Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video:

Audio:

• Beyond the Film: Doberman Cop, a new video appreciation by Fukasaku biographer Sadao Yamane (8:54)
• New video interview with actor Shinichi ''Sonny'' Chiba (17:53)
• New video interview with screenwriter Koji Takada (17:56)

• Trailer (3:16)
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon
• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector s book featuring new writing on the films by Patrick Macias

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Description: Released just as the popularity of yakuza movies was waning in Japan, and as the country's film industry was undergoing some fundamental shifts, Doberman Cop is a unique entry in the career of director Kinji Fukasaku (Battles Without Honor and Humanity, Cops vs Thugs), and reunited him with star Shinichi ''Sonny'' Chiba (The Street Fighter, Wolf Guy) in an American-style crime movie that mixes gunplay and pulp fiction with martial arts and lowbrow comedy to create one of their most entertaining films.

Based on a popular manga by ''Buronson'' (creator of Fist of the North Star), Doberman Cop follows the fish-out-of-water adventures of Joji Kano (Chiba), a tough-as-nails police officer from Okinawa who arrives in Tokyo's Kabuki-cho nightlife district to investigate the savage murder and mutilation of an island girl who had been working as a prostitute. Initially dismissed as a country bumpkin (complete with straw hat and live pig in tow!), Kano soon proves himself a more savvy detective than the local cops, and a tougher customer than anyone expected. As he probes deeper into the sleazy world of flesh-peddling, talent agency corruption and mob influence, Kano uncovers the shocking truth about the girl, her connection to a yakuza-turned-music manager (Hiroki Matsukata), and a savage serial killer who is burning women alive.

Made to appeal both to the youth market with its biker gangs and popular music, as well as to old-time yakuza movie fans, Doberman Cop is an surprising oddity in Fukasaku's career, his sole film adapted directly from a manga and never before released on video outside of Japan. Featuring Chiba at his charismatic best channeling a Japanese Dirty Harry while doing all his own stunts and Fukasaku at his most fun, deftly showcasing the combined talents of his ''Piranha Army'' stock company of actors and other regular players Doberman Cop is a classic action comedy and a missing link in 1970's Japanese cinema deserving of rediscovery.

 

 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio :

Arrow add some good supplements. Beyond the Film: Doberman Cop, is a new, 9-minute, video appreciation by Fukasaku biographer Sadao Yamane, recorded, by Arrow, in September 2016. It provides a good introduction and short analysis of the film. There are also new video interviews with screenwriter Koji Takada and actor Shinichi ''Sonny'' Chiba - which is actually a second part of Sonny Chiba: A Life in Action piece (the first part found on Arrows' Wolf Guy Blu-ray.) Both run about 17-minutes each. Extras finished with a trailer and the package has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon. The first pressing only received an illustrated collector s book featuring new writing on the films by Patrick Macia.

BOTTOM LINE:
Doberman Cop has elements of Dirty Harry, TV's McCloud, and the samurai code. But basically, it is just a very entertaining cop-investigation-crime-thriller flic.  The Arrow Video Blu-ray provides access to the film in a 1080P video and uncompressed audio - with very appreciated supplements. I liked it quite a lot and it will be something I revisit over time. Fans of the genre, star or director are encouraged to indulge. Good value here. 

Gary Tooze

July 8th, 2017