No Way Back
by Frank A. Cappello
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DVD details
Actor: Etsushi Toyokawa, Helen Slater, Ky?saku Shimada, Michael Lerner, Russell CroweDirector: Frank A. Cappello
Brand: CROWE,RUSSELL
Writer: Frank A. Cappello
Producer: Aki Komine
Producer: Don Phillips
Producer: Joel Soisson
Producer: Michael Leahy
Producer: Mitsuru Kurosawa
Producer: Raquel Caballes Maxwell
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Chinese (Subtitled); Thai (Subtitled); Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.33:1
Running Time: 91 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2000-11-28
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures
DVD Reviews of No Way Back
DVD Review: No, and no.
Summary: 2 Stars
I actually missed this film altogether from cable to VHS to DVD, but once I saw a Blu release I thought it might be worth a shot. This film must have had a place in the 90s action genre library, but it had no place being saved here (in HD) other than to record Crowe's earlier works.
The film content is laughable, and the amount of flubs and mistakes were the highest I have seen in virtually any 90s film of this genre. So I skipped finding everything wrong and instead went for a quality review on the Blu end. Admittedly, this movie has loads of opportunity in creating a nice reference for Blu display testing; The deserts, skylines, color contrasts (especially that red flight attendant outfit against the sandy backdrop) and big action are ripe for being a sleeper. Instead Sony went the low budget way and did little to clean it up. The picture looked the same as the upscaled DVD, and the TrueHD was uneventful. The CGI failings somehow became even more prevalent, so maybe there was some edge enhancement done or an equivalent that ended up not producing a competent reference. I would have to say the opening sequence with Kelly Hu was actually the best test (red lipstick, pale skin makeup contrast). Was strange seeing the 747 fly below the Twin Towers, and then even worse seeing it fly through the mountains like it was a Cessna....anyway.
No special features and not a recommendation unless maybe you never got the DVD.
DVD Review: No Way Back from buying this clunker
Summary: 1 Stars
The first six minutes were promising. With a cast that included Russell, Kelly and Ian, I thought this would be a B movie that would be an enjoyable romp. Was I ever wrong. This movie just went straight downhill from the get go. Besides there being absolutely no chemistry between Crowe and Slater, it was painful to watch them. It was a painful experience all the way around. DVD Review: Uhhhhh.....Yakuza Hijacking....Mob kidnapping FBI Agent's son for Yakuza bad guy unthriller
Summary: 2 Stars
Did anyone beside me notice in the beginning of the movie, when Saiko (the FBI UC woman) blew away the bad guys, her semi-auto's slide never recoiled back? Okay, small detail. Did anyone notice Russell Crowe (Zack) using the same gun on the airliner that John Malkovich used, to attempt to assassinate the President in Clint Eastwood's film "In The Line Of Fire?"
Well, gee, Helen Slater (she was Super Girl, remember?) was pretty entertaining as Mary, the airline stewardess/hostage. On the other hand, Crowe's superior (whoever she was) was one terrible actress. The Mob father; Serlano (Michael Lerner) of the son who was killed (scrotum and testicles no longer attached) by Saiko (who kills herself, soon after), kidnaps Crowe's son; Eric, until he brings the Yakuza dude - Yuji,(Etsushi Toyokawa) to him.
Uh.. Crowe, the FBI guy, and the Yakuza dude go on a desert hike after the Yakuza dude hijacks the plane they're on, on their way to FBI headquarters....and uh, the bad guys take the Yakuza guy from Crowe in the desert and Helen Slater goes along for the ride. Never mind. The Mob lackeys are also low-class actors. I.....just don't know what to say about this movie. It was pretty bad. Oh, the desert showdown between the FBI guys, the Mob guys and the Yakuza helicopter dude; was pretty sad (as in pretty bad).
Anyway, Yuji, Zack and Mary join forces to rub out Serlano and his flunkies in a trap to save Zack's son. There, I spoiled it for you. So the ending was good, but the movie as a whole, wasn't(?)
