Plot: What’s it about?
The Zero Department is a lethal force of high level assassins, cold blooded killers who are involved in the most dangerous of assignments. But the police never try to halt their efforts, as this special task force is part of the team. The citizens don’t know this however, as Zero Department works in the shadows and keeps its work unknown to most people. One of the force’s finest assassins is Rei (Mikio Ohno), a gorgeous woman who has no past, or at least there is no known data about her previous life. She has turned into a cold, calculating assassin who lives to kill, with no remorse or hesitation. This makes her an ideal part of Zero Department, since not everyone could handle such intense assignments, but he does so with ease. Her combination of ice cold emotion and skill with weapons has her at the top of the ladder. But as cold as she is, Rei does have a heart and she is forced to deal with that when she meets a special someone. As she gets closer to her new love, her cold exterior begins to melt. This results in lessened success at work, which has her bosses displeased, to say the least. In order to keep the department on course, a new assassin is brought to replace Rei, as well as eliminate her. Can she take on her old bosses, or will she lose her new love and her new life?
As a fan of femme fatales in cinema, I have had a lot of fun with the Zero Woman series, which features one of the coolest femme fatales around. The Zero Woman movies are a blend of action and erotic elements, but don’t expect an Andy Sidaris type picture. I would call it more like La Femme Nikita with more naked bodies, given the focus on guns, chases, and assassins. The first few Zero Woman flicks were awesome, with just the right mixture of dark elements, hot chicks, and gun battles, which made for a lot of fun. So would The Hunted continue that trend, or as so often happens, would this be one sequel too many? As it happens, The Hunted is not on the same level as the earlier Zero Woman movies, not even close. Mikio Ohno is a hottie to be sure, but she seems out of place in this movie, unable to bring across that killer instinct. She has some moments, but a more cold, vicious woman was needed in this case. But even with a more capable lead, The Hunted would have failed thanks to a weak batch of writing and poor direction. The director seems to be lost in the action scenes, which come off as rushed and poorly designed. This movie needed to have potent action set pieces, but these are more laughable than effective. I wanted to like this movie, but even to devoted Zero Woman fans, this one ranks as a rental.
Video: How does it look?
Zero Woman: The Hunted is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. This was a shot on video project, which yields a less than impressive presentation. The print looks good, with no real debris or grain, but the visuals still have a soft presence. This is because of the nature of shooting on video, which makes it tough to come down on this transfer. After all, Central Park had limited source material to work with, so the margin for improvement was slim. You’ll see some jagged edges and shimmer spots, but not enough to ruin the experience. If you’ve seen these kind of Asian shot on video movies before, then you know about what to expect. The colors and contrast look acceptable, but aren’t quite up the usual DVD standard. The overall result is about par for this kind of production, which is about all we can ask, given the source elements involved.
Audio: How does it sound?
You’ll find dual language tracks have been included here, as the original Japanese soundtrack is joined by an English dub option. As always, I recommend the original language and with good reason, as dubs almost always lose the intended texture of the material. I know subtitles aren’t perfect either, but at least you hear the dialogue as intended, instead of via some haphazard voice talent crew. The dialogue is well placed and never hard to understand, while the music & sound effects are also well presented. You won’t be dazzled here, but the material is covered and that’s what counts. This disc also includes optional English subtitles, so even if you don’t speak Japanese, you’re covered here.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some bonus artwork, a selection of outtakes from the dubbing session, and the film’s trailer.
