Golgo 13: The Professional, known as simply Golgo 13 (ゴルゴ
Synopsis[]
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
After assassinating an unknown target, Golgo 13 is hired to kill Robert Dawson, son of oil tycoon Leonard Dawson, and succeeds.
Later, 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. Her thugs attempt to kill him, but he manages to win the resulting battle. After some investigation, he discovers that Cindy & Dr. Z are one and the same, and kills her. Afterwards, he is suddenly attacked by a mystery group, but manages to escape.
Later, Golgo 13 discovers Moretti's assistant, Pago, has been tortured and 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 discovers that his contact, a Clockmaker, has been murdered. With his final breath, the clockmaker warns him about a powerful organization that's on his tail.
Meanwhile, it is revealed that Leonard Dawson, having sworn revenge for his son's death, has hired E. Young of the CIA, F. Garvin of the FBI, and army General T. Jefferson to take down Golgo 13. As they argue about their failed attempt to kill Golgo 13, Bragan suggests that they pit their three assassins against Snake, a genetically-altered assassin he has hired to kill Golgo 13. In the resulting duel, the three other 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 heavy resistance from Bragan, 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, and walks away nonchalantly as a crowd gathers,
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, reveals to him that it was Dawson whom ordered the hit on him and that Dawson is waiting for him at his company headquarters, Dawson Tower. Pablo goes on to inform him that his wife and children are being kept at ransom in the tower. He attempts 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, killing both of them.
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.
Afterward, Golgo 13 runs into Laura, who has now turned to prostitution. Recognizing him, she pulls out a gun and tries to shoot him, but Golgo 13 simply walks away as the end credits roll.
Cast[]
| Character | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Duke Togo/Golgo 13 | Tetsurō Sagawa | Gregory Snegoff |
| Leonard Dawson | Gorō Naya | Michael McConnohie |
| Robert Dawson | Kei Tomiyama | Tony Oliver |
| Laura Dawson | Reiko Mutō | Edie Mirman |
| Rita | Kumiko Takizawa | Diane Michelle |
| Cindy/Dr. Zed | Toshiko Fujita | Joyce Kurtz |
| Emily Dawson | Kumiko Takizawa | Karlyn Michelson |
| General T. Jefferson | Kiyoshi Kobayashi | Edward Mannix |
| E. Young | Ichirō Murakoshi | Michael Forest |
| Bob Bragan | Kōsei Tomita | Michael Reynolds |
| F. Garvin | Shingo Kanemoto | David Povall |
| Bishop Moretti | Rokuro Naya | John Dantona |
| Pablo | Takeshi Aono | Kerrigan Mahan |
| Pago | Shunsuke Shima | Steve Kramer |
| Albert | Kōichi Kitamura | Milton James |
| The Clockmaker | Koichi Chiba | Jeff Winkless |
| Cindy's Bodyguard | Daisuke Gouri | Kerrigan Mahan |
| Cindy's Minion | Issei Futamata | Jeff Winkless |
| Computer 1 Operator | Kazuo Hayashi | Carl Macek |
| Jailer | Yusaku Yara | Simon Prescott |
| Snake | Mitsuo Senda | Gregory Snegoff |
| Gold | N/A | Eddie Frierson |
| Silver | N/A | Kerrigan Mahan |
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.