Golgo 13: The Professional

Golgo 13: The Professional, known as simply Golgo 13 (ゴルゴ) in Japan, is a Japanese animated film adaptation of the Golgo 13 manga series released on May 28, 1983 by Tokyo Movie Shinsha. It is the first animated film to be based on the manga and the third film overall. It is also the first animated film to incorporate CGI animation, created by Koichi Omura and Satomi Mikuriya at Toyo Links Co., Ltd.. The most notable example of this is during the helicopter attack on Dawson Tower.

Synopsis
After assassinating an unknown target, Golgo 13 is hired to kill Robert Dawson, son of tycoon Leonard Dawson, and succeeds. Angered by the death of his son, Dawson vows revenge.

Meanwhile, Golgo 13 is hired by a man named Bishop Moretti to kill a mob boss named Dr. Z. To do this, he gets close to Cindy, Dr. Z's daughter. After some investigation, he discovers that Cindy & Dr. Z are one and the same, so he kills her. Her thugs attempt to kill him, but he manages to flee.

Later, Golgo 13 discovers that Pago has been mortally wounded in a church, after which he is attacked by three assassins and wounded by one of them. During his escape, the church is blown up by a military force led by Bob Bragan. Afterwards, Golgo 13 meets up with a clockmaker, whose final words are a warning to him about a powerful organization that's on his tail.

Meanwhile, Dawson has hired E. Young of the CIA, F. Garvin of the FBI, and army General T. Jefferson to take down Golgo 13. Bragan suggests that they send their three assassins after Snake, a genetically-altered assassin. The three assassins are wiped out.

Golgo 13's next job takes him to San Francisco, where he is to eliminate Bernhart Mueller, a former Nazi-SS captain going by the pseudonym of "Don Hughes". He receives help from a mechanic named Rita, who gives him a modified Ford Laser and modifies his M16. Despite the impossible odds, Golgo 13 kills Mueller. He then gets into a car chase with Bragan's men, during which his car is destroyed and Bragan is killed. Snake also murders Rita.

Having been consumed by revenge, Dawson has begun to allow the rest of his family to be harmed. For Snake's cooperation, he allows him to rape Laura, Robert's wife, and sends his granddaughter, Emily, and butler, Albert, to an airport to murder Golgo 13 with a firearm concealed in a doll. The shot misses, and the butler reaches for his handgun. Golgo 13 shoots Albert in the chest, a crowd gathers, and he walks away nonchalantly.

Dawson, in a meeting with the FBI, CIA and the Pentagon, demands the release of Gold and Silver, two notorious murderers who were part of a covert government operation to test the survival rate of mercenaries in the jungles of South America. When the group refuses his request because Gold and Silver are on death row, Dawson threatens to halt all operations that his company controls, which include oil refineries and banks. The group agrees to his demands in fear that the economy of the country will collapse. When Laura demands to know why Dawson has refused to seek vengeance on whoever ordered the hit on Robert, he refuses to answer.

Pablo, an informant for Golgo 13, informs him that Dawson ordered the hit on him and that Dawson is waiting for him at Dawson Tower. Pablo goes on to inform him that his wife and children are being kept at ransom in the tower. He proceeds to shoot Golgo 13 with an M1911 pistol, but the latter has the upper hand.

Golgo 13 arrives at Dawson Tower in New York City, crashing through the front door while riding a motorcycle. He begins his ascent to the top floor on foot. First, he plays a game of cat and mouse with a fleet of helicopter gunships sent to kill him. While on the move, he is attacked by Snake. They fight each other in an elevator, and despite suffering a nasty cut, Golgo 13 gains the upper hand, and an attack helicopter shoots the elevator, killing Snake while Golgo 13 hides in a spot where the helicopter can't see him.

Gold and Silver are then sent to ambush Golgo 13. During the attack, Golgo counters both of them, and shoots both of them in their torso, apparently killing them. While reloading his revolver, Gold and Silver attack once more; During the fight, Golgo 13 shoots Gold and stuffs a grenade in Silver's mouth.

Realizing that all is lost, Dawson calls off the attacks on Golgo 13. When the two meet face to face, Dawson gives a brief monologue about flowers and how Golgo 13 re-ignited his passions. Then, he throws himself out the window. It is revealed that Robert Dawson felt that he couldn't live up to his father's legacy and wanted to commit suicide, but he didn't have the courage to do it himself, so he hired Golgo 13 to kill him instead. During the fall, the elder Dawson is shot and killed by Golgo 13, but the police rule his death as accidental.

Towards the end, Golgo 13 meets Laura, who has now turned to prostitution. A shot rings out, and Golgo 13 walks away in the pre-credits scene.

Trivia

 * Golgo 13: The Professional was one of the first - if not the first - animated movies to incorporate CG animation. The most notable example of this is during the helicopter attack on Dawson Tower.
 * According to Helen McCarthy, The Professional was based on various Western action films the writers had used for inspiration. Ironically, the film's own influence can be seen in later Western films.
 * Leonard Dawson is loosely patterned after actor/game show host Richard Dawson, who was also an immigrant from England who found success in the United States.
 * Rita's Ford dealership sells models that were not available in the USA at the time, including Golgo 13's Laser.