Going by the cover art and credits for 'Gonin', you could easily be forgiven for expecting another exhilarating insight into the Yakuza underworld with Takeshi Kitano starring as the gun-toting anti-hero but sadly, this film isn't quite as clear cut as all that.

Bandai (Sato) was once a famous singer until the day he wound up hugely indebted to the Yakuza.  This ruined his glamorous lifestyle and he found himself operating out of their pocket as a humble night club owner.  Now his tolerance has reached boiling point and he decides to enlist the help of a few of the unsavoury characters he has encountered along to way to assist him in breaking free of his shackles.  Together they decide to rob the hideout of the local Yakuza boss but they have to remain anonymous if it is to go through successfully.  Of course, things never quite go according to plan and when one of the group is tortured into talking, the five men find themselves pursued by the Yakuza and a mysterious one-eyed hit man (Kitano).  On the run and wanted by some of the most dangerous men alive, you have to wonder what price the gang will pay for their freedom.

The first thing that is noticeable about 'Gonin' is that Takeshi Kitano is absent from a large portion of the movie and those expecting this to be his film will be disappointed.  That aside, what 'Gonin' does offer is  an over-the-top tale of the worm turning in which director Ishii utilises a combination of the cult gangster theme mixed with an overdose of the shock factor.  A promising enough concept you may think until you begin to watch the opening which greets you with numerous poorly explained flashbacks and the hurried introduction of several outskirt characters.  Having been bombarded with these puzzling visuals, Ishii then sees fit to introduce some grotesque character traits which have you wondering whether this was in fact the film for you.  I'm not a prude in any sense of the word but graphic scenes of rape and a father that batters his family to death are not my ideas of entertainment.  However, a plot does eventually arise from this mess and this is when 'Gonin' finally manages to present an attention grabbing narrative that entices you to watch until the finale.  Whether or not you last this long though depends on your opinions on the use of trendy violence in films.

From the cast, Kitano is the most recognisable face and puts in his usual "charismatic killer" performance but seeing as his role is a small one, its only by looking at the other actors that you can get a proper assessment of the acting in 'Gonin'.  Sato in the leading role should be the man who catches your eye but his performance is very lacklustre and he remains quiet and humbled throughout.  Thankfully though, Masahiro Motoki more than makes up for this as he leaps off the screen with a rollercoaster of emotions ranging from the maniacal to truly heartfelt which shows extreme promise from such a young actor.  The little action that accompanies the film is nothing outstanding but occasionally produces an heir of style that is befitting for this genre.  Kitano's presence adds a certain spark that is missing from the early shootouts but to be honest, it rarely amounts to anything that we haven't seen before and presented under better circumstances.

Ultimately, if you manage to remain interested whilst the film establishes a story and can tolerate the odd sense of the macabre then 'Gonin' does provide some flashes of excellence.  Perhaps it has gathered more hype than it deserves and the inclusion of Kitano is deceiving but the plot twists and stylish direction do keep you hanging on right up to the end.  In my opinion though, it's probably more of a rental than a purchase.