But the film’s out-of-touch attempts at humor may find them hunting for the reason the franchise was so popular in the first place.Everything old is new again. Longtime fans will no doubt have fun seeing Ryo on his first mission in 20 years, and newcomers will probably dig the well-animated action sequences. There’s even a cameo from the women of “Cat’s Eye,” another classic Tsukasa Hojo property. Drones, smartphones and other signs of the times aside, this is the classic “City Hunter” formula, down to the iconic closing theme by TM Network. “Shinjuku Private Eyes” is clearly working the nostalgia angle hard.
It’s probably not spoiling anything to reveal those drones don’t remain dormant throughout the whole film - the climactic battle features some classic “City Hunter” action as Ryo repels them with his trusty Magnum. Fearing for her life, Ai writes “XYZ” on that iconic Shinjuku signboard (now powered by smartphone augmented reality), and it’s Ryo to the rescue, his attempts to cop a feel notwithstanding. Ai’s father created the final, essential component of those drones, and now Shinji needs her help to unlock it. As it turns out, his company is secretly developing an army of advanced military-grade attack drones. She’s being trailed by a team of mercenaries dispatched by Shinji Mikuni (Koichi Yamadera), the young genius founder of a giant tech company.
The woman Ryo is protecting this time around is Ai Shindo (Marie Iitoyo), the daughter of a scientist recently killed in a suspicious traffic accident. The fact that Kaori has to keep a constant eye on him, lest he put his hands all over the woman he has been hired to protect, is not a good look in 2019. “City Hunter” shares something else with Bond: Ryo’s womanizing has not aged well.
While the original series featured copyright infringement-dodging storefronts like “Pizza House,” Ryo now downs glasses of Suntory beer, complete with big ol’ logo close-ups. Product placement in anime has come a long way, too. Unlike the Shinjuku of “City Hunter” past, the city has become a squeaky-clean tourist attraction - in the opening sequence, Ryo saves Kabukicho’s new Godzilla statue from near destruction, after which it lets out a roar in ostensible appreciation. The first “City Hunter” film in two decades, “City Hunter The Movie: Shinjuku Private Eyes,” brings Ryo and company into the 21st century, where they haven’t aged a day - much like whenever James Bond gets recast. City Hunter The Movie: Shinjuku Private Eyes RatingĬut to 2019.
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