Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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Sure Death Revenge (Japan, 1987) [DVD] - 2.5/5
A samurai detective (Makoto Fujita) known as the most unproductive man in the south magistrate precinct moonlights as a bounty hunter, unbeknownst to his verbally abusive colleagues and nagging wife and mother in law. This is uncharacteristically conventional mainstream entertainment by Kinji Fukasaku, based on a hugely popular television franchise that had already produced 29 consecutive TV shows and two film series. Based on this film alone, one could theorize the success was based on the mixture of strong focus on ordinary female characters, and a protagonist who is the archetype of Japanese businessman drudge yet a liberated fighter at night, appealing to both sexes. There was also a theme of (frequently odd) assassins, often given a humoristic treatment.

This film, the 4th in the 2nd film series, is hopelessly overlong with plentiful feminine drama, but occasionally exhilarating. The major saving grace is Sonny Chiba's heartfelt performance as a bounty hunter raising his two kids (including Sukeban Deka girl Haruko Sagara) to become his successors. Chiba was also responsible for the action choreography. While the fights are overly polished at times, they look so stylish played in excessive slow motion against a score that sounds like a mixture of Zorro and a spaghetti western that one does not really mind. Reportedly Fukasaku initially offered Chiba a chance to perform as Yagyu Jubei in this film, an idea Chiba turned down.

* Original title: Hissatsu 4: Urami harashimasu (必殺IV 恨みはらします)
* Director: Kinji Fukasaku
* Chiba's role: Major supporting role
* Film availability: Shochiku DVD (Japan) (No subs), Artsmagic DVD (UK), Media Blasters DVD (US) (cropped / full screen)

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Makoto Fujita as Mondo Nakamura
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His wife and mother in law (aka "old battle axe")
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unaware of his second job as a bounty hunter
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Chiba
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with some fantastic action
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Haruko Sagara from Sukeban Deka II: Legend of the Girl in the Iron Mask (1985)
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And Keizo Kanie, also from Sukeban Deka II: Legend of the Girl in the Iron Mask
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That is Hiroyuki Sanada btw.
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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Shogun's Shadow (Japan, 1989) [DVD] - 4/5
A group of ronin and ninjas volunteer to escort the shogun's heir to Edo when the whole country's army forces have been mobilized to kill them. This is Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring meets The Dirty Dozen done in samurai style with the attitude of Commando (1985). One of the last grand Japan Action Club films before Sonny Chiba was forced to sell it off, it doesn't disappoint with an almost non-stop delivery of fighting and great stunts. Chiba was in charge of the choreography, with China's Jianqiang Hu (The Shaolin Temple, Martial Arts of Shaolin) brought in to assist and co-star as a monkey fighter. American stunt choreographer George Fisher (The Towering Inferno) was also called in to stage the fire stunts. Reportedly the insurance costs for the stunt team was 400 million yen - more than most Japanese films cost to make.

Ken Ogata plays the hero, Chiba is the villain and showcases some great sword fighting that makes the audience cheer for the wrong team. Other than lacking the grit and exploitation of Chiba's older films, and coming with an odd 15 minute drama climax (which nevertheless works) this is tremendous fun (complete with a wonderfully 80s soundtract with metal songs by The Alfee). The fact that the film was criticized upon its release for having too much action (as stated by Chiba in Chris D's interview) helps to understand the sad state Japanese action cinema is in these days.

* Original title: Shôgun Iemitsu no ranshin - Gekitotsu (将軍家光の乱心 激突)
* Director: Yasuo Furuhata
* Chiba's role: Major supporting role
* Film availability: US DVD

Hiroki Matsukata as a corrupt minister servin Tokugawa Iemitsu (the same nutcase who was trying to kill his bro in Shogun's Samurai)
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Ken Ogata
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Jianqiang Hu, who also assisted in action choreography
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Chiba
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Great stunt work
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The trailer kicks ass too
https://youtu.be/3CVUWarqLRM
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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Seventeen Ninja (Japan, 1990) [TV] - 2/5
An underwhelming but watchable remake of the 1963 ninja classic, produced by Toei and Fuji TV as a television film. A group of 17 loyal Iga ninjas (lead by Sonny Chiba) are tasked with invading a castle and stealing a scroll protected by Negoro ninjas (led by Isao Natsuyagi) who are plotting to take over the government. While it's nice to see Chiba in a starring role (which clearly resembles his role in the Shadow Warriors TV show), this is a far cry from what he could do at his best. Anemically directed with unstimulating visuals and elevator music, it even disappoints with most of the action. What was no doubt meant as an intense "ninjas against impossible odds" scenario, with Iga ninjas dropping dead like flies throughout the film, merely makes them look incompetent on screen. It is only the last 30 minutes that provide some real intensity and a cleaver final fight. Amusingly, the storyline and Chiba's casting as a ninja protecting the shogunate from Negoro ninjas is the exact opposite from 1989's Shogun's Shadow where he played a villain trying to kill the shogun protected by Negoro ninjas.

