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Year:   1999
Studio: JVC, Le Studio Canal+, Bac Films
Movie:  1/5
DVD:    1/5

Ghost Dog is a boring movie. The plot is that Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) works for the gangster Louie (John Tormey) who once saved his life. Ghost Dog is very much into the samurai philosophy and is only used as an assassin. But his last job results in a certain witness, Louise (Tricia Vessey), and for reasons I didn't fathom the gang decides he must be offed. Of course he fights back and bloodshed results.

This is not an action movie. The pace is slow, almost plodding at times. Lots of scenes where nothing is said and Ghost Dog thinks. There are lots of samurai excerpts said during the movie, complete with writing on the screen which only slows the movie even more.

There is a subplot about the mafia gang going broke but so much was cut out that it comes off poorly. There is also probably an explanation of why Louise is important (hinted at in a deleted scene) but in the movie she's just sort of there.

There is one big shootout scene showing Ghost Dog's mad skillz. Other than that we don't see much. He practices with a sword but never uses it. From the extras he's supposed to know martial arts but he never shows that. He's got a cool little gadget to hotwire cars but I think it would have been more impressive if he did it manually.

Overall this is a disappointing movie.
Extras

Deleted scenes, of which only the first is any good in that it shows some extra plot elements. There is a 20-minute making-of/background segment which is sad. And there's a rap music video.

Copyright (c) 2005 Kevin C. Wong
Page Created: June 8, 2005
Page Last Updated: June 8, 2005