WFG RATING: A-

Netflix presents a Horipro/Office Shirous production. Directed by Yuichi Sato. Produced by Kosuke Oshida and Keisuke Sanpei. Written by Tatsuro Mishima; based on the manga by Tsukasa Hojo. Cinematography by Motonobu Kiyoku. Edited by Takuya Taguchi.

Stars Ryohei Suzuki, Misato Morita, Masanobu Ando, Asuka Hanamura, Fumino Kimura, Isao Hashizume, Tetta Sugimoto, Ayame Misaki, Takaya Sakoda, and Moemi Katayama.

After Jackie Chan’s 1993 Hong Kong film and a French remake, the popular manga cop with a libido gets a proper film in his homeland and it is actually a fun and wild ride. 

Ryo Saeba is one of the best detectives in Tokyo. Teamed up with former cop Makimura, the duo tend to stop crimes as seen on some local boards in the city. However, Ryo has one small problem. He tends to let his libido get in the way at times. When he’s hired to find a young woman, Kurumi, he discovers a connection between the girl, a user of a drug that is responsible for a recent crime wave, and those who want the girl as she is the only one who has not felt the side effects of the drug. After a failed chase, Makimura is murdered by the group responsible for the creation of the drug, leaving his sister Kaori without a brother.

When Kaori attempts to find out who murdered her brother, Ryo warns her to stay out of it as he too is looking for the ones responsible while keeping the job at hand to find the young woman. Eventually, he does find the young woman, a famous cosplayer named “Milk”, who is targeted by the organization behind XYZ as they seek a means to use her to discover why she has not felt the side effects that afflicted others. Together, Ryo, Kaori, and “Milk” hatch a plan to expose the ones responsible and put an end to their wave of crime once and for all.

The beloved manga, created by Tsukasa Hojo, finally comes to life in its homeland of Japan after getting a 1993 Hong Kong adaptation starring Jackie Chan, a sequel of sorts in Mr. Mumble in 1996 and a French remake in Nicky Larson in 2018. Directed by Yuichi Sato, this looks to be very faithful and has some great action and comic bits that make the manga what it’s known for: a fun, wild adventure with a character who is a precursor to the one and only Austin Powers.

Ryohei Suzuki, who played the Owl Ryu in 2013’s live-action adaptation of Gatchaman, takes on the role of Ryo Saeba, the titular “city hunter”, and plays him to perfection. His opening scene is both hilarious (when he’s spying on some women) and action-packed when he sees the young woman he was hired to find and busts through a window with a nice freeze-frame side kick to a thug. Suzuki shows both sides of the character, going all googly-eyed the second he sees an attractive woman to tough-as-nails when he must fight his way. There are times when he must show both sides at the same time, especially when it comes to a certain character.

Misato Morita is great as Kaori, who seeks answers about her brother, played in the first act by Battle Royale’s Masanobu Ando. Ando’s Makimura is the straight-laced ex-cop turned partner of Saeba who finds himself killed by the ones responsible for a drug that causes superhuman speed and agility but can have a side effect of a violent rage and death. Asuka Hanamura is great as the timid Kurumi, who finds her confidence in being a cosplayer known as “Milk”. It is she who is targeted by the organization responsible for the drug as she seems immune to the side effects. 

As mentioned, there are some fun moments in the film, including Ryo having a side gig as well, a male stripper for the ladies, which proves to be for those unfamiliar to the manga, out there may seem out of left field. However, you have to understand, if you like characters such as Austin Powers, who can be called a somewhat British version of this title due to the characters being tough and having a very naughty side to them, you’ll most likely enjoy this one since he can be seen as a precursor. The final act brings in a few twists that bring everything together. 

City Hunter is fun, wild, and action-packed with Ryohei Suzuki bringing the character to perfection combining that naughty side of the character with kicking some major butt when needed.