* Original title: Jushichinin no ninja (十七人の忍者)
* Director: Kiyoshi Miyakoshi
* Chiba's role: Starring role
* Film availability: None / Review format: TV

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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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Dragon Princess (Japan, 1976) [DVD] - 4/5
One of the best Etsuko Shihomi films, also with one of the finest openings with Sonny Chiba fighting bad guys in an abandoned small church beaten by spaghetti western winds. Before the fight is over Chiba's got a dagger in his eye. Cut to eye patched Chiba training his daughter, who grows up into Etsuko Shihomi during the OP credits, in snow in Los Angeles (!), to avenge her dad. A weaker film but crush under such a diamond opening, but this is Shihomi and co-star Yasuaki Kurata in top form.

The straight forward plot has a habit of abandoning every story thread it introduces (Chiba is killed off by the 20 minute mark, the story moves from USA to Japan at the same time, and a bad guy is organizing a martial arts tournament but every top contender, and himself, is killed off before the tournament!) but that matters not as the film moves like a bullet train, packs truckloads of first grade karate action into 81 min and completes the package with Shunsuke Kikichi's kick ass score. From gender political perspective it's one of the finest films of its era/genre with Shihomi kicking major ass and no woman getting raped or stripped down (except in the American theatrical version which inserts a scene from Tokyo Emmanuelle in the middle of the film!). If you were to ask "what are fine women made of", this film's answer would be "positive attitude and karate kicks".

* Original title: Hissatsu onna kenshi (必殺女拳士)
* Director: Yutaka Kohira
* Chiba's role: Major supporting role
* Film availability: Japanese Cut: Toei DVD (Japan) (No subs); US Cut: BCI DVD (Eng Dub)

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The American version, which was distributed by Silverstein Films which also brought Karate Warriors to US cinemas, features the following notable differences:

1) At 79 minutes it's about 2 minutes shorter than the Japanese version. The major difference is that it's missing the New York opening crime with montage and Chiba being recommended as the new karate instructor for the police force. Instead the US cut goes straight to the opening fight.

2) Some of the opening crime montage later surfaces, inserted into a later scene when the assassins are assassinating the karate tournament contenders. Some of the assassination locations have changed as well ("Okinawa" is now "South America")

3) A brief party/sex scene from Nikkatsu's Roman Porno film Tokyo Emmanuelle (1975) has been inserted in the middle of the film. It comes during a night club scene where Kurata is drinking with Amatsu and suddenly the film cuts to a Nikkatsu actor dancing and shagging with Kumiko Taguchi!

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The score is the same as the Japanese version, and although the dubbed dialogue doesn't always match the storyline is essentially the same (unlike The Street Fighter's Last Revenge or The Bodyguard where the dub altered the original storyline)

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The small text says "Featuring the Incredible BLIND MASTER of the BLOODY BLADES!!!"
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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A few words about the technical quality of the two Dragon Princess DVDs.

The BCI, which presents the English dubbed American cut of the film, is quite poor unfortunately. It's from a beaten print with pale colors and other issues.

The Toei dvd, which features no subtitles sadly, has 10 times better colors / brightness and is generally much better except for being really soft. However, if you sharpen the image artifically via your PC/TV/Player settings, the image gets a fair bit more pleasing without major side effects (and I'm not saying this as a "Toei fan" but as what I feel is an honest opinion). The film is certainly in a need of a better transfer, but for the time being the Toei DVD with some sharpening is easily the best way to view the film. Not to mention it's the original Japanese cut of the film.

Below is a comparison. BCI top, Toei Bottom.

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Here is a second comparison: Toei (untouched) vs. Toei (with MPCHC's sharpening). The bottom one is how the disc looks on my screen.

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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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Blazing Dragnet (Japan, 1975-1976) [TV] - 3/5
The third series in Sonny Chiba's mid-70s streak of action packed detective shows, following The Bodyguard (1974) and The Gorilla Seven (1975), all produced for NTV where Chiba had his on TV slot in 1974-1976. This follows the usual Japanese cop series pattern with a team of detectives as the focus, also utilized in the previous two shows, with a slight new twist. The detectives now belong to a secret mobile unit, all having dull day jobs (Chiba and Hayato Tani are office clerks, Shihomi and Gajiro Sato traffic officers) as a cover and just waiting for a call by boss Nobuo Kaneko to jump in a travel van and head where ever crime is taking place.

This is the least action packed of the four shows, investing more on decently written detective storylines, though there are occasional shootouts and karate kicks by Chiba and Shihomi. An entertaining show, easily better than The Gorilla Seven, despite ultimately underutilizing the mobile police concept and not featuring anything unforgettable. Chiba's beautiful theme is one of the show's assets, always restoring the viewer's hope even after a weaker episode as the song plays over end credit montage of Chiba wandering on city streets.

