Gung Ho on DVD

Ron Howard's Gung Ho is not only hilarious, it's a good motivational movie for today's worker.

Michael Keaton stars as Hunt Stevenson, foreman at a now closed auto plant in small town USA. He goes to Japan to beg Assan Motors to reopen the plant, which they agree to do - but with their own management team (led by failed executive Kazihiro, played by Gedde Watanabe) and their own management methods.

What follows is a culture clash and a battle of union vs. non union mentality, a very real life yet very funny look at the people thrown together as Assan tries to build quality cars their way and the Americans try to build quality cars their way.

The differences in culture are possibly best (and hilariously) illustrated when Keaton invites Watanabe's Japanese executives to compete against them in a softball game. Keaton says they only play for beer ("As do we" replies Watanabe) and that afterward they go outside and pee for distance (to which Watanabe replies that they do it for accuracy).

And that's the tone of the movie. There are no good guys or bad guys, just people trying to make their way through life in the best way they know. As the film unfolds, and through the conflicts and culture shock, the Americans learn that the Japanese have much to teach them - while the Japanese learn exactly the same about their new American friends.

Keaton is terrific as the fast talking Stevenson; he's brash and confident, but he has his heart in the right place and works very hard to make the new situation work. Watanabe is also very good as the beleaguered executive who's stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The supporting cast, including George Wendt, Mimi Rogers, and Ron's dad Rance and brother Clint, is excellent.

The DVD is also very good. Presented in anamorphic widescreen (16x9 TV compatible), the picture is sharp and clean with good color. Audio is Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and, though there isn't much surround, the sound quality is fine.

Unfortunately, there are no extras on the disc.

Gung Ho may have been made in 1986, but it rings just as true today - perhaps even more true.

Gung Ho, from Paramount Home Video
112 min. anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1), 16x9 TV compatible, Dolby Digital 5.1
Starring Michael Keaton, Gedde Watanabe, Mimi Rogers, George Wendt
Produced by Tony Ganz and Deborah Blum
Written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, Directed by Ron Howard

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