American Yakuza

American Yakuza is a 1993 American crime film directed by Frank Cappello and starring Viggo Mortensen, Ryo Ishibashi, Michael Nouri, Franklyn Ajaye, Yuji Okumoto, Anzu Lawson, and Robert Forster. The screenplay by John Allen Nelson and Max Strom is based on a story by executive producer Takashige Ichise. American Yakuza was released in the United States on December 22, 1993.

Premise
American FBI agent Nick Davis works undercover, rising through the ranks of the Yakuza to infiltrate their operations. Adopted by the Tendo crime family, he is entangled with the Italian Mafia, the Yakuza, and the FBI. In the end he must decide what is most important to him.

Cast

 * Viggo Mortensen as Nick Davis / David Brandt
 * Ryo Ishibashi as Shuji Sawamoto
 * Michael Nouri as Dino Campanela
 * Franklyn Ajaye as Sam
 * Yuji Okumoto as Kazuo
 * Anzu Lawson as Yuko
 * Robert Forster as Littman
 * Nicky Katt as Vic
 * John Fujioka as Isshin Tendo
 * James Taenaka as Taka
 * Toni Naples as Mrs. Campanela
 * Saiko Isshiki as Aya
 * Fritz Mashimo as Okazaki
 * Joey Ciccone as Rudy

Reception
TV Guide wrote that director Frank Cappello did "an adequate job of weaving a relatively intricate storyline together, while delivering numerous explosive, action-packed sequences". The reviewer said that Viggo Mortensen excelled in his performance, and Ryo Ishibashi was impressive in his role. They concluded that overall, American Yakuza "is a surprisingly powerful portrayal of the loyalties that exist in the underworld, where violence and betrayal are a way of life."

In a review for the Movie Gazette, Anton Bitel wrote that after considering Viggo Mortensen's acting in this 1993 film and how he was mostly known as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings films, American Yakuza "will leave viewers wondering why Mortensen's talents were not generally recognized a lot earlier." He also noted that one of the film's ironies was that, when the Mafia takes on the Yakuza in the film and "boast(s) of their 'American drive and know-how'", they forget that a century earlier they were just as eager as the Yakuza "to get a foothold in this country". Bitel feels that "American Yakuza is in effect 'The Godfather: the next Generation' – an immigrant saga of family, blood and assimilation that just happens to be set in the world of organized crime." He found flaws in that parts of the film "have the look of a rock video" and overall suffers from needing a larger budget. He concludes with praise for the acting, twisting plotline, and the carefully restrained violence.