* Original title: Moeru sosamo (燃える捜査網)
* Director: Various
* Chiba's role: Starring role
* Film availability: Toei DVD (no subs) (June 2018) / Review format: TV

Kaneko briefing Chiba
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Team meeting
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Chiba and Tani in their day jobs
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Tani on the job
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Chiba kicking some ass
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Shihomi kicking some ass
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Occasional excellent cinematography
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Gajiro Sato (Dragon Princess) restraining his usual comedy act. He's a bit silly but doesn't do anything too irritating here.
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End credits montage
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last but not least!
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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Emergency Line (Japan, 1976) [TV] - 3.5/5
The last of the mid-70 action/detective shows with Sonny Chiba, this one makes an immediate impression with its grit and darkness. It's the usual 'group of detectives' (Chiba, Shihomi, Tani, Masaaki Daimon, Tamio Kawachi, Seigo Inoue, Yuriko Hishimi) pattern, but without jokes. The opening episode has a bitter war vet (Eiji Okada) trying to assassinate a foreign little girl flown to Japan for medical operation, and another story has Chiba, taking a bullet in his leg in the first scene, trying to penetrate a top floor condo where the shooter is holding hostages. There are also smaller delights like usual yakuza crook Eiji Go quest starring as a narcotics cop, and Toei's regular evil gaijin Osman Yusuf as murderous diplomat in an episode that concludes with one of Chiba's most explosive karate sequences as Chiba decides to ignore diplomatic immunity and fight his way though 20 bodyguards. Another stunt highlight involves Chiba chasing criminals. After his car falls off the cliff (!), he climbs on top of a train, then jumps down when the train is crossing a bridge, landing on the moving car's roof, only to slip, grab the rear bumper, pull out his gun and shoot the tires. Bravo! As usual, Chiba and Japan Action Club were in charge of the action.

Not every episode is as exciting as those, though. Despite having more action than Blazing Dragnet, this is the most talkative of the four shows. There are also a couple of dullish drama/thriller stories, and Etsuko Shihomi is largely wasted in a role that offers her little to do. The rest of the cast is ok, with Tani, who has developed some charisma since Key Hunter (1968-1973) faring the best. The episodes take a bit of patience since they often reveal the gist only at the end, which is interesting but a bit odd since these aren't strictly mystery stories. The show's ending is exceptionally powerful and each episode closes with a beautiful theme song and closing credits montage. Gritty and atmospheric, this is a very worthy closing product for Chiba's detective show streak.

* Original title: Daihijosen (大非常線)
* Director: Various
* Chiba's role: Starring role
* Series availability: None / Review format: TV

Chiba. I always loved the gritty 16mm look of these shows
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Detectives. Eiji Go on the left.
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The series really is quite gritty
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Chiba's had it
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Osman Yusuf. This episode features the best role I've seen him in. I've really become a bit of a fan. He was born in the Ottoman Empire in 1920 but moved to Japan at a young age (his younger brother Osman Toruko was born in Japan and become a Japanese professional wrester). He was working on TV and movies since the 1940s, although all the roles I've seen him in (60s and 70s) have been small roles. He died in 1982.
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Stunt action
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Find Chiba in the frame!
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Shihomi and Tani
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Chiba and Shihomi
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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Violent Street (Japan, 1963) [35mm] - 3/5
Decent yakuza lieutenant Ken Takakura tries to maintain peace between gangs while rivals and reckless subordinates (Shinjiro Ebara in full Hiroki Matsukata mode trying to make money with boxing and dirty gambling) give him hard time. This was one of the relatively few modern day ninkyo films (most were set in pre-WWII era), which lends to some interesting bits such as the "final walk" in contemporary milieu. Not especially well written, lacking the kind of strong honour/duty dilemma that is the backbone of the best ninkyo films, but there are many good scenes like a detailed yakuza ceremony in the opening and action packed ending. It's also surprisingly sexy, without explicit nudity, with one of Ebara's businesses being turning a traditional stage theatre into a strip joint. Sonny Chiba has a decent supporting role as an impulsive young yakuza holding grudge against Takakura's gang. There's no character development for him but Chiba acts well and gets enough screen time to make it the film's third or fourth biggest role. The film is unrelated to the Hideo Gosha movie (1974) of the same title.

