Ghost Dog (2000)

   
GHOST DOG is an amusing-if-overlong mob revenge tale that's also 
part Chicken Soup For the Samurai Soul, complete with intermittent 
excerpts from an 18th Century warrior text.  (Oddly, the advice to 
"wipe on, wipe off" is not included.)  Forrest Whitaker plays the 
title character-- an urban assassin in the employ of a mobster who 
once saved his life.  His dirty deeds are dependable, but when a 
hit is witnessed by an unexpected witness, the boss gives the or-
der that a certain dog be put to sleep.  Mayhem ensues, along with 
several fitfully funny scenes of aging, old-school wise guys trying 
to track the shadowy samurai.  Very droll.  With Isaach de Bankole 
and Camille Winbush.  The goodfellas include John Tormey, Cliff 
Gorman, and ol' Henry Silva, who doesn't appear to have aged in 
twenty years.  He must've beaten up Dick Clark for the formula.  
Jim Jarmusch both writes and directs.  (Rated "R"/116 min.)

Grade: B-

Copyright 2000 Michael J. Legeros
Movie Hell is a trademark of Michael J. Legeros

Originally posted to triangle.movies as MOVIE HELL: March 26, 2000