Hiro Kanagawa Movies
An FBI agent whose partner and family were killed by a notorious assassin sets out for revenge as the elusive triggerman sparks a sprawling gang war between the triads and the yakuza in the feature debut from prolific music video director Phillip Atwell. FBI sgent Jack Crawford (Jason Statham) is a man driven by vengeance. After his partner, Tom Lone (Terry Chen), and his family fell to bullets fired by infamous hitman Rogue (Jet Li), Crawford makes it his life mission to ferret out the slippery killer. Complications arise when it begins to appear as if Rogue has a mission of his own to carry out, and as triad boss Chang (John Lone) prepares for all-out war against yakuza boss Shiro (Ryo Ishibashi), Crawford and Rogue also come face to face as the secrets of the past emerge in a hail of gunfire. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jet Li, Jason Statham, (more)
Daredevil's main squeeze gets resurrected in her own flick with this spin-off martial arts actioner from director Rob Bowman (Reign of Fire, The X-Files: Fight the Future). Jennifer Garner returns to the role of Elektra Natchios, a hired assassin whose origins are finally revealed after her old ninja clan the Hand brings her back from the dead to serve their evil purposes. Reunited with her old sensei, Stick (Terence Stamp), Elektra leaves the past behind her and is eventually given an assignment to kill Mark Miller (Goran Visnjic) and his daughter, Abby (Kristin Prout). When her conscience gets the best of her and she decides to protect them instead, it's up to the Hand's top assassins to track her down and finish the job. Fans of Marvel Comics might recognize Natassia Malthe as Typhoid Mary, another nemesis of Daredevil that joins in the hunt, along with other masters of the dark mystic arts, Tattoo (Chris Ackerman), Stone (Bob Sapp), and the Hand's fearsome leader, Kirigi (Will Yun Lee). ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Garner, Goran Visnjic, (more)
- 2005
Unable to have a baby through the usual means, Nina and Noah Hamilton (Tori Spelling, Tahmoh Penikett) opt for in-vitro fertilization. When this method seems to be failing as well, Noah makes a curious suggestion: Perhaps if he and Nina tried the in-vitro clinic in his own home town, somehow the fertilization process will take hold. Unfortunately, Noah's former girlfriend Callie (Victoria Pratt), who has been thirsting for revenge ever since she aborted her baby for Noah's sake, is obsessed with winning him back--a scheme that not only involves "becoming" the unwitting Nina, but murdering several people in the bargain. Produced for the Lifetime cable channel, Hush originally aired May 23, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
A plant created with the DNA of the long-extinct Nicodemus flower is stolen. While attempting to rescue an apparently unhinged man from harming himself, Jonathan Kent (John Schneider) comes in contact with the pilfered plant. Under the influence of the Nicodemus flower -- which had been responsible for a devastating plague in Smallville in the early 20th century -- Jonathan experiences a bizarre and disturbing change in his own behavior. It falls to Jonathan's adopted son, Clark (Tom Welling), to avert a disaster that threatens to sweep Jonathan, Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), and Pete Ross (Sam Jones III) into its path. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Pete (Sam Jones III) nominates Clark (Tom Welling) for high school class president. Unbeknownst to Clark, his chief opponent, Sasha Woodman (Shonda Farr), has the power to control a swarm of kryptonite-infected killer bees. By the time Clark realizes that Sasha is a dangerous adversary, the girl has ordered her tiny scourges to attack and destroy the Kent family and Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Chloe (Allison Mack) is fed up with the fact that Clark (Tom Welling) seems impervious to her charms. Thus, Chloe begins dating Justin Gaines (Adam Brody), former cartoonist for the Smallville High newspaper, who has lost the use of his hands in an accident. Alas, it seems that Justin has been able to compensate for his loss by developing acute telekinetic powers, and he plans to use those skills to wreak vengeance upon the man whom he holds responsible for crippling him -- none other that Smallville High principal Kwan (Hiro Kanagawa). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
While on a visit to Metropolis, Clark Kent (Tom Welling) surreptitiously uses his superpowers to save a homeless man from being killed by a speeding car. Unfortunately, Clark's good deed is witnessed by corrupt police detective Sam Phelan (Cameron Dye). Threatening to reveal Clark's special gifts to the whole world, Phelan tries to blackmail the boy into helping him cover up his misdeeds -- and when Clark refuses, the ruthless detective frames Clark's adoptive father, Jonathan (John Schneider), for a recent crime. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Inadvertently displaying his awesome superpowers, Clark (Tom Welling) is invited to join the Smallville high school football team by ruthless, "winning is the only thing" coach Walt Arnold (Dan Lauria). Worried that Clark's alien origins will be exposed if he does any sort of contact sports, the boy's adoptive father, Jonathan (John Schneider), refuses to permit Clark to sign up for the team, but Jonathan's wife, Martha (Annette O'Toole), is a bit more pliable. Meanwhile, Coach Arnold has discovered that he possesses a few superpowers of his own -- namely the ability to create deadly flames, a "talent" Arnold intends to use to cover up a potential cheating scandal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Based on the children's book Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat by Amy Tan, Sagwa is a PBS children's program designed to help young people develop socially. Set in ancient China, each episode contains an animated adventure and a mini-documentary. The show exposes kids to elements of different cultures with both ancient storytelling and contemporary viewpoints from real-life kids around the world. Sagwa is recommended for children ages five to eight. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Holly Gauthier-Frankel, Rick Jones, (more)
- 2000
Produced for Canadian television in 2000, Touched by a Killer is based on The Rage of the Blue Moon, a play by Richard Vetere. Isabella Hoffman stars as successful but emotionally needy investigative reporter Nikki Barrington, who has come to believe that death row inmate Tyler Nash (James Wilder) has been wrongly accused of murdering a young woman at a bar. Falling in love with the charming Nash, Nikki does everything in her power to free him from prison before it is too late. She manages to succeed in this pursuit, whereupon the grateful Nash pledges eternal devotion. Before long, however, the ex-prisoner's behavior takes an ominous turn for the worse; and by film's end, a terrified Nikki must disprove what she spent the first part of the film "proving." In America, Touched by a Killer was purchased by the Lifetime cable channel, where it was first shown in 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isabella Hoffman, James Wilder, (more)
- 2000
Barry Sonnenfeld resurrects the retro hip '60s show Secret Agent Man and adapts it into a slick New World Order context. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Costas Mandylor, Dina Meyer, (more)
- 2000
A social worker's struggle with a difficult case provides the centerpiece of this Canadian drama. Jane (Nancy Sivak) is bogged down from her work with a drug-addicted mother (Jillian Fargey), the woman's abusive husband (William MacDonald), and the couple's two children. Neither the woman nor her husband want their children put into foster care, and eventually Jane has to call in the police to handle the situation. Her work with the couple is contrasted with Jane's personal life, glimpsed through a long tête-à-tête with her lover (Hiro Kanagawa). ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy Sivak, Jillian Fargey, (more)
- 2000
Dark Angel begins its two-season run with a feature-length episode establishing both characters and premise. Back in the year 2009, young Max Guevara (Geneva Locke) escaped from Manticore, a sinister laboratory creating human prototypes with heavy doses of animal DNA. A lab creation herself, Max managed to get away with several of her "siblings" from Manticore's X-5 program. Now it is 2019: The world is in turmoil in the wake of "The Pulse," a seismic phenomenon which destroyed all computer technology. The 19-year-old Max (Jessica Alba) lives in a crime-ridden ghetto with a group of alienated teens and dopers, working as a bicycle messenger by day and a cat burglar by night. (And why not? Max's cat DNA has endowed her with superhuman strength and agility.) She pulls this "double shift" in order to finance an ongoing search for the secrets of her past, and for her genetically engineered brothers and sisters. Enter scruffy cyberjournalist Logan Cale (Michael Weatherly), a crusader against the corruption that has engulfed the government and its police. Persuading Max to join his cause, Logan gives her her first assignment: to guard a federal witness and her daughter. But Max may not be around to help -- not if she is tracked down and captured by Manticore minion Donald Lydecker (John Savage), the obsessed scientist who "created" her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Debuting over the CTV network on January 23, 1998, the hour-long Canadian drama series Cold Squad was a precursor in both style and substance to the American weekly Cold Case. The series involved the concerted efforts of a dedicated Vancouver detective unit to reopen and (hopefully) solve unsolved murder cases, some of them several decades old. Julie Stewart headed the cast as Sgt. Ali McCormick, the unofficial head of the squad. There was a great deal of personnel turnover during the series' seven seasons on the air, with a complete supporting-cast overhaul at the beginning of Season Three (see the huge cast list below). The winner of eight Gemini Awards, the 98-episode Cold Squad ended its Canadian run on June 4, 2005; it was picked up for syndication in the United States on September 15, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this combination caper comedy and offbeat romance, Emily (Alicia Silverstone) is a wealthy but petulant young woman desperate to get the attention of her millionaire father, Alexander