* Original title: Boryoku gai (暴力街)
* Director: Tsuneo Kobayashi
* Chiba's role: Major supporting role
* Film availability: None / Review format: 35mm

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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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Life of Blackmail (Japan, 1963) [TV] - 3/5
Two kids and best friends (Tatsuo Umemiya and Sonny Chiba) go different paths, one becoming a gangster specializing in blackmailing and the other a policeman. Umemiya and Chiba share the top billing; however, it is Umemiya who gets the juicier role with most screen time as the blackmailer. It’s an entertaining modern day gangster film with an energetic score and young cast; however it feels a bit superficial as the script doesn’t really pit the two main characters against each other most of the time, which could have added psychological depth. The storyline is an adaptation of Shinji Fujiwara’s novel. Kinji Fukasaku directed a better version called Blackmail is My Life for Shochiku in 1968 with a vastly different rendering of the storyline. Chiba’s character does not appear in that film at all, and the blackmailer, played by Hiroki Matsukata, faces mostly different scenarios although some plot elements and characters are the same.

* Original title: Waga kyôkatsu no jinsei (わが恐喝の人生)
* Director: Kiyoshi Saeki
* Chiba's role: Starring / Major supporting role
* Film availability: None / Review format: TV

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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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Gendai onibabako: Satsu ai (Japan, 1973) [TV] - 4/5

A 300 year old witch agrees to assassinate a dead-sick businessman and his ignorant sexy wife upon the former's own request - the kills are to take place in separate locations at the same time. The granny then exits the same way she entered his office, with rope via 20th floor window! And it gets even better when you realize the granny is played by Sonny Chiba. Chiba soon takes his own handsome form and retreats to plan the hits with his karate killer sister (17 year old Etsuko Shihomi in her first role).

A decently insane fantasy / karate / murder thriller based on a Kazuo Koike manga, brought to the small screen as a 46 minute TV movie, the final one shown in the "Suspense Series" slot (Toei / Mainichi Broadcasting System). The script by Koike himself is fabulous, with twists like the businessman receiving a call from hospital that they made a mistake and he's not dying from cancer after all, the kills set to take place in the afternoon at 02:02 (o-ni, o-ni, as for "demon in Japanese") and Chiba promising to buy tasty bread for Shihomi as soon as all targets have been murdered!

The closest comparison point would probably be Wolfguy (1975), and although not as wild or graphic, this still packs a punch and manages to throw in some nudity (courtesy of Tomoko Mayama from the first Lone Wolf and Cub film). Oh and the scene where the cute as a button mini-skirt Shihomi takes down a roomful of men with karate... you'll need a face massage to get the resulting smile to go down.

The title, Gendai onibabako: Satsu ai, roughly translates as "Modern Witch Tale: Murderous Love".

* Original title: Gendai onibabako: Satsu ai (現代鬼婆考 殺愛)
* Director: Koichi Takemoto
* Chiba's role: Starring role
* Film availability: None / Review format: TV

Kazuo Koike TV Play
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Chiba!
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Tomoko Mayama
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Shihomi!
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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I'd certainly watch that if I ever got the chance. Kazuo Koike was (and still is) amazing and provided truckloads of insane entertainment.
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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HungFist wrote: 17 Mar 2016, 06:28 Yakuza Deka: No Epitaphs for Us (Japan, 1971) [VoD] - 3.5/5
The 4th and final film in the Yakuza Deka series. It's another programmer picture, but this one does its job admirably, packing action, fights and great stunt sequences every 15 minutes and filling the gaps with Chiba riding a horse topless, robbing a jewellery store while dressed as Buddhist monk, and walking around in white suit while waving a Tommy Gun. Some of the stunts include Chiba hanging from a cable car 50m above the sea/ground, and jumping out from a car while it's flying through the air. There are many amusing comedy bits as well, especially with co-star Ryohei Uchida, and Chiba sings again. It was exactly this kind of movies that made Jackie Chan a fan of Chiba's work; indeed, the mix of action, stunts and humour often resembles the films Jackie would do in the 1980s. Easily the best film in the Yakuza Deka series.

* Original title: Yakuza Deka: Oretachi ni haka ha wai (やくざ刑事 俺たちに墓はない)
* Director: Ryuichi Takamori
* Chiba's role: Starring role
* Film availability: VoD (Japan) (No subtitles)
A few cool stills

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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (USA, 2006) [VoD] – 2/5
An American guy moves in with his American father, falls in love with an Australian girl, and makes friends with a Korean. What country was this film set in again? A nonsensical Hollywood foreign vacation only utilizes Japan as a superficial visual backdrop; the script could've been filmed in any country with minor modifications. Sonny Chiba shows up in three scenes as a yakuza boss, and beats everyone else with his... Japanese language skills! In a typically ignorant move, the film is cast almost exclusively with Americans and people of random Asian descent, including the Japanese villain Drifting King who really struggles with his Japanese dialogue! And who the hell were those Japanese bit characters who help this white twat hero challenge a yakuza-backed gangster? "White boy fantasy" as Spike Lee would say. Also, Lucas Black makes Paul Walker and Vin Diesel look like character actors in comparison. And in 2019, you can't help but notice the film opens AND closes with a race where a woman in the main prize! All that being said, it's still watchable teen garbage, somehow. The mix of stupidity and action with ok tech credits is to thank. Also, keep your eyes open for future martial arts star Mitsuki Koga as yakuza henchman.

