Karate Champ - Das Schwert des Todes

This is a terrible movie. The only decent acting is done by Rochelle Ashana.

Richard Norton may be big in the world of martial arts, however he should have stayed there - an actor he is not!

The timeslot selected for this movie on the local network was apt though - 1.30am - although, even in this time slot, it was a little hard to take!

Richard Norton has never had a great solo feature. That's a subjective statement, but I think it's fair, given that nobody seems to mention his starring vehicles among the great moments of his career. THE SWORD OF BUSHIDO had potential to be one of those moments, but loses it thanks to some stupid writing and a shortage of martial arts action. It may belong on the wish lists of collectors, but I don't know who else would be interested.

The story: An ex-Navy SEAL (Norton) searching for his grandfather's remains in Thailand is caught up in a fight for a historical Japanese sword stolen decades ago.

A film production can do a lot worse than director Adrian Carr, who has an eye for cinematography and does a lot with this one's rural and jungle settings. Leading man Norton is in great shape and looks every bit the star that Van Damme ever did, but disappointingly, his character is far from endearing. The movie's writer was on a machismo kick and crafted a story so blatantly worshipful of the white male hero that it's embarrassing. This is best illustrated thru the presentation of his costar Rochelle Ashana, who enters her role as an action star but devolves into a helpless love interest over the course of various tragedies. Norton's character comes across as lecherous and opportunistic in his romantic pursuits, and there's a tasteless moment wherein the script jokes about sexual harassment when that's exactly what its star is doing. Ugh.

The action content doesn't make up for much of this. Richard's one of those folks who must actively try before they make a bad fight scenes, but the four ones here merely hover around the "average" rank. The best of these is a decent swordfight with Toshihiro Obata, who shows up in the film's second half to grab the vacant role of the main villain. The rest of the adrenaline scenes – mainly shootouts – are likewise nothing special, but we get a little boost in the form of an absurd chase scene wherein Richard tails a car in a go-cart.

For my money, the best Richard Norton vehicle available now is UNDER THE GUN from 1995 – by when Richard's filmmakers had refined his style of fight scene and developed a better idea of what makes a strong character. A fan could do a lot worse than THE SWORD OF BUSHIDO, but also much better. Leave this one 'til you're really hurting for karate flicks.

My girlfriend bought me this for £1....approximately its true value.

Richard Norton sounds like Tony Curtis in "Some Like It Hot" when he puts on his Cary Grant accent, and is as wooden as Arnie.

The yakuza boss is hilariously incomprehensible, as is his situation i.e. where is the rest of his gang? His ?4 bodyguards get taken out quickly leaving him at Norton's mercy. He's a gang boss! Should be loads of them.

PMSL at the bedroom ninja scene after said ninja falls out of the window, stands up shaking his fist defiantly.....WHAM! Hit by a bus.

PMSL again during the car chase when he nicks the kids go-cart.

And as for his girlfriends cruel nipple torture......

All in all, one of those films that are so bad that they're worth seeing once just for the hell of it.

A poor martial arts film - its only redeeming quality is Richard Norton showing why he is one the world's best martial arts weapons experts. Plot - what plot?

With its lush locations around Phuket, Thailand, and a stellar starring turn by Richard Norton, "Sword of Bushido" is don't-miss action for adventure movie fans. As a U.S. military man with a family history of service, he's on a mission to recover and return a legendary sword to the people of Japan. He's got to keep both the prize and himself, along with his compatriots, out of danger and safe from the greedy adversaries for the sword. Norton proves again that he can play "good guys" that are compelling to his audiences in addition to the villains he has fine-tuned in movies such as "Mr. Nice Guy" and "Lady Dragon." Norton's diversity in choosing roles and his believability in either the hero or villain "niche" consistently establish him as a great lead in action movies. "Sword of Bushido" is another example of superior entertainment from a terrific actor!