The two cops in question are Nick Conklin (Michael Douglas) and his young, affable partner Charlie Vincent (Andy Garcia). Conklin has got a lot of problems, in addition to trying to keep a roof over his head, the financial demands of his divorce and keeping his kids in an expensive school have put him in a pretty deep hole. Not only that, he being investigated by Internal Affairs for pocketing money confiscated from drug dealers.
His life gets more complicated when he and his partner witness a double homicide in a crowded Manhattan restaurant. The victims are members of the Yakuza (the Japanese mob) who were sharing lunch with some Italian gangsters. The killer is also a Yakuza, named Koji Sato. Conklin and his partner are told by their captain the young killer is to be extradited to Japan, and they are to take him back.
Japanese Law Enforcement
The two American officers unwittingly deliver Sato into the hands of his own gang at the airport, which are disguised as policemen. Conklin, who can scarcely contain his dislike of the Japanese and their rigid observance of standard police procedures, is paired with Japanese detective Masahiro Matsumoto (Ken Takakura). The differences between the two men couldn't be clearer. Conklin is hot-headed, profane and unconscionably rude. Matsumoto is by the book and in complete control of his emotions.
It is determined that Sato is a fighting a war with his old boss, a top oyabun (crime lord) named Sugai, who is trying to set up a counterfeiting racket in the United States. Sato had travelled there to disrupt the meeting between the Italian mob and the Yakuza representatives.
Now Conklin and Vincent must go after Sato, but because they are foreigners they have no authority at all, and to the ever increasing frustration of Conklin the Osaka police don't seem to be pursuing the case with as much expediency as he would like. The two American officers can barely function in this alien environment, and when Charlie is killed by a scornful Sato, Conklin is now ready to take him down using whatever means necessary.
The only person who seems willing to point him in the right direction is an American club hostess named Joyce, played by Kate Capshaw. A resident of Japan for seven years, she comforts the elder American detective after Charlie's death. Matsumoto and Conklin attempt to re-capture Sato when he meets some of his fellow gangsters at a steel mill, but he escapes and Matsumoto gets suspended.
Dealing with a Yakuza Boss
Conklin sets out to find Sato on his own. First, he tracks down the notorious Sugai and convinces him that he can be used as a decoy to attack and kill Sato, thereby leaving Sugai with his reputation intact. Sugai's counterfeit scheme is his plan to pay back the Americans for the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II.
In the final scene Nick and Sato struggle briefly, before the weary American gains the upper hand. Rather than kill the ruthless Yakuza he and Matsumoto bring him back to Osaka to face charges.
The title of the film was meant to illustrate the effects of the radioactive fallout from the atomic bombs dropped on the country. This movie is surprisingly underrated, given the convincing performances of all the cast members. Douglas gave his character plenty of depth as a tired, overworked cop who is in over his head while in Osaka, with its overpowering neon signs and smoky nightclubs. The chemistry between him and Ken Takakura is priceless. The two men grind each other's nerves, but eventually develop what seems like a friendship.
Andy Garcia ended up playing second fiddle to Douglas, but did what he could for the role that he had. The film showed how the U.S. and Japan viewed each other in the late '80s. To the Japanese the Americans were impatient, loud and lacking in social graces. On the other hand, Americans looked at the Japanese as nothing more than machines, which wouldn't, or couldn't think for themselves. That stereotype was laid out in bright colours for the audience.
It will make a worthy addition to your DVD collection.
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