James Shigeta Movies

Filmmaker Arthur Dong's documentary Hollywood Chinese pays homage to the first century of the American film industry, as specifically colored and influenced by the Chinese immigrants to whom Hollywood owes an inestimable debt. Dong touches on everyone from actress Anna May Wong, of Limehouse Blues (1934) and Lady from Chungking (1943), to the late cameraman James Wong Howe, responsible for giving the Rock Hudson thriller Seconds (1966) such a creepy and inventive look. Dong also explores the newer generation of Chinese-American filmmakers, including such giants as Wayne Wang and Ang Lee, responsible for such contemporary classics as The Joy Luck Club, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Brokeback Mountain. At the same time, a haunting and telling undercurrent of racism and stereotypes weaves its way in, suggestive of the difficulties that Chinese men and women found working in Hollywood -- particularly in the early years. As a historical footnote, Dong also makes film history by rediscovering and editing in footage from what is alleged to be the first Asian-American film ever made: the 1916 Curse of Quon Gwan, directed by Marion Wong. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Internationally acclaimed director and Japanese media phenomenon Takeshi Kitano follows up his well-regarded Kikujiro with this straight-ahead gangster saga with a cross-cultural twist. The film focuses on Yamamoto (Kitano), a yakuza forced out of the country when a gang war all but wipes out his clan. Armed with a fake credit card, a forged passport, and a bag of money, he journeys to the strange and foreign land of Los Angeles to join his half-brother Ken (Claude Maki), who works as a low-rent street tough alongside fast-talking hustler Denny (Omar Epps). With brutal efficiency, the poker-faced Yamamoto starts staking out turf and organizing Ken's mob into one of the most powerful criminal syndicates in the city. As his gang grows in number and power, he is joined by Kato (Kitano regular Susumu Terajima), his former lieutenant from Japan, who entreats Little Tokyo's pathological crime boss Shirase (Masaya Kato) to join the group. Yamamoto seems unstoppable until his gang runs afoul of the Mafia. Soon, all that he built quickly and bloodily starts to unravel as every member in his gang is marked for death. This film was screened at the 2000 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Inspired by a familiar Chinese folk tale, this $90 million animated Disney drama follows the adventures of a young woman in ancient China. Character animator Tony Bancroft and 17-year Disney veteran Barry Cook (Captain EO, Tron, Trail Mix-Up) formed the directing team with production design by Hans Bacher (Balto), and work on the film began 2 January 1995 under the working title The Legend of Mulan. While the merciless Shan-Yu (Miguel Ferrer) leads invading Huns over the Great Wall, young Mulan (Ming-Na Wen, with singing by Lea Salonga) sees a matchmaker about her matrimonial future. Mulan's views on accepted marriage traditions prompt the ballad, "Reflection," as she hopes for a recognition of her true self. To repel the Huns, a man from each family is required to join the Imperial Army. When Mulan's elderly father Fa Zhou (Soon-Tek Oh) volunteers, she objects. He warns, "I know my place. It is time you learned yours." Mulan, however, cuts her hair, dresses as a man, and is ready for military camp, prompting the concern of her First Ancestor (George Takei), who converts an inanimate incense burner into the 18-inch high comedic dragon Mushu (Eddie Murphy). With Mushu hidden in her clothing, she joins a group of raw recruits under the command of Captain Shang (B.D. Wong, singing by Donny Osmond). During an ambush by the Huns in a mountain pass, Mulan steps in to turn defeat into a victory. Mulan was the first Disney feature from the company's 200,000-square-foot Orlando facility (now known as Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida). ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

In this sci-fi adventure an intergalactic ambassador and his entourage are kidnapped by terrorists. Ironically, they were heading out to a hostage negotiation. If they do not escape in time, a war between planets could ensue. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

