Hubert Fiorentini is a Parisian cop with a reputation for violence; after he hospitalises the police chief's son his boss insists that he takes some time off. Not long afterwards he gets a phone call from Japan, where he had previously been assigned. The woman who walked out on him nineteen years previously has died and left him everything. On arriving in Tokyo he learns that he has a daughter, Yumi, who hasn't been told who he is
and given that her mother told her that she was the result of a rape, so that she wouldn't seek him out, he has no immediate intention of telling her. He hasn't been there long when he realises that her mother was actually a victim of foul play. He then learns that Yumi's bank account, which he has control of until her twentieth birthday in two days' time, contains two hundred million US dollars! She took it off the Yakuza and they want it back.
Anybody expecting something gritty will soon be disappointed as the opening scene shows just how over the top things are going to be as Hubert punches a suspect who then flies across the room. If however you enjoy things like the 'Taxi' films then this should be just the thing for you. The plot is fairly simple but that is okay as there is no doubt about who the bad guys are; the only real question is how Hubert will get the better of them. Jean Reno does a fine job as Hubert, playing it straight even during the more unlikely moments, Ryôko Hirosue was a lot of fun as 'Genki Girl' Yumi and Michel Muller provided more obvious comedy as Hubert's former colleague Maurice 'Momo'. The Japanese setting is interesting without feeling the need to show off important sights. It is a little surprising how just about everybody Hubert meets in Japan appears to speak perfect French though; given that this isn't meant to be serious that didn't bother me though. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody wanting some good silly fun.
These comments are based on watching the film in French with English subtitles.
Anybody expecting something gritty will soon be disappointed as the opening scene shows just how over the top things are going to be as Hubert punches a suspect who then flies across the room. If however you enjoy things like the 'Taxi' films then this should be just the thing for you. The plot is fairly simple but that is okay as there is no doubt about who the bad guys are; the only real question is how Hubert will get the better of them. Jean Reno does a fine job as Hubert, playing it straight even during the more unlikely moments, Ryôko Hirosue was a lot of fun as 'Genki Girl' Yumi and Michel Muller provided more obvious comedy as Hubert's former colleague Maurice 'Momo'. The Japanese setting is interesting without feeling the need to show off important sights. It is a little surprising how just about everybody Hubert meets in Japan appears to speak perfect French though; given that this isn't meant to be serious that didn't bother me though. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody wanting some good silly fun.
These comments are based on watching the film in French with English subtitles.