"House of Bamboo has some of the most stunning examples of widescreen photography in the history of cinema." - Keith Uhlich

Although Ryan does not disappoint, Stack's not at his best, and love scenes between him and Shirley Yamaguchi are stilted and uncomfortable to watch. The real star in this remake of "The Street with No Name" (1948) is the Cinemascope view of post war Japan and the finale in a Tokyo amusement park.

There's not really any suspense or mystery to be had here, but style pulls it through. There's something decidedly modern in the camera angles and movements, and the widescreen lens is used to tremendous effect. The Tokyo locations are used well, and the film succeeds in not exploiting Japanese culture, though it doesn't provide much real insight either.

Despite being color, the tone is unmistakably noir, and I always enjoy watching noir. The Tokyo setting is a nice twist, and Fuller makes good use of the locations. The story is nothing new, but it's a fun time with a thrilling ending. I have yet to be all that impressed by Fuller, but this is my favorite of his so far, with a few very clever shots. As a child of the 70's and 80's, however, I can't look at Robert Stack without thinking about Airplane!.