Written by: Michael Den Boer on June 3rd, 2004
Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1977
Director: Yukio Noda
Writers: Takeshi Matsumoto, Nobuaki Nakajima, Takao Saitô
Cast: Sonny Chiba, Etsuko Shihomi, Callan Leung
DVD Released: December 7th, 1999
Approximate Running Time: 92 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Non-Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono
DVD Release: Crash Entertainment
Region Coding: Region 1 NTSC
Retail Price: $14.99
Synopsis: Sonny Chiba Plays Golgo 13 a professional hit man and he has been hired to kill a renegade drug trafficker posing as an important businessman. When someone beats him to the job Golgo is still blamed by the police for the murder. Golgo seeks revenge against those who have double crossed him while trying to stay one step ahead of the law.
Golgo 13 is another hard hitting performance from Sonny Chiba as an assassin devoid of mercy and ready to put a bullet in his next target. Even though Golgo isn’t as down and dirty rip your balls off like most of the characters Chiba plays his charisma as an actor makes this film all that more enjoyable. The direction is pretty standard and the other actors besides Chiba are pretty much props.
The DVD:
Golgo 13 is presented in its original widescreen ratio of 2.35.1, unfortunately it hasn’t be anamorphic enhanced. The picture is fairly clean to downright scratchy and the opening title sequence is ruff looking before the picture settles down as most of the blemishes disappear almost completely. The night and dark scenes are grainy and at times a bit to dark. As with most Crash Entertainment titles the A/V is all over the place.
The soundtrack for Golgo 13 is Dolby Digital Mono 2.0 English Dubbed audio track. There is no hiss, drop-outs, or background noise. The dialog is crystal and easy to follow as is most of the soundtrack.
Extras include the original theatrical trailer and Crash has also included the Chinese version of Golgo 13 as a bonus. Golgo 13 is no longer available separately you can find it in the Kill Chiba Collection from Crash Cinema and the set also comes with The Executioner and Bullet Train. Golgo 13 may not be one of Chiba’s better performances still Chiba’s presence makes it a fun and enjoyable film to watch. The Kill Chiba box set retails for $19.95 and is a must buy if you are a fan of Chiba.