* Japanese title: Wild Speed X3: TOKYO DRIFT (ワイルド・スピードX3 TOKYO DRIFT)
* Director: Justin Timberla, no, I mean Justin Lin
* Chiba's role: Minor role
* Film availability: Easy

Two yankees in Tokyo
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Two yankees in...
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A Korean-American, an Australian and an American of Korean-Japanese descent in...
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"Monkey didn't have his banana today"
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Holy shit, a Japanese! Mitsuki Koga before Hard Revenge Milly and Bushido Man
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Chiba
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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Resurrection of the Golden Wolf(Japan, 1979) [35mm] – 4/5
A toxic, overly contrived and positively astonishing anti-hero spectacle with badass Yusaku Matsuda an office worker at day and a villain climbing the underworld ladders at night. Haruhiko Oyabu’s source novel delivered 2½ films worth of gangster plotting and action crammed into 131 minutes, filmed by Toru Murakawa with his trademark one-shot action bravuras and mindboggling sexism. Matsuda is 6'0" of toxic masculinity, groping women, dealing drugs, blasting inferior men (“got kids? They’ll be happier without you!”) and going bananas over the sense of power after he has turned villainous corporate bosses into his slaves. And who could forget the strange ending. Sonny Chiba ventures into the film as nerdy, glass-wearing extortionist about an hour in and stays on board for 30 minutes – he’s one of the big names in the incredibly packed cast alongside Mikio Narita, Asao Koike, Koichi Iwaki, Toru Abe, Shin Kishida, Kenji Imai, Yutaka Nakajima, Kyosuke Machida and others. Frankly, a bit of an epic mess, but a tremendously entertaining one with style to spare. And the ultra-funky score is superb. Matsuda’s best action film.

* Original title: Yomigaeru kinro (蘇る金狼)
* Director: Toru Murakawa
* Chiba's role: Major supporting role
* Film availability: Kadokawa BD (4K remaster) (Japan) (no subs), Kadokawa BD & DVD (digital remaster) (Japan) (no subs), Kadokawa DVD (old master) (Japan) (no subs), Adness DVD (USA) (old master)

The screencaps below are from the old Kadokawa Blu-Ray. There is a more recent 4K remastered BD also, but I never bothered getting it because the old disc looks fine. The Adness DVD is from an older master and looks notably inferior. Comparison here.

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Chiba
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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Hokuriku Proxy War (Japan, 1977) [35mm] – 4/5
This would be one of Fukasaku’s best movies if it wasn’t for the inconsistent tone. The problem is Ko Nishimura and Hana Hajime overdoing their cowardly boss roles to a comedic effect, an example of Fukasaku’s trademark authority hate materializing as comic goofiness instead of nihilism. It’s a shame as the film is otherwise terrific with chaotic violence as shocking as ever, another mother fucker score by Toshiaki Tsushima, and most importantly the snowy Hokuriku locations as a truly freezing backdrop for the action. Hiroki Matsukata is great as a psychotic, opportunistic yakuza (based on real life Kawauchi-gumi leader Hiroshi Kawauchi) and Sonny Chiba appears briefly as an Osaka yakuza boss (based on gangster Jiro Yanagawa). Chiba has two or three scenes, though his mullet is the most memorable part of his appearance. Tsunehiko Watase was also cast, but replaced by Goro Ibuki after he suffered a car accident on the snowy roads during filming. The film was Fukasaku’s swansong for the jitsuroku genre (Sadao Nakajima put of a few more in ’78 and ’79). The same year also saw the final Toei entries in the karate and pinky violence genres. The end of an era.

* Original title: Hokuriku dairi senso (北陸代理戦争)
* Director: Kinji Fukasaku
* Chiba's role: Minor supporting role
* Film availability: Toei DVD (Japan) (no subs)

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Chiba
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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New Battles without Honor and Humanity: Boss's Head (Japan, 1975) [BD] - 4/5
Nothing but assholes for 93 minutes! Sugawara is a greedy bastard after his jail stint compensation money, which he's going to squeeze from a former friend gone miserable junkie Takashi Yamazaki when prick boss Ko Nishimura bails from his gang responsibilities... until slimy as motherfucker Mikio Narita begins scheming to make himself the new boss. The 1st New Battles had its standout scene with an intense restaurant encounter between Sugawara and Wakayama, here the comparable scene is with Sugawara and Narita's lover Yuriko Hishimi (absolutely stunning here, outdoing co-star Meiko Kaji) who is trying to make sure she's shagging the man who lives the longest. Also wait for Takuzo Kawatani as a raging police interrogator (a payback from Cops vs. Thugs where he was the punching bag in a near identical scene) and Sonny Chiba as a bartender (has approx. 7 seconds of screen time). The fantastic performances, Fukasaku's adrenaline shot direction, and the lack of comedic relief makes this the best of the New Battles.

