Directed by: Frank A. Cappello
Written by: Takashige Ichise, Max Strom, John Allen Nelson
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Ryo Ishibashi, Michael Nouri, Franklyn Ajaye, Yuji Okumoto, Anzu Lawson, Robert Forster
Year: 1993
Country: US / Japan
Running time: 96mins
BBFC Classification: 18
The early to mid 90s saw a flood of East meets West action thrillers released in the wake of the success of the likes of Black Rain and Rising Sun. Neo Motion Pictures jumped on the bandwagon and produced a series of films on the fraction of the budgets (Blue Tiger, No Way Back, the seminal Drive), American Yakuza being one of their first and arguably best.
An early starring role for Viggo Mortensen, it sees him play fresh out of prison Nick Davis who takes a job at a local warehouse running a forklift. Said warehouse is a front for Yakuza business and when they’re hit one day by an opposing gang, Nick steps in and saves one of their top enforcers, Shuji (Ryo Ishibashi). Taken under Shuji’s wing, who is indebted to Nick for saving his life, Nick (despite hostility from some others) is welcomed into the brotherhood of the Yakuza. But does Nick have ulterior motives and can his and Shuji’s bond survive Nick’s deception as they prepare to go to war with the local mafia?
A somewhat by-the-numbers narrative is given life and spark thanks to the great performances (and chemistry) of the two leads, solid direction from Frank Cappello, and a good dose of ballistic action. Mortensen and Ishibashi (here in his first American feature) are fantastic their on-screen friendship turning into a real life one once the camera’s had finished rolling. They bring some class and gravitas to the sometimes-hokey proceedings which coupled with Capello’s stylish direction elevate American Yakuza to be much more than a Black Rain knock off. There’s a suitable dark edge to proceedings and a welcome hard-boiled vibe that keeps the story interesting in-between the bouts of action. No doubt influenced by the Hong Kong/John Woo cinema of the time, the action is gunplay heavy, the film bookended by two exhilarating and hard-hitting shootouts.
Genre greats Robert Forster and Michael Nouri unfortunately don’t get too much to do, likewise Anzu Lawson is also underused as the token love interest. It may be all a bit predictable (it’s obvious what Nick’s secret is from the get-go, obligatory love scene, all leads to an obvious finale) but American Yakuza is a fun ride nevertheless thanks to a great cast, superb action, and a tough gritty vibe that thrillers use to have in spades. Ryo Ishibashi would also return for the sequel-in-name-only American Yakuza 2: Back-to-Back which took a more action-comedy approach but equally deserves a new (Arrow) Blu-ray dust-off and release.
Arrow Video will release American Yakuza on Limited Edition Blu-ray 9th February 2026
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- 2K restoration from the original camera negative by Toei Pictures
• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
• Original lossless stereo audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
– film looks and sounds great thanks to Arrow’s 2K restoration the colours vibrant and the moody photography really shines.
• Brand new audio commentary with director Frank Cappello and actor Anzu (Cristina) Lawson – excellent commentary with the director and one of the stars both talking keenly about the film and the making of it. Cappello focuses a lot on the technical side of things, how they shot everything on very little money, and the eccentricities of some of the actors. Lawson meanwhile seems to be a goldmine on trivia about the cast also sharing her experiences of working with them. The two are easy company, comfortable in each other’s presence, and offer insightful titbits into the making of the film, with Capello evening tantalizingly dropping a tiny bit of info about his script for the (potential) upcoming Constantine 2. Good stuff.
• Yakuza Style, a newly filmed interview with director Frank Cappello – enthusiastic and informative new interview with director Capello, where he talks about his career, how he came to helm American Yakuza (his first big directorial effort), and how little money and time they had to make the film. He talks fondly of the film, and it influences, and it’s always a joy to hear from those involved in the production talking about the making of it.
• Decoding Honor, an archive interview with actor Viggo Mortensen – fascinating and comprehensive interview with Mortensen from a couple of years back talking about his career, what brought him to American Yakuza, his experiences making it, and the lifelong friendship he formed with co-star Ryo Ishibashi. He takes a little while to warm up but once he gets going, Mortensen is an intriguing and humble personality full of great stories from his lengthy career.
• Newly filmed interview with actor Ryo Ishibashi – great albeit short interview with the very charismatic Ishibashi (who some may recognise from Takashi Miike’s Audition) who talks very fondly of making the film, how he had to learn English for the role (and how Mortensen would help him), and also talks about the strong friendship he and Mortensen developed while filming. Once cool character!
• Original trailer – fun retro trailer that sells the movie well.
• Image gallery – some cool behind-the-scenes and promotional stills.
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by OC Agency – not available at the time of review.
• Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Patrick Macias – not available at the time of review.