Crying Freeman is an adaptation of a manga series of the same name. While I have no reference point to the source material, I am most reminded of John Woo(The Killer in particular and that really is not a bad thing). I am not implying that Crying Freeman is on par with The Killer, which it is'nt. But there are some similarities between Yo and Jeff from The Killer, as both men share a code of honor, prefer a life of non violence, are proficient at their occupation as professional hit men and throw everything out the window for love of a beautiful woman. Mark Dacascos is good in this and one of the most underrated action actors out there. This was directed by Christophe Gans(who reunited with Dacascos in Brotherhood Of The Wolf, a personal favorite). Obviously, it would not be fair to compare this to either Brotherhood Of The Wolf or The Killer, but it does have enough of its own flair and more depth than most of the more standard action movies out there. Crying Freeman does rely heavily on standard action conventions though there are times where it has elements that would be way to artsy to be seen in a Steven Seagal flick. Familiar to American viewers, Mako and Rae Dawn Chong appear as well. While somewhat flawed, I think overall Crying Freeman is a cool little action flick.
Review of Crying Freeman
