Misutâ Ron

When you watch this Japanese 2017 Ryu san, you might suddenly remember there are many similar yet not quite similar storylines, scenarios, plots roughly close to what we have seen in Ajeossi (The Man from Nowhere), a Korean 2010 blockbuster.

The other similar but not quite similar part of these two movies: Ryu san was directed by Sabu, while Jeong-beom Lee directed Ajeossi, but both were also the writer of their own movie. But I am quite sure that Sabu's screenplay was influenced by Lee's movie, and Lee's screenplay was inspired by the French writer and director Luc Besson's Taken, a blockbuster of 2008.

The scenarios, plots and the storylines among these three movies are quite obvious:

Taken (2008): A retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been kidnapped while on a trip to Paris. The locality is Paris and Europe. Leading role: An old guy.

Ajeossi (The Man from Nowhere) 2010: A quiet pawnshop keeper with a violent past takes on a drug-and-organ trafficking ring in hope of saving the child girl who is his only friend. But the pawnshop keeper was actually a Korean Special Force No.1 killer; a much younger secret soldier than the retired CIA in Taken. The locality is South Korea. Leading role: A loner around 30s.

Ryu san (2017): Professional hitman Long takes on an assignment in Japan. When things go awry, he has to flee. Badly injured, he takes refuge in a deserted part of a small town, befriended with a young boy. The localities: Taiwan and Japan. A loner around 35.

See the similarities and subtly changed revised or replaced racial, nationalities, backgrounds, localities, sets...?

Critics and reviewers often judged and or praised a good movie only by its director, but I have to say, without a good screenplay, no matter how great or talented a director would be, there's no way a good movie could exist. Directors are just persons who materialize, visualize, arrange screenplays to make them happen. If both the writer and director are the same person who made a movie great or good, then that director is the real deal and deserves the praise.

As to this Ryu san (2017), director Sabu obviously borrowed and changed a lot of stuff to distinguish it from the former two movie by adding many different ingredients too. But the pace is a bit too slow, the subplots also dragged its paces may be a bit too long.

There's a definite similar climax to these three movies: Fast, bloody, cruel and deadly. They all drive-you-nuts GREAT!!

SABU is one of the most fearless and creative filmmakers these days. Most of his movies were comedies and this one is a bit more serious but his style is just as evident. Definitely of the most inspiring and emotional movies I have seen in a while. Absolutely recommended.

Master work ******* beautiful strong feeling's great artwork. Thanks to the film makers.very powerful story character player are also playing their role very good. "Mr. Long" is a 2017 Japanese-Taiwanese-Hong Kongese-German co-production film directed by Sabu. The film stars Chang Chen in the titular role and is a mix of drama, action, and crime genres. The story revolves around a Taiwanese hitman, Mr. Long, who travels to Japan to carry out a hit. However, after the job goes wrong, he finds himself stranded in a small village. There, he begins to form bonds with the local residents, including a troubled woman and her young son, and starts a new life, leaving his violent past behind.

The film explores themes of redemption, the possibility of change, and the impact of human connections. It received positive reviews for its storytelling, character development, and Chang Chen's performance. "

I wasn't expecting anything and I didn't even know that it is a Sabu- film. What starts as a normal mafia killer movie turns into something way more profound and heartfelt, at times funny.

It's a total Japanese movie in the sense the way it is filmed and the characters are behaving. The quite killer ending up in a little Japanese town make for amazing scenes and often cute, awkward and funny situations.

I found this movie by accident in the basement of Amazon prime and it definitely deserves a lot better.

This is on the same level as some Kitano movies like kikujiro or hanabi. Sabu delivered a witty, cool story, the actors are great and the movie is great.

Some film festivals were definitely sleeping on this one....

This movie reminded me this quote from Apocalypse Now - and it is an excellent point!

Quickly labelled as an action movie - and despite really nicely made scenes, this is absolutely not an action movie. SABU twists genre movie and manages to create an art piece that can relate to other Japanese feats, like some of Kitano's movies. The start as genre movie and the violence inherent of that world and of the first 20 minutes is not free violence but necessary to act as a counterpart of the main part of the movie: the meeting of that lone wolf with humans, with solidarity and how it changes him, how he is actually enjoying such a life.

Of course we can feel a lot of influences, in the choregraphy of action scenes - worthy of asian action movies, in the burlesque comedy (Kikurijo), in the relationship between a child and a killer (Léon). But SABU really proposes a movie on his own, mixing tragic, harsh realities with beautiful moments and does not forget to show hope and good in the heart of men.

A great piece, go for it!