The Killing Game Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

The Killing Game Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 17, 2023

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of The Game Trilogy set from Arrow.

Arrow is offering fans of Yusaku Matsuda a chance to enjoy the cooler and than cool and hipper than hip action star in a kinda sorta trilogy that according to the label is being released outside of Japan for the first time. For probably understandable reasons, the trilogy's mention of The Game and/or the very title of one of the films itself, namely The Most Dangerous Game, may evoke memories of other productions (click on the link if you're stumped), and it is probably undeniable that there are certain derivative elements at play in all three of the films included in this set, if not necessarily to either the David Fincher thriller (which, not to state the obvious, appeared decades after these films) or to the hoary 1932 effort. The back cover of this release states that these three films helped launch Yusaku Matsuda as "the Toei tough guy for a new generation", but it actually may be more meaningful to those with less international tastes unfamiliar with Toei's vaunted history to state that The Game films kind of presage the John Wick franchise in a way by profiling a laconic hitman named Shohei Narumi, who, like John, has a "particular set of skills" which dispatch any number of nemeses. While arguably not quite as florid as the John Wick films, The Game trilogy is also rather stylish in its own way, with evocative cinematography and scoring helping to support sometimes familiar storytelling.

According to some of the supplements Arrow has aggregated for The Game Trilogy, this sophomore effort does not in fact suffer from any perceived "slump", and seems to be the favorite of the three for at least some of the participants in various bonus features. It's not hard to understand why, and in another tether to the John Wick franchise, part of the inherent interest in the story is because an exceptionally skilled hitman pretty much just wants to escape and get to some isolated place where he can live his life out in private. Of course that's not going to be an option for Shohei Narumi (Yusaku Matsuda), who, apparently several years after the first film, finds himself sucked back into a hitman's lifestyle that he really doesn't want to be experiencing again.

If The Most Dangerous Game had at least the outlines of a story based largely in a world of big business, The Killing Game is arguably more of a straightforward yakuza outing, with Narumi stuck not just between warring factions, but not one but two femmes fatales whose personal histories connect with Narumi's, not necessarily to his benefit. As with the first film, the emphasis here is frankly not so much on pure storytelling as it is on delivering some potent action that highlights Matsuda's pronounced charisma.

The Killing Game Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Killing Game is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Arrow's insert booklet lumps all three films together on its page devoted to the restorations, per the following:

The Most Dangerous Game, The Killing Game, and The Execution Game are presented in their original 2.35:1 aspect ratio with mono sound. The high definition masters were supplied by Toei and sourced from the best available archival materials, with additional colour grading and picture restoration by Arrow Films at R3Store Studios.

The palette of this presentation is at least marginally healthier looking than the often brownish The Most Dangerous Game, and some of the "cool blue cinematography of Nagis Oshima" (to quote the back cover of this release) pops rather well throughout. There are still some evident source limitations wherein things can look positively fuzzy at times, something that can minimize at least fine detail if not general detail levels, but a glut of outdoor material helps to support generally commendable detail levels. Grain has a slightly odd appearance at times, especially against some brighter backgrounds, but there are no real signs of overt digital scrubbing, a perception that is probably reinforced by the fleeting appearance of some age related wear and tear.

The Killing Game Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Killing Game features a nice sounding LPCM Mono track in the original Japanese. Outdoor material provides good opportunities for both ambient environmental effects and general sound effects like the roar of a motorcycle engine. Yuji Ohno provides another fun jazz inflected score that sounds nicely burnished. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Killing Game Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Arrow has packaged The Killing Game and The Execution Game together on one disc. After selecting this film, the following supplements are accessible:

• Audio Commentary by Earl Jackson and Jasper Sharp


• Remembering Yusaku Matsuda (HD; 17:41) is heartfelt interview with Yutaka Oki, film critic and a friend of the actor's. Subtitled in English.


• Original Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:51)


• Image Gallery (HD)

The Killing Game Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While the pure outrageousness of The Execution Game is undeniable, this second film in the Matsuda triptych struck me as the most consistently enjoyable, with a perhaps more visceral yakuza angle than the first film. Technical merits are generally solid (as with the first film, I'd argue audio a bit more than video), and the supplements very enjoyable. Recommended.