* Original title: Shin jingi naki tatakai: Kumicho no kubi (新仁義なき戦い 組長の首)
* Director: Kinji Fukasaku
* Chiba's role: Cameo
* Film availability: Arrow BD

The caps below are from a VoD stream as I'm too lazy to try and cap em from my Arrow BD:

Narita
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Hishimi
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Kawatani strikes back!
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Chiba!
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HungFist
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

Post by HungFist »

Judo for Life (Japan, 1963) [VoD] – 3/5

Sonny Chiba's first martial arts film, a partially fictionalized judo biopic based on the life of Shiro Saigo (*) (Chiba), the second student of judo founder Jigoro Kano (*) (Naoki Sugiura). The film follows Saigo’s early years in Tokyo where he studies under Kano, falls in love with rival school’s teacher’s daughter Michiko (Yoshiko Sakuma), and takes part in a martial arts tournament. Akira Kurosawa’s Sanshiro Sugata was based on the same character and shares several scenes with this film, but Judo Life focuses more on the martial arts philosophy and training, including scenes depicting how the protagonist learned his famous cat-like landing, coined the term judo, and trained with Tsunejiro Tomita (Hideo Murota), another student of Kano.

Another difference to Kurosawa's film is the evident yakuza movie influence in Judo Life. The port street ambush scene for example is found in both films, but here it is travelling yakuza Hideo Murata (portraying what is probably an entirely fictional character) who jumps out of the rickshaw instead of Kano. Stylistically the film also shares a lot with early ninkyo yakuza films (which had just begun to establish themselves as a genre with Theatre of Life’s release a few months prior to this movie), with the same kind of beautifully old fashioned storytelling and aesthetics.

Young Chiba is fine as Saigo, acting energetic as usual and of course getting to display his athletic ability in full. The fight scenes are quite good for the era, though most of them appear in training or sports context. Unfortunately the ending melee with villains and an evil karate monk has Chiba play the second fiddle to Sugiura and box office draw Murata, the latter of whom is misleadingly given the first billing in the film’s credits and advertising materials. In reality, Murata only appears in a few scenes.

The film could also use more shades of gray, and a stronger ninkyo-like moral / honour conflict. Chiba for example falls in love with rival’s daughter Sakuma, but he’s too much of a gentleman to attempt any bedroom judo with her, even when Murata is also after her. Nothing much comes out of this love triangle in the end. The rival school’s rogue teacher (Rinichi Yamamoto) also makes a pretty one-dimensional evil villain; he was more interesting in Kurosawa’s film where the character was depicted as an obsessive challenger.

Despite the flaws, this is quite an enjoyable and interesting film for fans of martial arts and Chiba in particular, and should work pretty well for ninkyo yakuza fans as well despite not really being a yakuza film. The film was followed by one sequel in 1964, and preceded by a TV series (1962-1964) which focused on Kano, and did not feature Chiba.

* Typical to the era, the names of the actual people have been slightly changed for the film, probably to claim the film as a work of fiction, e.g. Jigoro Kano is called Rigoro Kano in the film, Shiro Saigo is Shiro Hongo in the film, and Tsunejiro Tomita is Tsunejiro Toda, and so on.

* Original title: Judo ichidai (柔道一代)
* Director: Kiyoshi Saeki
* Chiba's role: Starring role
* Film availability: VoD (Japan) (no subtitles)

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Young judo fighter Sonny Chiba encounters yakuza Hideo Murata on the street. The same scene appears in Sanshiro Sugata but without the yakuza character.
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Chiba enters Kano’s temple dojo.
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Hongo (Saigo) learns his trademark cat-like movements from this stray cat. The same cat who witnessed Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris at Colosseum?
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Hideo Murota as Kano's 1st student Tsunejiro Toda = Tsunejiro Tomita. Always confusing when you have Hideo Murota and Hideo Murata in the same film…
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Training with master Kano
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Hongo vs. old jijutsu master. The same scene is in Sanshiro Sugata
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Yoshiko Sakuma as old jujutsu master’s daughter Chiba falls in love with (but is too much of a gentleman to try any bedroom judo with). The character also appears in Sanshiro Sugata. Here in Murata’s hands.
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Rinichi Yamamoto as rogue assistant instructor who becomes the bad guy.
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Final battle against a karate-monk.
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Rare English language trailer, which like the film's poster and opening credits, gives Hideo Murata the top billing even though he only appears in maybe 4 or 5 scenes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO0oIPkKreQ
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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Hey, Clouds! (Japan, 1965) [VoD] – 3/5
Charmingly cute and old fashioned Toei youth film with a slight musical swing and myriad of family / romance relationships. There’s the “Saijo family” with kids Jiro Okazaki, Ichiro Araki and Yoshiko Mita taking an initiative to pimp their single dad Isao Yamagata to the “Mishima family” mother Haruko Kato, who is a single parent to the super-cute daughters Chiyoko Honma and Fuemi Kashiyama. Okazaki is also friends with “Kuwabara family” rich kid Koji Ishizawa, who has begun suspecting his old man may have a bit more offspring than has been publicly announced. Perhaps the “Matsumiya orphans” Hiroyuki Ota and his sister Junko Fuji? And then, people start getting interested in patrilineage, falling in love, making friends etc. Thankfully there’s human relationship MacGyver senpai Sonny Chiba popping up every 20 minutes, always saying the right words (or grabbing a man and lifting him in the air). An entertaining, if conservative youth film, oddly enough based on a 1965 novel by Shintaro Ishihara who was better known for his rebellious work e.g. Crazed Fruit. My guess is the material may (also) have gone through a bit of a transformation in Toei and director Masaharu Segawa’s (Four Sisters) traditionally minded hands.

