Midnight Eagle
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| Midnight Eagle | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Izuru Narushima |
| Written by | Screenplay: Yasuo Hasegawa Kenzaburo Iida Novel: Tetsuo Takashima |
| Starring | Tatsuya Fuji Yoshihiko Hakamada Ken Ishiguro Nao Omori Takao Osawa Yuko Takeuchi Hiroshi Tamaki A-Saku Yoshida |
| Music by | Takeshi Kobayashi |
| Cinematography | Hideo Yamamoto |
| Editing by | William M. Anderson |
| Distributed by | Shochiku Company Shochiku Eizo Company Universal Pictures Strand Releasing |
| Running time | 92 mins |
| Country |  Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Official website | |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Midnight Eagle (ミッドナイト・イーグル Middonaito Iiguru?) is a 2007 action film directed by Izuru Narushima and written by Yasuo Hasegawa and Kenzaburo Iida, based on the novel by Tetsuo Takashima. Midnight Eagle is the third film directed by Izuru Narushima.[1]
The film opened in the United States on October 2, 2007 in Los Angeles. It was also shown October 20, 2007 at the Tokyo International Film Festival.[2] The film opened in limited release in the United States in New York City on November 23, 2007, and opened in Los Angeles on December 7, 2007.[3]
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[edit] Production
Executive producers were Keiji Kameyama, Kazutaka Akimoto, Yasuhide Uno, Riki Takano, and Kanjiro Sakura. Producers were Michihiko Umezawa, Masakazu Yoda, Teruo Noguchi, Tomiyasu Moriya, and Kei Fujiki.[4] The film was shot with the full cooperation of the Japan Ground Self Defense Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and Ministry of Defense.[5] Mountaineer Hirofumi Konishi was the special advisor for the scenes set in the Northern Alps.[5] Before shooting started, the crew of the film was given training in snow-covered mountains.[5] Midnight Eagle is the first mountain film set in Japan since The Precipice in 1958.[5]
[edit] Plot
A top secret American forces strategic bomber known as "Midnight Eagle" suddenly vanishes in the Northern Alps. Its payload is a specialized nuclear warhead. If it were to explode, the entire nation of Japan would be hurled into an unprecedented calamity. Prime Minister Takafumi Watarase convenes an emergency meeting of the Security Council of Japan. An elite squad from the Self-Defense Force able to operate in severe mountains conditions is formed, and heads off to try and recover the fuselage. Amidst the violent barrage of gunfire from agents of an enemy nation, an actual war is about to begin in the heart of Japan, 62 years after the end of World War II.
As former war photographer Yuji Nishizaki spends time in the mountains taking pictures of the skies, he is startled by gunfire, and notices the freshly spilled blood of soldiers on the snow. Aware that his country is under attack, Nishizaki seizes his camera and heads for the battlefield.
In Tokyo we encounter Keiko Arisawa, the only sister of Nishizaki's wife, who has died of illness. As Nishizaki never fully acknowledged his wife's condition, Keiko is extremely resentful of Nishizaki. Two years have passed since her sister's death, but Keiko still cannot forgive Nishizaki. While continuing to work as a magazine reporter, she has taken over custody of her sister and Nishizaki's son.
Nishizaki, his high school friend, the newspaper journalist Shinichiro Ochiai, and Major Akihiko Saeki of the Self-Defense Forces, find themselves In the midst of a terrible blizzard as they are desperately heading towards Midnight Eagle. Simultaneously in Tokyo, Keiko contacts an agent who might shed light on an accident she has become privy to. The agent reveals to her the situation going on in the Northern Alps.
Each protagonist is driven by a different set of motivations. Nishizaki risks his life in a battle to protect the life of the one he loves; Ochiai doesn't flinch from the onslaught of the enemy, his journalistic instinct driving him to record reality; Saeki risks all to protect his country and fulfill his professional duty as a member of the Self-Defense Forces. As to Takafumi Watarase, the anguished Prime Minister, he has no choice but to entrust the future of Japan to these three men. At last, Keiko finds the ﾒkeyﾓ to the incident that will determine everyone's fate.
With only two and a half hours remaining until the specialized warhead is to explode, will Keiko save Nishizaki, Ochiai and Saeki, and bring to a halt the crisis, which could change the fate of Japan? ref>Midnight Eagle (2007): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.</ref>[6]
[edit] Cast
- Takao Osawa as Yuji Nishizaki
- Yuko Takeuchi as Keiko Arisawa
- Hiroshi Tamaki as Shinichiro Ochiai
- A-Saku Yoshida as Major Akihiko Saeki
- Yoshihiko Hakamada as Toshimitsu Fuyuki
- Nao Omori as Major Kensuke Saito
- Ken Ishiguro as Tadao Miyata
- Tatsuya Fuji as Prime Minister Watarase
[edit] Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews by Western critics. As of November 24, 2007 on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 20% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 5 reviews.[7] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 48 out of 100, based on 6 reviews.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ Midnight Eagle. Retrieved 2007-11-24
- ^ Middonaito Îguru (2007) - Release dates. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
- ^ Midnight Eagle - Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
- ^ http://www.midnighteagle.jp/english/index.html Retrieved 2007-11-24
- ^ a b c d http://www.midnighteagle.jp/english/production.html Retrieved 2007-11-24
- ^ http://www.midnighteagle.jp/english/synopsis.html Retrieved 2007-11-24
- ^ Midnight Eagle - Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
- ^ Midnight Eagle (2007): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
