Streaming on Roku Channel | imdb | trailer
NOTE: Some streaming services are showing the cut version of the film (1 hour 15 min). Make sure you’re watching the most uncut version (1 hour 29-32 min). Also the film should be in Cinemascope format (there will be black bars on the top and bottom of the screen). Some services are showing it cropped. The version on currently on Roku as of 3.17.24 looks like the one you want to see.
Sonny Chiba stars as Terry, who is one bad ass karate mercenary. Organized crime hires him to do a job, but things go off the rails and many asses must be kicked before the credits roll. I first heard of this movie from watching True Romance (1993), which was scripted by Quentin Tarantino, where the lead characters go to a Street Fighter movie marathon. Back then I had never even heard of Sonny Chiba or seen one of his movies, which is a pity because I would loved his Shadow Warriors TV series as a kid. I look at The Street Fighter as my gateway drug to hundreds of cult films that were never shown on TV and hard to find on VHS. Tarantino’s success led to him getting this film, Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond, Detroit 9000, Switchblade Sisters, and many other titles seen by a wider audience. Bottom line, this is an excellent martial arts film with plenty of bizarre quirks and funny moments that make it a very enjoyable watch. Oh and if you do attempt a marathon, stock up on psychoactives, because the rest of the series is pretty awful.
Available on Blu-ray from Shout Factory (as part of The Street Fighter Collection).
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