* Original title: Ooi kumo! (おゝい、雲!)
* Director: Masaharu Segawa
* Chiba's role: Small (but not that small) supporting role
* Film availability: VoD (Japan) (no subtitles)

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The “Saijo family” kids Jiro Okazaki, Ichiro Araki and Yoshiko Mita
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Hah, Jigoro Kano returns. Just joking. Naoki Sugiura with Araki (who btw has become of of my fav actors)
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Mishima daughters Chiyoko Honma and Fuemi Kashiyama
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Human relationship MacGyver Sonny Chiba
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Chiba and Junko Fuji
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“Matsumiya orphans” Hiroyuki Ota and Junko Fuji.
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“Kuwabara family” rich kid Koji Ishizawa
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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HungFist wrote: 30 Apr 2016, 12:29 Tokyo Seoul Bangkok Drug Triangle (Japan/Korea/Thailand/Hong Kong, 1973) – 3/5

Sonny Chiba stars in this major Asian co-production based on the thoughts and ideas of the anti drugs/prostitution/sexually transmitted diseases campaigning businessman / political figure Tsusai Sugawara, who had previously inspired the two Narcotics / Prostitution G-Men films (1972). Tokyo Seoul Bangkok was a loose follow-up, with Chiba playing an ordinary man instead of a narcotics detective, and the storyline taking place in four Asian countries: Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Japan. Co-stars came from each country, and multiple edits of the film were produced for different markets.

The film opens in South-Korea, with truck driver Chiba arriving Seoul to receive his dead sister's ashes. While there, he discovers the death may not have been an accident after all, and has something to do with international drug smuggling. Chiba receives help from a Korean detective (Choi Bong, delivering the film's only martial arts moves) to track down his sister's runaway gangster husband (Hiroki Matsukata) and his Korean lover (Kim Chang-Suk). The chase takes Chiba first to Hong Kong and eventually Thailand, where Chiba hooks up with a bilingual woman (Nora Miao) and a local tough guy (Chaiya Suliyun).

Tokyo Seoul Bangkok has long been a sought-after movie for its fantastic cast, but those few who have seen it have sometimes been left a bit underwhelmed. This is more due to false expectations than the film, although the latter is also at fault. Tokyo Seoul Bangkok is not a martial arts movie, and it's not even very much an action movie as the filmmakers aim for more realistic crime drama/thriller. While that's quite fine, it is also true that with the level of action talent involved, the viewer can't help but to wish there were some more outrageous action sequences. This is especially true when some of the scenarios are, in fact, a little too wild to feel entirely realistic. Also, as a drug thriller, it is not as good as for example A Narcotics Agent's Ballad (1972).

On the positive side, the storyline is very good and the film remains interesting from start to finish. Locations are well used, especially in the Thai sequences, which are both exotic and atmospheric. This is partly due to the beautiful score by Ichiro Araki, which is also used to create some powerful images when the camera lingers on Chiba's desperate, badly bruised face. The supporting cast is interesting as well, the real stand outs being Nora Miao and Hiroki Matsukata. The latter's portrayal of an ultra-stylish gangster may be at odds with the film's intended realism, but he's so cool the viewer won't mind. The same can be said about one great action sequence in Thailand.

There's a lot of history to the production. First of all, it was the first film Chiba made after finishing the Key Hunter TV series (1968-1973), marking the beginning of a new era on his career that allowed a stronger focus on films. Tokyo Seoul Bangkok was also one of the two major drug trafficking themed Asian co-productions that had been planned for 1973, the other having been The Shrine of the Ultimate Bliss. The latter was to star Bruce Lee, Sonny Chiba and George Lazenby, but by the time Chiba arrived Hong Kong, Lee had just passed away (the project was eventually completed in heavily modified form and with a new cast as "Stoner"). It is likely (but unconfirmed) that the planned meeting between Chiba and Lee was scheduled to take place while Tokyo Seoul Bangkok was filming in Hong Kong.

