4 Star

Savage and Accurate.

The nineteen eighties, while most were enjoying new wave music and men with make-up on, Tôru Murakawa (Lucky 13, New York Undercover Cop) on the other hand, wanted to bring us the tour de force that was the assassin Shouhei Narumi (Yûsaku Matsuda, The Family Game, Black Rain) in this triptych from Arrow Video. A man of few words, but with plenty of deadly action.

The Game trilogy consists of The Most Dangerous Game, The Killing Game, and The Execution Game spanning from 1978-1979, where the talents of hitman Shouhei Narumi (Yûsaku Matsuda) are much in demand as Japans criminals try to make ground in the seedy underworld where Narumi lives.

In The Most Dangerous Game, the financial sector is in turmoil as top executives are being kidnapped and whether the ransom is paid or not, the executives of Tonichi Electronics turn up dead. One more is kidnapped and that is when the head of Tonichi Electronics calls in Narumi, a man with a 100% record in eliminating his target. But this time it is a rescue mission against the companies main rival, who appear to be behind the killings.

With the fierce rivalry between top-notch companies, there is always going to be some dodgy dealings behind the curtains. But these people want the ultimate price paid, and this assassin doesn’t come cheap.

There is always a woman that catches a killer’s eye, for whatever reason, whether it is a one-night stand or to make a killer jealous, but he is always entwined in some sort of one way romance, whether you met him last night or years before, this man is a killer.

The Game trilogy is an intense series of films that defined a decade in the action genre, that has a strong jazz music background that throws you into the seedy underbelly of Japan in the 1980s. A must own for the action fan in the house.

The Game Trilogy Limited Edition is available on Blu-ray

 

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all films
• Original lossless mono Japanese soundtracks
• Optional newly translated English subtitles
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
• Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the films by Hayley Scanlon and Dimitri IanniDISC 1: THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME
• Brand new audio commentary by Chris Poggiali and Marc Walkow
• The Action Man, a 30-minute interview with director Toru Murakawa
• Original Japanese theatrical trailer
• Image galleryDISC 2: THE KILLING GAME & THE EXECUTION GAME
• Brand new audio commentary on The Killing Game by Earl Jackson and Jasper Sharp
• Brand new audio commentary on The Execution Game by Tom Mes
• Remembering Yusaku Matsuda, an interview with Yutaka Oki, film critic and personal friend of Yusaku Matsuda
• Game Changer, an interview with The Execution Game screenwriter Shoichi Maruyama
• Original Japanese theatrical trailers for both films
• Image galleries for both films