The growth and notoriety of action star Sakaguchi Tak is an absolute hallmark for me as an action having followed him for more than a decade. He’s survived quite a few stumbles in his time, caused no less by a few people who have threatened his career in the years leading up to talk of retirement and initially masking his latest action-packed return to the screen, Re:Born, as a celebratory departure from film.
Since then and with the film’s completion and subsequent world premiere and reception at Fantastic Fest and Kaga City late last year, the talk has somewhat turned into buzz of Sakaguchi’s return. I could be wrong in the sense that he was never going to leave, or then again he was and merely made a choice to stay, although I frankly hope that he stays. Hands down, he’s been one of the best, most enteraining contributors to cinema this century and with a cult fanbase that knows talent when it sees it and fights like hell to support it.
Speaking of fighting like hell, there’s plenty of that going on in the new international trailer for the movie as it graciously reteams Sakaguchi with filmmaker and action veteran, Shimomura Yuji in the years since Versus, Alive, Aragami, Azumi and Death Trance. Together with WAVE innovator, close quarters fighting expert Inagawa Yoshitaka and host to a story sampling from the inspired dark, reclusive tales of real-life commandos, Sakaguchi stars as a small town clerk forced to adhere to his bloodlust once again following a string of military murders and the emergence of a squad of clandestined soldiers and assassins led by his former commanding officer now seeking vengeance for his betrayal.
If you want my blood… Come and get it!
A special force unit of several members is found all dead during tactical exercise in the facility of National Defense Force. They were in the midst of exercising the irregular combat situation of one-man versus one unit named “Ghost Tactic”…
Toshiro, a small store clerk lives a quiet live with a young girl Sachi in the countryside of Ishikawa prefecture. Although his life is seemingly calm and peaceful, he sometimes struggles desperately to control his inner destructive impulse going on a rampage. One day, an enigmatic murder occurs in this small town. Later it turns out to be a warning from a mysterious man to Toshiro…
Toshiro used to belong to the special covert force best known possible, then had it destroyed with his own bear hands, leaving his former commanding officer Phantom unfinished. Now Phantom comes out of the shadow to execute the betrayer bringing along his most ruthless soldiers.
While Toshiro calmly takes care of those assassins sent out to kill him, he begins to get ready for close range combat even in the cruel way of deploying little Sachi as a decoy.
In the deepest minds of darkness and conflict, there are people who can only feel worthwhile when taking others’ lives. Based on the truth and real combat stories of professional covert assassins in your daily lives, it shows the destiny and practical battle scenes of those who chose the specific life for themselves.
That’s the world we’re immersed in thusfar, and festival screenings aside, the few trailers that have went viral since last year have offered all but some of the best we can hope for in a film, and a cast and crew like this in all its caliber.
Rounding out the cast are young actress Kondo Yura, actresses Shinoda Mariko and Hasebe Hitomi, and actors Ishida Issei, Saitoh Takumi, Kato Masaya and Otsuka Akio. A Japan release is still pending from international rights holder Nikkatsu while North America awaits its own release of the film from XYZ Films, home to The Raid, The Raid 2, Headshot and more.
Watch the new trailer below!
