The hits just keep coming from WellGoUSA’s licenses at Fantastic Fest 2022 with Bad City. With over 100 credits to his name, Hitoshi Ozawa comes to the screen again, this time as a disgraced Kaiko City detective named Torada. Directed by Kensuke Sonomura, Bad City is a fantastic use of his keen eye for action. A veteran of stunt coordination, Sonomora’s work with John Woo and Donnie Yen (and many more) is absolutely clear in his own work here and, of course, in his previous film Hydra.
In it, Torada is a detective who was wrongfully imprisoned for a murder he didn’t commit, even if all the evidence points to him. Given temporary parole to lead a special off-the-books unit, he forms a team that quickly comes together like a little family. With his elite squad of trustworthy cops, Torada goes after Gojo, a corrupt businessman who just announced his intentions to run for mayor. But taking down Gojo isn’t easy. The businessman’s underworld associations run deep with both the yakuza and the Korean mafia. And once those stones are turned over, they trigger a bloody turf war that gives the audience a series of deadly street brawls.
Hitoshi Ozawa is the reason Bad City is so phenomenal. While I first saw his work with prolific director Takashi Miike, Ozawa brings a presence that moves between intimidating and charismatic effortlessly. He’s a grizzled protagonist, and at 60, Ozawa doesn’t just keep up with younger sparring counterparts, he exceeds them. A joy to watch from both a crime drama and action perspective, Ozawa is perfection – even if, at times, the scripts lets him down. In the final knife fight, Ozawa showcases his speed and skill in a tight hallway, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.
Everything about Ozawa’s performance is commanding. His gruff demeanor, his intimidating stare, and of course, his rocking leather flight jacket that adds just enough badass mystique to his persona. Not that he needed much costuming work to make him even more impressive.
It may not hit notes of political intrigue out of the park, but Bad City does manage to highlight tensions between Korean and Japanese characters in a way that never feels too cartoonish. Additionally, the choice to make an expansive story that moves between cops, the yakuza, and the Korean mafia is handled extremely well, especially in the climactic final fight. Not to mention, the film manages to keep clear from anti-Korean stereotypes with the ending reveal.
Old man does violence is an easy concept to take and run with. Throw in some police,
politics, and intrigue, and
Bad City is a ride worth buying a ticket to. While Ozawa carries the film, there isn’t any lack of interesting elements for the nearly two-hour runtime. With the title coming directly to the martial arts streaming platform Hi-YAH!, I can’t wait for everyone to jump into the Ozawa’s badassery as Takada.
Bad City
7.5/10
TL;DR
Old man does violence is an easy concept to take and run with. Throw in some police, politics, and intrigue, and Bad City is a ride worth buying a ticket to. While Ozawa carries the film, there isn’t any lack of interesting elements for the nearly two-hour runtime. With the title coming directly to the martial arts streaming platform Hi-YAH!, I can’t wait for everyone to jump into the Ozawa’s badassery as Takada.
