In the interest of full disclosure, anime's not really my thing. So I was drawn to this movie by the apparent Internet celebrity of the titular character Duke Togo (classified as Golgo 13). Which is curious, because the title character looks eerily like game show host Richard Dawson, and doesn't say much. So how he's irresistible to women in the movie is beyond me. But he's also the star of a line of comics, and not to mention a TV series.This particular movie finds our resident badass in the crosshairs of an oil tycoon (named ... wait for it ... Richard Dawson[!]). Dawson ain't too happy when Duke puts a bullet in his son's head, and decides to use all of his resources (FBI, CIA, etc.) to get even. Said revenge campaign involves various freaks of nature, men in suits yelling into phones, and lots of signature shots of Duke shooting stuff. Also, Duke walks away from every gunfight.Which is part of the reason this film didn't blow my skirt up. I didn't believe for a second that the main character would come to harm (let alone death). And the violence unfurls in such a dramatic slow motion that it cuts any tension or suspense with a Rambo survival knife. And you would think that a movie that features so many topless ladies would be a fool-proof source of titillation. Not so. Every woman has that plastic look of a stripper (such is the downside to anime ladies). Then there's that score, which was obviously supposed to be "noir sax", but just sounds like some malicious brand of Adult Contemporary.Not for me.5/10-----03/09/16 RevisionThis is why I'm such a proponent for rewatches. Perspective change is always a good thing. What I missed about "Golgo 13" the first time around is, well, the point. The whole thing boils down to style, and the movie's simmering with it. The angles, the camera movements, blood flow, inventive kills, hot women . . . all of this goes into a potent stew of luridity. You don't come to this for the messy narrative - you do so for Duke Togo's lethal turtleneck badassery (dude shoots through a building, for god's sake). Speaking of which, he doesn't look anything like Richard Dawson (I dunno what the hell I was thinking). He reminds me of Ken Takakura (he was in "The Yakuza"). It's not a movie I can watch on a regular basis, but there's no mistaking the movie's got style.6/10

It should be known before I start that I'm not a fan of anime at all whatsoever. It usually bores me or is way too bizarre for my taste. That wasn't the case with The Professional. I loved this film so much and I'm very glad that I saw it. I was entertained the whole way through. It truly is a blast.The blood is this one is absolutely awesome! I also loved Golgo's character and the story moved pretty well also. It's not a movie you're gonna wanna show to the kids but if you love gory action flicks, you'll definitely want to check it out. And please, please don't let the fact that it's an anime discourage you from seeing it, it's the best anime I've ever seen!

Duke Togo. Man on a mission. And the mission appears to be ‘kill as many people as you can'.This film is what James Bond would be if Eon had any balls. The Professional is a gun for hire. If he accepts a contract then he always hits his target. He takes all the best parts of Bond (being as hard as a coffin nail and bedding various beauties) and detaches all the cheesy dialogue.Duke Togo is a cold blooded killer. We never feel for him, but we do root against the baddies. He never smiles, isn't ever nice, but lives by a marginal code of honour, which we sort of respect. Like I said, its hard to empathise with Duke Togo, but we do sort of understand him.The story itself is pretty good and amazingly coherent for a title of this genre. It deals with deception, double crossing, revenge, hate and violence. We soon come to realise that Duke is a pawn in the middle of things. Albeit a pawn with the ability to shoot the head off a match. Being an early 80's production, the animation isnt that impressive, although the realistic approach is very good and gives the film some authenticity. We also get to see some rudimentary CGI (which shows the ambition of the project), in the form a helicopter gunship.All in all The Professional is a very entertaining watch. Girls, guns and a whole lot of maiming. It looks a shade dated now (20 years on), but still packs quite a punch.

THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is an archetypal animated crime drama. This is a relentlessly brutal film about one man's crusade to destroy the elusive figure who was solely responsible for the murder of his own kin. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is also an emotionally disturbing film which demonstrates the pain and distress of having to cope with the loss of a love one. It serves as a chilling reminder of how human beings can easily succumb to the power of suffering. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is a tautly made film dealing with the psychological mind, but most importantly of all, it is a thriller that leaves you on the edge-of-your-seat from the first frame to the finish.Duke Togo (a.k.a. Golgo 13) is an assassin for hire. He does not care about his clients at all; he only cares about himself and his money. Devoid of emotion, Golgo's life is predominated by violence and sex. Golgo's latest mission is to terminate Mr. Robert Dawson, the son of a wealthy oil-business baron, Leonard Dawson. With just a single bullet, Golgo 13 has successfully accomplished this task. Meanwhile, Mr. Leonard Dawson, understandably aggravated with the death of his only son, has vowed to terminate this assassin once and for all. Leonard Dawson is usually use to `getting what he wants,' but this entrepreneur does not realize what a formidable foe Golgo 13 might be...Desperate, Leonard Dawson has hired a number of professional mercenaries and agencies to assist him in tracking and eliminating his loose cannon. Along the way, Dawson has employed a ruthless, cold-blooded killer named `Snake' to personally make sure that Golgo 13 suffer a violent and painful demise... However, Golgo 13 always manages to be ahead of the game. Whenever danger strikes, this elusive hitman always succeeds in escaping with his life. He is quick, agile, and intuitive, but consequently, he is a man with little sentiment...Golgo 13 is constantly on the run from the menacing villains of every color. Will Golgo 13 be able to save his own skin...or will he truly meet his match with a professional adversary?THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is certainly an adult-oriented tale. This is an extremely sickening film, with grotesque deaths being shown in explicit detail second by second. The color red tends to literally predominate the screen at times. Typical of the Japanese animation style is also the gratuitous use of frontal female nudity, especially since virtually every female in this movie removes her clothes at least once during the film's duration. Indeed, as shown by the abundance of sanguinary violence, soft-core sex scenes (Golgo's love-making scene with `Cindy' is particularly steamy.) and unclothed females, THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is animation made strictly for mature audiences.It would be unfair to dismiss THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 just because of its excessive violence and nudity. Unlike most films of this caliber, what is admiring about this movie is that though it is full of sex and violence, it does not let those two qualities overshadow the film's technical and also rather profound attributes. First, the technical accomplishments in this movie are plentiful. The camerawork and editing are stylishly done. They often shift from the use of freeze frames to slow motion sequences to split screen features. The animation too, is marvelous; the use of different colors and lighting effects are utilized to the first degree in order to symbolize a certain character's behavior such as pleasure or anger. As well, the computer generated action scenes near the end are themselves a masterfully created piece of work. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 contains some of the best artwork and details of a modern animated feature. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is also a trenchant character study. This movie shows the mental anguish and vulnerability in the human soul, as demonstrated by the erratic behavior Leonard Dawson displays. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 spares no punches as it illustrates that human misery does not only affect the individual himself; it could also affect his loved ones just as sharply. This motion picture shows as well how an obsession with revenge will leave a person devastated even more deeply. It is a very sad movie indeed, but this movie dares you to actually show sorrow for many of the characters involved in the predicament... What makes THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 even more remarkable is the film's diversely outrageous cast of characters. They range from the sick and bizarre lunatic, `Snake,' to the deformed twins `Gold' and `Silver,' and then, to the sexy, lascivious lady, `Cindy.' The breakthrough character sketches in this movie (plus the state-of-the-art animation) make the viewer believe that instead of watching a lame cartoon, he/she is experiencing an actual feature presentation. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is truly `number one...with a bullet.'Overall, THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is a unique experience. Unlike most superficial, one-dimensional cartoon presentations, THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is a realistic (albeit still an animated feature) film that is rather plaintive, bleak, and depressing. At the same time though, THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 will leave you breathless as the amazing action and gritty visuals will keep you addicted for more excitement. The animation especially, is notably conceived. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is a destined cult hit in the making. Though this is an animated film, the spellbinding plot, assured direction, plus the three dimensional characters and strong themes help give this motion picture a potently authentic quality. There are more than enough plot twists to keep you enthralled even after the denouncement. Plus, a powerful subtext (amongst many) about how the letting of one's emotions cloud his/her thoughts can easily cripple one's life forever will keep the viewer suitably mesmerized. This is a film that will leave you contemplating about how delicate the human soul really is... If you are looking for a near perfect thriller, then search no further. RATING: ***1/2 out of ****.