Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon (1977) | Region-Free (DVD) | Starring Sonny Chiba

Title: Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon (1977)

Alternate Title: ゴルゴ13：九竜の首 (Golgo 13: Kûron no kubi)

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

Plot Synopsis:
Duke Togo, codenamed Golgo 13, is a professional assassin hired by an American drug syndicate to eliminate Hong Kong’s underworld kingpin, Chou Lei Fang, who has been selling their drugs through his own channels. As Golgo 13 navigates the seamy, violent streets of Hong Kong to complete his mission, he faces relentless pursuit from Detective ‘Smitty’ Smith, who is determined to stop him at any cost. The film is an explosive adventure that delves into the dangerous world of international crime and assassination.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Yukio Noda
• Writers: Isao Matsumoto, Nobuaki Nakajima
• Cast:
  • Sonny Chiba as Duke Togo / Golgo 13
  • Callan Leung as Detective ‘Smitty’ Smith
  • Etsuko Shihomi as Lin Li
  • Jerry Ito as Polansky
  • Lun Chia as Chou Lei Fang

YouTube Trailer:
Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon (1977) |Trailer

IMDb Link:
Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon (1977)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Daniel Shillito – ★★★★☆
   “Going into Assignment Kowloon, I was half expecting to see a campy 70s chop-socky interpretation which capitalized more on the success and fame of Sonny Chiba to earn a quick buck. But as it turns out, this is not only a damn fine representation of its source material but a damn fine movie in its own right.”
2. Nikoxenos – ★★★½☆
   “Duke Togo is back, only a few scant years after his debut by Takakura Ken. This time Sonny Chiba is at the helm, and generally it is a much better effort than the original. Instead of taking place completely overseas, Assignment Kowloon compromises with a setting that changes from Hong Kong to Japan.”
3. Timmy Williams – ★★★★☆
   “A different kind of Sonny Chiba movie, based on the popular manga (and later weird-ass Nintendo game) GOLGO 13. There is some karate, but this is more of an assassination procedural, and Chiba is great as a quiet sniper named Duke Togo who wears great suits and bangs all the ladies. The plot moves, the ending is fun, and the requisite ‘cop trying to figure out what the audience already knows’ character is pretty interesting!”

Meta Description:
“Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon” (1977) is a Japanese action thriller directed by Yukio Noda, featuring Sonny Chiba as the enigmatic assassin Duke Togo, codenamed Golgo 13, on a mission to eliminate a Hong Kong crime lord while evading a determined detective.