Hope (Jack Thompson). In fact, she's so desperate that she decides to stage her own kidnapping; she sends a ransom note, ties herself up, and locks herself in the trunk of her BMW, waiting for daddy to come to the rescue; however, Emily's timing is a bit off, because ten minutes later, hunky car thief Vincent (Benicio Del Toro) steals the BMW with Emily still in it. Vincent and his partner in crime, Greg (Harry Connick Jr.), eventually discover the car's trunk has an unexpected surprise. When Emily is unable to convince them to help her with her scheme, she becomes a problem the carjackers can't get rid of, especially after Alexander refuses to pay her ransom, and his creepy right-hand man, Raymond (Christopher Walken), heads out to find her. Of course, losing 200,000 dollars in mob money is not making Vincent's life any easier, nor is having the emotionally problematic Emily fall in love with him. Excess Baggage was the first feature from Alicia Silverstone's production company First Kiss. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alicia Silverstone, Benicio Del Toro, (more)
- 1996
Comic actor Bob Saget served as producer and director of this made-for-TV film, inspired by the true story of Saget's sister Gay, who died in 1994 at the age of 47. Despite the pressures of single motherhood, schoolteacher Hope Altman (Dana Delany) seems to have her life in order until she is diagnosed with scleroderma, a disfiguring skin disease that causes her body's connective tissues to stiffen and atrophy, and will eventually paralyze her while eating away at her vital organs. There is no cure for scleroderma, and the survival rate is tragically low--and worse, neither the medical community nor the general public has a firm grasp on understanding the disease and its many victims (500,000, mostly female, in the United States alone). The film chronicles the manner in which Hope and her family handle the nightmarish situation, often with what Saget described as "irreverence and dark humor" (At one point, Hope's brother Alan--a comedy writer--quips that scleroderma sounds like "a deli entrée"). Sharon Monsky, who at the time ran one of the most prominent organizations for those suffering from scleroderma, appears briefly as herself. For Hope originally aired over the ABC network on November 17, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this Canadian/Japanese sci-fi actioner, the trouble begins as a boozy ex-cop tries to forget the horrible killing of his partner by the nefarious, white-wigged Nassim. The only job the cop can find now is as a janitor at a high-tech bio-research lab where they have been working on a super deadly virus. One night, Nassim and his cronies break into the high security installation so they can "cyberjack" the virus. They gain an evil edge by abducting the daughter of the head scientist and now only the janitor can save them all. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
A man has a near-death experience and awakens to find himself spiritually attached to another who went through a similar experience in this horror movie. The story is based on a Dean Koontz novel. Hatch Harrison, an antique dealer, finds himself in an extraordinary position following the car wreck in which he was broad-sided by a semi-truck. Although his wife and teenage daughter survive, Hatch was actually dead for two hours before innovative resuscitator Dr. Jonas Nybern was able to bring him back. Hatch tries to resume his normal life, but encounters difficulty when he begins having horrific hallucinations. It turns out that the "visions" are really the experiences of Vassago, a Satanist who ritually kills people. Somehow he and the killer are connected. Vassago, too can experience events in Hatch's life; he begins to threaten Hatch by telling him he will use his daughter for a virgin sacrifice. The two men must battle it out spiritually. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Goldblum, Christine Lahti, (more)
In this international action thriller, Paul Racine (Christopher Lambert) is an American salesman with a computer firm who is in Japan on business. While spending an evening in a bar, he meets Kirina (Joan Chen), a beautiful but mysterious woman. Paul buys Kirina a drink, one thing leads to another, and he ends up spending the night with her. However, when Paul returns to her room to retrieve a set of keys he left behind, he discovers that Kirina is being murdered by Kinjo (John Lone), the master of a cult of bloodthirsty ninjas. Kinjo informs Karina that no one has ever seen his face and lived, so when Paul witnesses Kirina's execution and the face Kinjo hides behind his mask, he's a marked man. With the help of Takeda (Yoshio Harada), an experienced ninja fighter, Paul learns how to defend himself against his new adversaries as he plots a final showdown with the deadly Kinjo. The Hunted represented something of a reunion for John Lone and Joan Chen, who previously starred together in The Last Emperor. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lambert, John Lone, (more)
- 1993
In this domestic drama a young couple's life and relationship is nearly shattered after the wife gives birth three months early. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Moriarty, Pamela Reed, (more)
