Copyright © Hojo Tsukasa / Shueisha - YTV - Sunrise

Is CITY HUNTER: .357 MAGNUM a hard-boiled action thriller, or a silly sexcapade? Did I just watch 80 minutes of furious firearms and tense drama; or was I just a voyeur to one well-armed man's quest for nookie in all the wrong places? I still can't decide, but you know what, maybe that's okay.
CITY HUNTER: .357 MAGNUM is both goofy and intense. The action is terrifically hackle-raising, and the comedy is oftentimes hilarious. Unfortunately, it is the occasionally faulty transition between these two modes that I found jarring. There are some dismal periods where this movie wallows between the next joke and the next shoot-out, soaking in a few characters' over-the-top sentimentality. In the end though, I forgive .357 MAGNUM for its down moments, because the rest was so much fun to watch!
As police informants and international spies converge in Tokyo, a beautiful concert pianist named Nina Shutenberg turns to Saeba Ryo, the famous City Hunter, to discover the identity of her father. Part marksman, part private eye and part pervert, Ryo has the help of the blind strongman Umibozu and the courageous, if somewhat inept, Kaori to protect Nina from sinister diplomats and heavily-fortified terrorists. The story takes a couple exciting turns along its way to an unexpected conclusion, with only City Hunter's desperate romantic situation left unresolved.
The clothes and hairstyles do come across a little dated and, at times, the animation does as well. Particularly when the characters are speaking to each other, the animation is staid and nearly lifeless. However, the action sequences are truly remarkable with quick transitions and inventive choreography, particularly the penultimate two-men-against-an-army battle and the elegantly climactic final duel. The animation of the comedy is intriguing also, where characters at the center of joke wear bizarre expressions as little birds and dragonflies suddenly dance around them (a carry-over from Hojo's manga).
The humor centers almost exclusively upon Ryo's love life, or lack thereof. The incessant appearances of sledgehammers to literally beat down Ryo's raging libido did get tiresome, but watching him perform his early morning "nookie exercises" was extremely entertaining.
The second in the line of CITY HUNTER to be released by A.D. Vision, this was the only true CITY HUNTER movie. (It's original title was "A Magnum of Love and Destiny" or "A Magnum of Love's Destination," depending on which translation you prefer.) Clearly .357 MAGNUM fits into the larger CITY HUNTER saga, and I hope there is more done regarding Kaori's obvious devotion to Ryo and his inexplicable inability to properly return her affections. CITY HUNTER has a distinct personality and style, and I trust that the rest of the series maintains the high standards set by this installment.

Released (in N. America) by ADV Films, Inc.
VHS, 80 mins
dubbed: #VHSCH/002D $19.98
subtitled: #VHSCH/002S $29.95
Available now in the USA
Where to buy