American Yakuza Blu-ray Review

American Yakuza is the kind of movie that aims high but feels constrained by its rookie director. It is also missing a real action star like Van Damme or even Steven Seagal. The low-budget, straight-to-video actioner drags in the Yakuza and the Italian Mafia, pitting them against each other with Viggo Mortensen in the middle. The cheesy B-movie has a certain unpretentious swagger thanks to actual cast from Japan facing off against familiar Hollywood faces like Robert Forster. Frank Cappello’s American Yakuza is no lost classic, but there’s a scrappy charm to its ambitions that makes it mildly entertaining for fans of early-’90s genre fare. It’s the sort of picture you catch on a lazy Sunday afternoon and don’t regret, even if you’re reaching for the remote during a few stretches.

Viggo Mortensen, still very much in his pre-Lord of the Rings “promising young actor” phase, stars as Nick Davis, an American who gets pulled deep into the Japanese criminal underworld. Mortensen gives it a game effort, bringing a quiet intensity that would serve him so well in later roles, but he feels slightly miscast here.

American Yakuza delivers modest excitement in a package less than the sum of its parts

This kind of cartoonish, bullet-spraying underworld story calls for a more broad-shouldered, swaggering presence that lights up a screen with his fists and biceps. Young Viggo’s brooding introspection sometimes clashes with the movie’s pulpy tone. He does sell the lead romance with Anzu Lawson in fine form, a cross-cultural connection which works in the film without qualification.

Director Frank Cappello’s inexperience shows in American Yakuza, his debut film. The pacing lurches between moody character moments and sudden bursts of violence, and you can feel him still learning how to stitch those together on the fly. Some sequences simply don’t land with the snap they should. Key action scenes and pivotal plot points rely too heavily on sloppy montages, the kind that feel like they were slapped together in the editing bay at the last minute. You half-expect a saxophone solo to kick in while Viggo stares meaningfully at the skyline.

On the plus side, the film has a decent sense of atmosphere when it slows down, and the supporting Japanese cast brings an authentic flavor that elevates the material above pure exploitation. Robert Forster shows up in the credits, which should be cause for celebration as a veteran presence. Except the actor barely appears in a role he could deliver in his sleep as a grizzled cop. It’s one of those “name actor for the video box” cameos that leaves you wondering why producers bothered paying him in the first place.

American Yakuza delivers modest excitement in a package less than the sum of its parts. Some decent shootouts, a few honorable betrayals, and that low-rent exoticism that used to fill Blockbuster shelves. It’s flawed and occasionally silly, but it’s never boring in its aspirations. There’s something mildly endearing about the whole enterprise. A word of caution, avoid spoilers at all costs about the b-movie. There is a twist that needs to be a surprise if you want any enjoyment from American Yakuza.

The movie commits to its premise with straight-faced enthusiasm, and in that regard, it’s harmless fun if you’re in the mood for something undemanding. Not essential viewing by any stretch, but a quick dip into forgotten ’90s action flicks that should entertain fans of the cast.

American Yakuza hits Blu-ray in a satisfactory 1.85:1 presentation which surpasses DVD but settles below the usual lofty standards set by Arrow Video. It’s clear why Arrow didn’t go 4K with this release. The enclosed booklet has this information which explains a few things regarding the so-so transfer:

“American Yakuza has been restored by Toei Company on behalf of Arrow Films and is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with its original stereo soundtrack. The film is presented in high definition. The original 35mm camera negative was scanned and the film was restored by Toei Company.”

The 1993 movie was originally produced by Toei, the esteemed Japanese company which hasn’t been known for videophile restorations of their catalog. This restoration is no exception, producing softer detail than expected for a new scan of the 35mm camera negative. The 1080p video is mixed, with exteriors showcasing American Yakuza’s nice cinematography in crisp definition. Other scenes are softer with heavier black levels and more limited shadow delineation.

The main feature runs an uncut 95 minutes on a BD-50, encoded in stout AVC that flawlessly captures the largely pristine elements. Thankfully nothing has been filtered with fine detail visible in close-ups. The palette is fairly healthy without oversaturation, keeping flesh-tones in check.

Grain can be chunky and gritty at times, which reflects the erratic low-budget cinematography and sloppy editing more than any unnatural processing.

The original stereo theatrical soundtrack is heard in adequate 2.0 PCM. Other than a few translated bits of Japanese dialogue, American Yakuza has English audio. The recording is pedestrian with serviceable dialogue reproduction and solid dynamics. David Williams’ cheesy score is a prominent element but fares better than the questionable sound design, which director Frank Cappello admits in his honest commentary track.

Sound quality isn’t a major factor with this Blu-ray and does just enough with the hard-hitting action for a real kick.

Optional English SDH subtitles play in a white font. A smattering of Japanese dialogue is hardcoded in English subtitles.

Arrow Video brings American Yakuza to Blu-ray in a relatively packed limited edition for the first time in North America with a host of new special features, including an excellent director’s commentary and a lengthy interview with star Viggo Mortensen. A reversible sleeve has original and newly commissioned artwork by OC Agency. The collectors’ booklet sees new writing on the film by Patrick Macias.

The disc is coded for Region A.

Audio Commentary with director Frank Cappello and actor Anzu (Cristina) Lawson – I actually had more fun with this commentary than the movie itself. Cappello and Lawson have good rapport in this wide-ranging and fun discussion. Several interesting anecdotes on making the film pepper their loose banter.

Yakuza Style (12:36 in HD) – A newly filmed interview from 2025 with director Frank Cappello.

Decoding Honor (37:38 in HD) – A 2024 interview with actor Viggo Mortensen. Done via webcam, Viggo must have loved his experience making American Yakuza to sit for a full interview as a major Hollywood actor. He recalls working with Ryo Ishibashi, who he become very close with during the shoot.

Interview with actor Ryo Ishibashi (10:40 in HD; Japanese audio w/ English subtitles) – Another new interview from a major cast member.

Original Trailer (01:52 in SD)

Image Gallery (00:20 in HD)

Full disclosure: This Blu-ray was provided by the label for review. This has not materially affected DoBlu’s editorial process. For information on how we handle all review material, please visit DoBlu’s about us page.