The Lee connection is probably the reason why the film co-stars Nora Miao, whose open cleavage may come as a delightful surprise to the fans of her Hong Kong films. It's a lot of fun to see Chiba and Miao act together, although the kiss suggested by one of the promotional stills is not found in the film, at least not in the Japanese cut (which is the only cut is available at the moment). If it did take place, it would surely make Miao the only woman in the world who has kissed both Bruce Lee and Sonny Chiba!

Tokyo Seoul Bangkok Drug Triangle is a fascinating, even if slightly underwhelming piece of cinema that can be quite enjoyable when approached with realistic expectations. It's not the lost action classic some wished it to be, but it's an atmospheric and entertaining crime drama with a good storyline.

* Original title: Tokyo-Seoul-Bangkok: Jitsuroku Mayaku Chitai (東京-ソウル-バンコック 実録麻薬地帯)
* Director: Sadao Nakajima
* Chiba's role: Starring role
* Film availability: VoD (Japan) (No subtitles)

Chaiya Suliyun and Nora Miao
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Toei Channel finally did this film HD justice. The screencaps exhibit the usual TV recording compression; it actually looked better when I watched it live on TV last week. Also enjoyed the film quite a bit, I'd be inclined to round up the rating to 3.5/5 now.

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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

Post by saltysam8 »

Hopefully someone will fansub it and upload it somewhere
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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OL sennyu! Nippon fuzoku meisho (Japan, 1989) - 2/5
Sonny Chiba and Jun Miho are tabloid reporters uncovering a murder case in a mostly miserable, but strangely watchable TV film. The opening sees Chiba taking newcomer Miho to a love hotel for educational reasons (but of course), just in time to see a murderer flee and leave a dead prostitute behind. The key to solving the case is fellow paid woman Momoko, who had introduced the dead girl to her customer, but isn't willing to speak for she's got her own tale of love, deception and corrupt corporate politics to keep out of daylight. In true travel show fashion, the mystery takes them through Japan’s sightseeing spots (and red light districts) in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyushu. The 91 min movie aired on June 17, 1989 in TV Asahi's famed "Saturday Wide Theater" slot that ran from 1977 to 2017. Poorly acted (by Miho in particular), shot on video and composed by someone who wouldn't qualify for elevator music, there isn't much to recommend here aside the somewhat functional storyline, Chiba's amusing interactions with his wife, and the relevance to the era (made just before the bubble burst, and when love hotels were becoming a mainstream phenomena). Cinematically it suffices as evidence of the change of times: former top action star paired with the cutest girl of the just-buried Roman Porno, and all they do is talk (the brief JAC action bit at the end doesn’t involve Chiba). There's not even nudity (which once used to be commonplace in Japanese TV) despite the topic matter.

* Original title: OL sennyu! Nippon fuzoku meisho (OL潜入!ニッポン風俗名所)
* Director: Yuichi Harada
* Chiba's role: Starring role
* Film availability: None (review format: TV)

Saturday Wide Theater
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Chiba and Miho
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Miho undercover
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JAC action
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Re: Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

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Love School (Japan, 1962) – 3.5/5
A charming love comedy with young Sonny Chiba in a solid supporting role. Best friends Yoshiko Sakuma and Mayumi Ozora go boy hunting (looking for dates) with the former at one point finding herself harrassed by an old geezer. To rescue comes young man Chiba, driving a vintage vehicle that looks like a slightly upgraded version of T-Ford. It's crush at first sight for Chiba, but Sakuma is torn between a wealthier businessman advocated by her conservative mom, and penniless Chiba who gets blessing from the liberal grandmother (Tokyo Story’s Chieko Higashiyama as a totally awesome character frequently taking a piss out of her nervous daughter). This is quite a progressive youth film for Toei, all the way from trendy English title (though spelled Renai gakko in kanji, the intended furigana reading is Love School) to a charmingly modern heroine and an underlying message 'follow your heart, not your family'. For Chiba fans these romantic films predating his tough mofo reputation by a decade are a most pleasant discovery. He’s a little inexperienced and less convincing than his co-stars, but he's such pretty boy serial-smiler Duracell bunny that he instantly wins over the audience's sympathies. It's no small part either, with lots of screentime and good scenes (as ‘cute love interest’). Best of all, it comes in a thoroughly enjoyable, fun and stylishly shot city romance film.

* Original title: Love School / Rabu sukuuru (furigana title), 恋愛学校 (kanji title)
* Director: Setsuya kondo
* Chiba's role: Major supporting role
* Film availability: None (review format: 35mm)

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