Hissatsu onna kenshi

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.

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.

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!!

Sonny chiba is only in this film for the first 7 minutes. Intresting actioner showcase Sue Shiomi's talent as a action star casting her opposite to Japanese action star (who also does Hong Kong films) Yasuaki Kurata (of G-men 75 fame). Good soundtrack and some good action scene helps this poorly put together film. This film actually still played in Cameo, a Los Angeles grindhouse theatre in 1992!

1st watched 9/15/2002 - 4 out of 10(Dir-Yataka Kodaira): Ok karate flick with long-winded final fight scene and shaky camera-work throughout. The camera-work that is done lessons the karate action because it's hard to tell what actual moves are being done and their impact on the intended victim. The plot has been used before(vengeance asked for by the father on his death bed) in films of this genre and there is a fitting ended for those who care enough to stay until the end. If you make it till then, you're a better man than most of us or your interest in the karate action genre is what keeps you close. What you can see of the karate scenes is well-choreographed and this is the reason that I gave this movie a higher rating than what I had originally expected it would receive.