Gekitotsu! Satsujin ken

Sonny Chiba was mostly a cult star for years until he appeared in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" as a sword-maker (I'd never heard of him until then). Of course, fans of martial arts movies knew Chiba for movies like "Gekitotsu! Satsujin Ken" (called "The Streetfighter" in English).

Without a doubt, the 1970s were known for martial arts movies -- along with disco -- and this movie is a prime example. Chiba plays Takuma Tsurugi (called Terry in the English dubbing), a martial arts master who has to come to the rescue of a kidnapped heiress. That's the official plot, but there can be no doubt that the flick's main purpose is to show off every imaginable move, with some scenes slowed up just so that you can see the action. I wouldn't put the movie in the same class as "Enter the Dragon", but even so, it's some of the most fun that you can have watching a movie. I hope that Sonny Chiba gets to appear in more movies!

Synopsis: Terry Tsurugi (the great Sonny Chiba) is a martial arts master who uses his abundant talents as a mercenary gun-for-hire. Terry is brought in by the Yakuza to kidnap the daughter and sole heir of a recently deceased uber-rich oil tycoon. But when the mafia can't meet the monetary composition that Terry asks for they attempt to keep their plot secret by offing Terry. What a momentous mistake on their part.

Thoughts: Sonny Chiba's "The Street Fighter" is considered a classic in the martial arts genre. I certainly won't disagree with that since the film is a solid action flick with serious energy. The English dubbing is awful (as always) but does lend itself to the entertainment. The action scenes are shot and staged masterfully and Chiba kicks the baddies from one side of the screen to the next. There are a few tired clichés (the smart-alec sidekick who becomes more of a hindrance than anything) but the overall end result is very entertaining.

Playing the most morally ambiguous hero ever, Sonny Chiba is Terry Tsuguri the rough and dirty mercenary called 'The Street Fighter'. His fighting style resembles that of an injured ape with respiratory problems, he can crack peoples skulls with a single smack, and most of all there is no way in hell he wants you to like him. Too Bad his fight scenes are a joke. Every opponent he goes up against looks like Bruce Lee compared to him. This movie is for those that like a good laugh and cheap exploitation flicks. Not for serious kung fu fanatics. I would compare this more to Dolemite than anything you might see otherwise in the genre. Check out the Return of the Street Fighter for better action scenes and less of the BS story.

Streetfighter is a show case for the karate talents of Sonny Chiba. Chiba plays Terry Tsurugi, a man who was orphaned when his Japanese father was executed in China during World War II. Terry is now back in Japan and kicking ass for a living. He's the best of the best in Japan and is hired to help get a criminal on death row out of prison. He manages to do this using an ancient technique (yeah, I know, they all use some ancient technique). Sonny then ends up killing the guy's brother due to an argument over payment and getting his sister sold into prostitution.

After this Sonny is propositioned by the Yakuza to kidnap a girl who is an oil heiress. Sonny jumps sides and starts working for her protectors after a show down with her uncle, the leader of a karate school. This flick is packed with violence galore. Sonny does some pretty cool stuff, and amazingly, the whole plot manages to come together at the end. There are also a few one liners that are pretty cool.

This is the flick that made me a Sonny Chiba fan.

God, this film is so cool. From the opening scene where Chiba tells his most recent adversary "You'll be unconscious soon through lack of oxygen- its an ancient technique", to the infamous final battle on a stormy night- this is a movie and a half. Classic 70s waow waow music, horribly wonderful dialogue and about 20 rewind moments, this deserves Tarantino's praise. A great time. Return Of The Street Fighter is less sucessful though, so only for the hardcore fans.