Review of The Street Fighter (Gekitotsu!
Satsujin ken)
If you’re looking for a great martial arts film, this is the one to watch. While
it is difficult for anyone else to ever fill the shoes of the great Bruce Lee,
Sonny Chiba certainly does an admirable job. Even fans who remain loyally
dedicated to Lee will thoroughly enjoy this film.
In this film Chiba’s character has been paid by some other people to take out
yet another group of people. Terry, played by Chiba, is basically a mercenary
with a martial arts twist. After a big wig businessman dies and leaves a huge
inheritance to his daughter, the mob tries to hire Chiba’s character to kidnap
the girl. He asks for an outrageous price, which they refuse to pay. Instead
they try to kill him. Since he’s not going down without fighting he volunteers
his services to protect the girl from the bad guys. While that would be enough
to keep you glued to your seat, there is also a sub-storyline revolving around a
bloodfeud over a disputed debt. There are some terrific action sequences and the
fantastic directing makes this a martial arts film that will be remembered for a
long time to come.
For those of you who might be a little squeamish be aware there is one scene in
the film that is somewhat violent. Actually, it’s kind of interesting because
the film was originally given an X rating because of that very scene. Most films
get an X rating because of gratuitous sex but that wasn’t the case with this
film. With lots of great fighting, fantastic direction and a great music score
to boot, you can’t miss with this film. You’ll be sure to watch it time and time
again. This one is an absolute winner.