Hissatsu onna kenshi

Etsuko "Sue" Shiomi stars as the daughter of a karate master who trains her to be his instrument of revenge against those who permanently crippled him. From the time that she's about eight, her father mercilessly trains her in karate, night and day, excluding school and even friends from the young girl's life. She grows into a reluctant warrior with no life at all outside of her training.

Unlike a lot of films that have the same basic plot, DRAGON PRINCESS has at its heart a real sadness for the waste of this poor girl's life. Even if she succeeds at her mission, what then? All she knows is vengeance. The print and film-making quality is not great, but give it a chance for it's unique viewpoint.

OK. If you are around my age and went to high school back in the late '70s in Florida, then you probably remember a little Saturday afternoon show called "Black Belt Theatre". Every week they showed another badly dubbed, low budget martial arts flick.

And I LOVED it! It was here that I first remember seeing Etsuko "Sue" Shiomi. I can't remember the actual movie but it might have been Sister Streetfighter. In any case, I was a die-hard fan from then on. So when I first saw a copy of Dragon Princess on VHS a few years later at the local Blockbuster, I scarfed it up. Yeah, Sonny Chiba has only a small part in it and the budget is typically minuscule, but if you can get past that then you are in for one fun ride! Sue Shiomi does an excellent job as the revenge seeking daughter of Sonny Chiba's character. The villains though, especially the blind swordsman, in my opinion steal the show. Each fight is unique and entertaining with the violence being, of course, over the top.

A few years ago I found this gem on DVD. If you get the chance, grab it up. Trust me; you'll have a blast!

If you see this one for Chiba - don't!! If you wanna see an action/martial arts flick like a Sonny Chiba movie - then see it!! It has eye gouging and blood enough to please a Chiba fan. And Etsuko Shihomi is a tough chick and kicks ass very well!!!! It is rare to see female action stars in Japan - so indulge yourself to a treat! The fights are good and the story almost nonexistent, but it is great entertainment for a no-brainer evening - and she is actually quite good-looking, so an extra bonus there!!

To sum this movie up as briefly as possible (it does not need elaboration)... karate master (Sonny Chiba) is crippled by evil assailants, then trains daughter (Sue Shiomi) in the art of karate, mindless vengeance and coldhearted blood-letting. (I don't know, I would have encouraged her into dentistry or some other respectable profession, but that's just me) There are some good choreographed moves, and Shiomi, like Chiba, displays a penchant for not only kicking an opponent's ass but making a point of crushing her opponent's bones and internal organs afterwards.

In a lot of the fights though, the techniques are obscured by bad and changing camera angles.

Overall, not that great. You are only going to want to see this if you are a Sonny Chiba fan.

Funky Nipponese martial arts period piece.Chiba stamps his trademark well & truly.Things progress along nicely with a standard plot line.Camera-work is a bit dodgy but who cares.The fight sequences are masterfully turned out.Definitely worth a look if you like this genre. This movie has enough blood and action to maintain the viewer's interest though because of its technical shortcomings can be hard to follow at times visually. Lots of dark sequences contributing to the general mayhem with a hokey soundtrack. The dubbed dialog is somewhat stilted,but who cares,this is ultimate fun to watch. Chiba has a long track record for making wickedly masterful fight films,one can only equate the fight sequences with high ballet. This is early fare but still serves up the usual dollop of action.