Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
When a prostitute is found dead in a Los Angeles skyscraper occupied by a large Japanese corporation, detectives John Connor and Web Smith are called in to investigate. Although Connor has previous experience working in Japan, cultural differences make their progress difficult until a security disc showing the murder turns up. Close scrutiny proves the disc has been doctored, and the detectives realize they're dealing with a cover-up as well.
Rising Sun is a serviceable mid-90s thriller that benefits from an interesting cultural clash premise drawn from Michael Crichton's novel. Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes make a decent odd-couple pairing, though the material doesn't fully challenge either. The plot holds some intrigue around the doctored security footage and corporate cover-up, but the mystery unravels in a fairly conventional way. The cinematography is functional but unremarkable for the era. The film's novelty lies mainly in its Japan-America cultural tension angle, which was more distinctive at the time, though the execution feels somewhat dated and occasionally stereotypical now. The ending deflates rather than satisfies, tying things up in a rushed and anticlimactic fashion that underserves the buildup.