All in all, I think Helen Slater was the star of the movie. She's a real jewel. (Her conversations with the cop in the car, and with bad guys at the lake are priceless). Maybe I'm wrong, but it's possible that this movie was supposed to be funny. FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELT, PLEASE.
DVD Review: One of the OK Crowe movies before he got into doing really good stuff
Summary: 2 Stars
When FBI Agent Zack Grant, played by Russell Crowe (Cinderella Man, Heaven's Burning), loses his partner Seiko Kobayashi, played by Kelly Hu (Scorpion King, X-Men2:X-Men United), in a blown up operation, a Neo-Nazi son of a mafia man named Victor Serlano, played by Ian Ziering (Beverly Hills 90210, Domino) also dies and his father Frank Serlano, played by Michael Lerner (The Mod Squad, Godzilla (1998) with a not so believeable mustasche, kidnaps Zack's son Eric, played by little Andrew J. Ferchland (Tv's Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and so Crowe goes all gung-ho renegade, so Lerner wants Yakuza member Yuji Kobayashi, played by Etsushi Toyokawa (Love Letter, Dog Star), and he wants Crowe to bring him back to him and Crowe will get his son back. But things get complicated along the way, and Crowe's prisoner is making him tick along the way. Crowe and Toyokawa are joined by airplane stewardess Mary, played by Helen Slater(Supergirl, The Legend Of Billie Jean) who is also a hostage in the whole mix. This Action Thriller goes like this, good moment, boring moment, good moment, ok moment, boring moment, good moment, ok moment, boring, boring moment, good moment and so on. One of the OK Crowe movies before he got into doing really good stuff...here he saves this from being a total disaster....him and actor Etsushi Toyokawa make this worth the watch. Christian Slater's Sister, Helen Slater has some funny oneliners and is sexy holding a gun...that's basically it and Ian Ziering was wasted in a small role. If you're a fan of Crowe like I am, I recommend this but to those who dont like Crowe, well...just watch it once. DVD Review: Crowe acting like himself or is he REALLY acting?
Summary: 5 Stars
I like this movie simply because it was entertaining. There's no deep drama, brainiac prose or intense emotional scenes here. It's just a story about your average cop with a major attitude problem who has a somewhat strained relationship with his 7(?) year old son. The reasons as to why there's a seeminly lack of affection from this single father to his son is explained through poignant flashbacks. The movie is LA Confidential meets Rush Hour. I found Crowe's character humorous, simply because he's so grumpy and prickly, one wonders if it's possible for anyone to be that rude! The ending is uncharacteristically endearing for a movie of this genre. Definitely a must see for Crowe fans.
Description of No Way Back
An FBI agent trying to redeem his career ends up in the middle of a Mafia vendetta.Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 7-JUN-2005
Media Type: DVD
The FBI, the Mafia, and the Yakuza (Japanese gangsters) fight to the death in this nonstop action thriller starring Russell Crowe (Gladiator). FBI agent Zack Grant (Crowe) sends beautiful rookie operative Seiko (Kelly Hu) on a sting operation against the depraved, skinhead son of a Mafia kingpin. Little does he know that Seiko is on a revenge mission of her own. This bloody situation escalates into all-out war, as the Mafia kingpin, Frank Serlano (Michael Lerner), and the head Yakuza, Yuji (Etsushi Toyokawa), get into the act. Grant is forced to go renegade from the bureau when Serlano kidnaps his young son, a plot point that certainly raises the story's emotional stakes. During an exciting airplane hijacking sequence, we meet Mary (Helen Slater), a dizzy blonde flight attendant who introduces an unexpected note of comic relief to the proceedings (along with a touch of romance). Crowe is convincing in Dirty Harry mode, bringing his characteristic intensity and empathy to the role. It's fun to watch a former Miss Hawaii, Kelly Hu, display her martial arts mastery, and the performances of Slater and Toyokawa are a cut above the action-genre norm. Still and all, No Way Back falls squarely into the "guilty pleasure" movie category. Writer-director Frank A. Cappello (American Yakuza), provides plenty of slam-bang, shoot-'em-up action, plus enough nail-biting suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. --Laura Mirsky
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