maintaining its own internal affairs, including murder. Nevertheless, Smith and Connor delve into and maneuver about the difficult realm of Japanese businessmen and their style of negotiation, culture, investigative tactics, and cover-ups, the duo slowly bringing to light an elaborate deception meant to fool the Americans into accepting a fall guy as the killer and allowing a far darker secret to slip through their fingers.

Though by no means an exceptional film -- it is only somewhat better than any off-the-cuff, standard-fare Thriller -- Rising Sun maintains an aura of mystery that's wrapped up in unassuming and unremarkable direction that nevertheless allows for the audience to slowly but surely soak in all the required elements, including character motives, Japanese culture, backstory, and several other devices that all come together to construct a picture that's not necessarily ambitious but certainly aware that it's made of sterner stuff than many of its kind. Rising Sun does well in its construction of a plot that's more involved -- but also more readily accessible -- than many other, similar pictures, and the film, then, feels smart while not oozing intelligence or crafting a story that's too complex for even audiences willing to give the film their undivided attention. Rising Sun is still a thinking man's picture in a world where brains are often best left in the theater lobby, the film placing dialogue, intrigue, plot twists, and revelations ahead of action. The film never once relies on its limited action pieces to support or completely supplant a lesser script, which is where many other such films fall apart. Rising Sun goes beyond the superficial while not becoming inaccessible to its audience, thanks in large part to Michael Crichton's ability to weave an intricate yet nevertheless engaging and intelligible Thriller with brains that, thankfully, translates rather well to film and under the auspices of its director.

Visually, Rising Sun enjoys a solid noir feel, and it is certainly befitting the film's many dark and mysterious themes that range from politics to billion-dollar business, from the dangers of radically advanced technology to cultural traditions and obstacles. Crichton's story weaves a contemporary tale that covers all the bases in a world that, at the time, was but on the verge of shrinking thanks to the advances in technology but still at the time fairly separate and distinct from shore to shore, from border to border, and from mind to mind. Even some years later, the film gets plenty of play from its tit-for-tat wrangling and juxtaposition of the aforementioned angles and issues, and even if the crux of the story -- built around the use of video-manipulation technology -- doesn't exactly wow viewers today as it did in 1993, it nevertheless simply becomes a piece of a far greater, more elaborate, and most importantly, intriguing puzzle that's sure to hold audience attention even in the midst of a few dated scenes. Only a few missteps -- a bit of unnecessary backstory and several superfluous characters -- keep the film from maintaining a rather breakneck pace that, for once, is built on brains and not brawn, and the film's impressive array of actors all certainly lend credence to the picture in addition to providing to it several fine efforts. Both Connery and Snipes offer dignified, impressive performances that maintain a level of seriousness and intensity throughout the picture, while a strong supporting cast -- Mako, Tia Carrere, Ray Wise, Harvey Keitel, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Stan Egi, and Steve Buscemi -- also turns in several seamless efforts.

Rising Sun Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Rising Sun comes up on Blu-ray with an inconsistent 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. The film's open -- and indeed much of the picture -- appears sloppy and poorly resolved. Soft, fuzzy, and populated by sporadic dirt and debris, the picture certainly doesn't inspire confidence from the get-go. Rising Sun is a particularly dark picture -- especially in its opening act -- and in conjunction with an already sloppy appearance, it's no surprise that fine detail, while suitable given the low lighting, is only moderately impressive. Lines in fabric or textures on walls are fairly rendered, but faces are somewhat smooth, but later in the film and often under brighter conditions, the transfer appears far sharper, crisper, and more intricately detailed and colorful. Additional problems include light banding, messy blacks, and flesh tones that often take a turn towards the red end of the spectrum. Rising Sun certainly isn't going to be anyone's go-to demo Blu-ray disc, and while the transfer isn't all that impressive, the film's dark tone isn't exactly primed to look spectacular, anyway.

Rising Sun Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rising Sun debuts on Blu-ray with a passable but otherwise underwhelming DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film begins with, and features several times throughout, a thunderous drum presentation that's the highlight of the track despite the absence of exceptional clarity but not lacking in sufficiently loud volume. Nevertheless, many sound effects throughout Rising Sun seem dated and muffled. Elevator doors slide open and across the front half of the soundstage but with more of an undefined and, aside from the visual aid, sonically unidentifiable jumble of noise. Meanwhile, background music and chatter in several locales never penetrate the soundstage with any kind of realistic flair, and several scenes featuring a moderate rainfall fail to engulf the soundstage and immerse the listener in the environment. Some more aggressive high-octane action -- speeding cars and a blaring alarm in one sequence -- offer an appropriately hefty volume at reference level but nevertheless continue in the track's slightly messy and garbled tone that never allows for a more impressive, clear, and exacting sonic presentation. Nevertheless, dialogue is suitably strong and consistently intelligible, but Rising Sun's soundtrack never really moves beyond the level of mundanely sufficient.

Rising Sun Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Rising Sun contains only 1080p trailers for Rising Sun (2:29), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and Kiss of the Dragon.

Rising Sun Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Rising Sun is a solid all-around Thriller that features minimalist direction that smartly allows for the film's tightly-woven mystery and solid performances to dominate every frame. Though parts of the film feel dated, the story nevertheless remains sufficiently intriguing so as to mask any shortcomings that seem evident only years after the picture's initial release. Still, Rising Sun is a good picture that's aimed at mature audiences and requires some effort to fully appreciate, but even approaching two decades since its release, the film remains well worth the time and effort. 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray release of Rising Sun delivers a hit-or-miss 1080p transfer, an underwhelming lossless soundtrack, and next-to-no extras. Rising Sun is certainly worth a rental for general audiences, and fans might want to give in and make a purchase considering the title's now-aggressive pricing.