After surviving Vietnam and the illegal fighting circuit, one man finds himself facing a whole new set of challenges in this action-drama. Billy Thomas (Lou Ferrigno) is a kind soul who happens to have a colossal body -- and a remarkable talent for the martial arts. Tim Yum Lin (James Shigeta) is leader of an underground crime syndicate who has dreamed up a way to profit from Billy's size and strength. Tim and his underlings kidnap Billy and hold him captive, telling him that his best friend has been killed and he must obey or he'll be next. Billy is forced to take on a number of brutal, fearless competitors in no-holds-barred cage matches held in an underground arena, with Tim's gang taking bets on the action. Billy handily wins the matches set up for him, but seeing no other way out, he makes a deal with Tim to bet on himself in an upcoming fight -- with Billy's freedom hanging in the balance. The Cage 2: Arena of Death also stars Shannon Lee, Reb Brown, and James Lew. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Len Cariou is back as Michael Hagarty, semi-retired British secret agent and longtime friend of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury). On this occasion, Hagarty is distressed that his estranged daughter (Kim Johnston Ulrich) has become engaged to a young man engaged in questionable business practices with a mob-connected Hong Kong financial house. When the fiancé is murdered, Hagarty is accused of the crime, but Jessica can't believe he did it (nor can the audience!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Prince Mikos (Jeremy Angerson), the 16-year-old heir to the throne of an Asian kingdom, is targetted for assassination by his uncle Ki (James Shigeta). To cover his tracks, Ki has arranged for the murder to take place during Mikos' traditional "Test of Kings" ritual. The IMF shows up to make certain that Mikos --- or "Mike", as he is known to the agents --- is given a fair chance to complete the endurance test, and to expose Ki for the scoundrel that he is. First telecast on February 4, 1989, "The Lions" was scripted by David Philips, from a story by James Crown. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

It's Christmas time in L.A., and there's an employee party in progress on the 30th floor of the Nakatomi Corporation building. The revelry comes to a violent end when the partygoers are taken hostage by a group of terrorists headed by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), who plan to steal the 600 million dollars locked in Nakatomi's high-tech safe. In truth, Gruber and his henchmen are only pretending to be politically motivated to throw the authorities off track; also in truth, Gruber has no intention of allowing anyone to get out of the building alive. Meanwhile, New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) has come to L.A. to visit his estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), who happens to be one of the hostages. Disregarding the orders of the authorities surrounding the building, McClane, who fears nothing (except heights), takes on the villains, armed with one handgun and plenty of chutzpah. Until Die Hard came along, Bruce Willis was merely that wisecracking guy on Moonlighting. After the film's profits started rolling in, Willis found himself one of the highest-paid and most sought-after leading men in Hollywood. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Because of a typically silly misunderstanding, Magnum (Tom Selleck) and Higgins (John Hillerman) are locked in a wide-ranging "war or wills", in which each one tries to top the other with practical jokes, public humiliation and trashing of personal property. This battle of reciprocal destruction tends to slow down Magnum's current investigation of a big-time gambling ring, but he insists upon soldiering on. Ultimately, the two combatants face off for a showdown--only to find themselves trapped in an elevator just before the building around them is to be demolished! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Less than a week after the premiere telecast of the "surrogate mother" drama The Gift of Life, the similarly-themed Tomorrow's Child made its TV debut. Stephanie Zimbalist and her geneticist husband William Atherton agree to participate in a secret lab experiment. Under the aegis of doctors Ed Flanders and Salome Jens, the couple "has" a test-tube baby, a fetus brought to full term in a laboratory. Arthur Hill co-stars as Flanders' medical mentor, who casts grave doubts on the morality of the procedure. Since it first telecast on March 22, 1982, the speculative fiction of Tomorrow's Child has matriculated into fact--but the ethical debate goes on. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This made-for-TV historical drama chronicles the personal and professional lives of Colonel Tibbets and the airmen who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The story is based on a book by Gordon Thomas and Max Gordon Witts and also looks at the ways in which the aftermath of the bombing affected their lives. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In the opening episode of The Rockford Files' fifth season, Jim Rockford (James Garner) wants to know why his dad Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.), temporarily employed as a delivery driver, was forced off the road and his cargo--consisting of breakfast sausages--was hijacked. The main culprit would seem to be the sausage company's front man, country-western singer Charlie Strayhorn (Taylor Lachman). But Charlie turns out to be a mere pawn in a widespread smuggling scheme masterminded by the real villain of the piece. The title song for this episode was written (but not performed) by Willie Nelson. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi