Kozure satsujin ken

Out of the 8 or so Sonny Chiba movies I've seen this ranks 2nd only to The Streetfighter. Amazing action, awesome slow motion editing (that speeds up on impact at times), and drama too. Sonny gives one of his best performances.

Gangs are smashing the pachinko parlor and Sonny Chiba is smoking Tiparellos. He drags an injured man to a talkative doctor who tells us the entire plot of the movie. I am used to that sort of thing watching these movies and tolerate it. One thing I can't tolerate is annoying children in movies. Sonny meets an annoying kid who is fishing.

The story is brother versus brother in the gangster business and Sonny versus samurai in the martial arts business.

The fights are overall above average. My one complaint is the shakey and too close camera technique that was sometimes used. Directors back then really needed a steady hand held camera to get the shots they wanted but it was not invented yet. They still tried to get the shot and the shakes spoiled it.

I wasn't expecting much from KARATE WARRIORS, but I have to say that this film really delivered! Judging by the comments it seems to be mixed up with the STREET FIGHTER franchise, but it's a stand-alone thriller loosely based on the YOJIMBO storyline. Chiba plays a karate-fighter who arrives in a seaside town brutalised by a couple of warring yakuza brothers. Dualism is the focus here, as there are two sisters, one of whom is a virgin and the other a prostitute, while our hero's dark side is tempered by his relationship with an innocent little boy. The story is packed with stylish action sequences which innovate in terms of super slow-motion and shaky camerawork, while the human story is oddly affecting come the end. A strong little fight flick at the end of the day.

"The Deadliest Dragon That Ever Smashed the Street Gangs!" "Karate Warriors" is a somewhat confusing but enjoyable final entry in the "Street Fighter" series we all know and love.

The story this time around involves Chico (Chiba) a mysterious man who arrives in a town run by two warring gangs. Chico has to make sure they keep warring because he wants to get the heroin stash and keep the gangs off his back. Meanwhile he develops a friendship with a young boy. Added into this mix is a crazy man who dresses in traditional samurai garb and is chopping people up with a samurai sword. Will Chico use his awesome beat-em-up skills to win the day? The VHS tape under consideration for this review is titled "Karate Warrior". While the on-screen title reads: Karate Warriors. The Karate Warrior print has poor dubbing and it is Pan & Scan. It is hard to tell who is talking on screen. The plot is hard enough to decipher as it is, without having to figure who is talking - Kelso? Or Heega? While the gangs are confused and wondering if Chico is a "Karate Fighter?", Chico has already made his way through some impressive fights. For example, in a brawl with a man that appears to be a lumberjack, he rips Chico's sleeve and it is clobberin' time! These technical flaws are almost forgotten about because the fights are so cool and fun to watch. The fights are slowed down and sped up for maximum impact. Chiba takes no prisoners and it looks like the kicking and punching is full contact. The fights are brutal in true "Street Fighter" tradition and the tempo changes are almost musical.

The final battle takes place on a beach and we wonder if Chico is going to find the key to the hidden heroin stash. But before he can get there, there is an all-out melee. Impressively, it is a sword and karate fight at the same time! Chiba does display a sensitive side with the young tot. Insanity is reached with the the crazy Samurai guy in modern day 70's Japan.

Karate Warrior is a tough, no-nonsense fight to the finish! Comeuppance Review by: Ty & Brett For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

Karate Warriors (1976) is a movie that I recently watched for the first time in a long time on Tubi. The storyline follows a man who discovers two rival gangs are at war and one of the gang's leaders has died leaving a huge stash of heroine ripe for the taking. He does his best to keep the gangs feuding so he can steal it. Meanwhile, he makes friends with one of the gang member's sons which may complicate his mission.

This movie is directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi (Return of the Sister Street Fighter) and stars Sonny Chiba (Street Fighter), Akiko Koyama (Boy), Isao Natsuyagi (The Land of Hope), Eiji Gô (The Yakuza) and Etsuko Shihomi (Sister Street Fighter).

This is an action genre fan's dream. Almost everything about this movie is awesome. The narration and background music are classic Chiba. The action scenes are stupendous with a nice blend of intense hand-to-hand combat scenes and some use of great weapons. The sound effects for the action scenes are fun too and remind me of early Nintendo video games. There's also suave Chiba picking up stunning ladies and various random sex scenes. There's some perfectly blended in lighthearted moments too whether it involves kids or comedic scenes at a bar.

Overall, there's really nothing to not like about this movie. I would score this a 9/10 and strongly recommend it.