*** SPOILERS for both The HUNTED (1995) AND The HUNTED (2003) BELOW***
For a Lambert film, the supporting cast in general was great. Yoshio Harada and Tak Kubota in particular make this movie. Harada's screen presence, especially in the acton sequences, is amazing. I would love to see him in more english-speaking films. If it weren't for his age, he would be ideal for a new Lone Wolf & Cub film! Kubota, while perhaps playing a comic relief role, makes the character endearing and human. John Lone and Joan Chen are both very good too.
The Hunted (2003) was such a letdown in comparison. Del Toro was great as always, as was Jones. But you are correct, TLJ was on autopilot. It didn't take a lot of imagination to cast him in the role. I don't know if it was just a poor script, bad directing, or terrible editing that castrated that film. In the end, it was the end that ruined it. There was no real reason for the way it ended much less the manner in which it did so. Why did Del Toro's character have to die? How could Jones' character possibly win?
The Hunted (1995) while not taking itself so seriously or having as firm a basis in logic (the ghost of Kirina, Lambert's defeating of Kinjo, Lambert's even moderate besting of Takeda, Takeda thinking his army of students could have a chance against Kinjo's ninjas, Lambert running amok in Tokyo casinos before being saved by a little girl, etc.) still manages to be more believable.
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