Return of the Street Fighter (1974)

Boring, over-political, tech fuzed mess

Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

This immediate sequel to the cult and violent classic from the same year doesn't bother changing the formula in any way, shape or form. Instead director Shigehiro Ozawa gives us exactly the same kind of movie as before in mood, look and plot. The plot itself is the weakest aspect of the film, and seems like a weak rerun of the original movie's storyline. Indeed many of the same things happen to the characters. Another annoyance is the inclusion of some unwanted long flashback scenes, made to pad out the already short running time. Ignore these grievances and you'll find yourself watching another good old ultra-violent tale of action, revenge and much ass-kicking. Another welcome return is the funky score, complete with a highly memorable theme tune which grows on you every time you hear it.Sonny Chiba is back as Terry Tsurugi, once again on top form and seemingly enjoying himself in the multiple action stakes. Once the action begins properly (after the first half hour or so) it doesn't let up, as Chiba takes on assassin after assassin before finally deciding to attack the bad guys himself, with the film culminating in an exciting massacre that very nearly equals the legendary finale of the first movie. There are some nicely varied locations – the fight on the ski slopes is great, and the attack in the bedroom is a fun touch. The script and dubbing are sub-par but the effects are negligible. As well as the returning Chiba, chief villain Junjo (the sickly-looking guy) also comes back, minus vocal chords but with a brand spanking new electronic voice box, leading to a couple of cool showdowns between the two larger-than-life characters.What of the old ultra-violence you may ask? Well, it has been toned down here, but only slightly. Plenty of bones are broken, a guy has his throat destroyed by two fingers alone and in the gory – but slightly cheesy highlight – a guy's eyeballs burst out of his skull after a powerful crack from Chiba's tough hand. Also expect to see lots of bloody shootings, impalements, and a touch of pathos here and there as minor characters are killed and Chiba is forced to emote a little before getting back to his job, killing many villains. Don't let the lapses in logic and interest dissuade you – this is still a fantastic action film at a comic book level, highly watchable and 95% engaging. Lovers of the first film check it out.

This sequel to one of the most notoriously violent films in cinematic history is funnier, less gory, and more sloppily filmed than the original "The Streetfighter"...but don't worry, because it's still loaded with punches, kicks, and broken bodies. If you're a fan of this series, "Return of the Streetfighter" does not disappoint. Shinichi 'Sonny' Chiba is back as Terry Tsurugi (misspelled 'Tsugury' in the closing credits). Once again, Tsurugi accepts an assignment from the mob and, once again, his scruples get the better of him when the job requires him to kill Masaoka (Masafumi Suzuki, the virtuous karate instructor from the first film). There's something of a subplot involving a disgraced cop who helps Tsurugi and Masaoka take on the mob's seemingly endless supply of minions, but for the most part, this sequel is far more exaggerated and cartoonish than the film that preceded it. The direction, acting, and dubbing are sloppy as all hell, but that's easy to forgive in a movie like this; it's so much fun that you can't dislike it! Ratnose died in the last film, so Tsurugi's sidekick this time around is a really annoying young woman who dresses in pseudo-hippie fashion and says "cat" and "daddy-o" a lot (as it turns out, she's also working for the bad guys, but her scruples get the better of her, too). You thought Ratnose was a pain in the ass, but this chick is something else again and it's hard to muster any sympathy for her when she dies. The most enjoyable thing about "Return of the Streetfighter" is that they bring back Junjo (Milton Ishibashi, the villain from the original film) with synthetic vocal cords to replace the ones Tsurugi had ripped out! In keeping with the sequel's more cartoony feel, Junjo is not the vengeance-obsessed character he was in the original, but more like an emotionless, part-robotic supervillain. The lead baddie, a mustachioed, shaggy-haired Mafia don who looks like a fugitive from Three Dog Night or the Doobie Brothers, is the most ludicrously exaggerated Occidental villain in the history of Asian cinema. Every time he opens his mouth, it's to gripe about "the whole lousy Yellow hemisphere". Given the don's raging prejudice, you'd think his Japanese henchmen wouldn't be so eager to defend him from Tsurugi, but hey...this is a ridiculous film. What can I say? You either love this kind of movie or hate it, and I love it!

I remember I really disliked this movie the first time I saw it... though I not only saw it full-frame (meaning that the fights were often hard to make out), but that it was an edited version, missing all that blood and bone crunching that warms all our hearts. Well, I recently got hands on a DVD of the first movie and this, and I gave it another look. Imagine my surprise that this public domain DVD not only had the movie in widescreen, but uncut! Seems they probably got the master from an old New Line laserdisc. (What's up with that, New Line - you release the first movie on VHS uncut and in widescreen, but you released the second movie on VHS cut and full-frame?!!?)My view of the movie the second time is somewhat better... but it still doesn't match the impact of the original. Chiba's character is much softer, lacking the anti-hero aspect he had in the original that made him simultaneously grotesque and a figure to respect OR ELSE. As well, the action even in this uncut version I saw lacks the viciousness and bloodiness that was a major selling point of the original. I have to wonder if maybe the harshness was toned down here by the filmmakers in an attempt to gain a wider audience on its home turf.There are a few acceptable action sequences, but nothing particularly outstanding. The story is lamer, with Chiba's new sidekick a particularly annoying (and ugly!) figure. At times the movie feels like a bad parody of the whole series. Still, it could have been far worse; I remember THE STREET FIGHTER'S LAST REVENGE to be even worse than this! (Though I also saw that full-frame and edited.)

Sony Chiba returns as the assassin for hire to take on a whole bunch of new villains. Satsujin Ken 2/The Return of the Streetfighter(1974) continues the adventures of Martial Arts master, Takuma Tsurugi. Begins with an excellent fight with the Police that ends in Tsurugi jumping out a window after silencing a witness for a client. He completes the job by killing off an accountant who betrayed the mob. Not as good as The Streetfighter(1974) and with less of the good/bad persona that made the first film an enjoyable film to watch. The Return of the Streetfighter(1974) is best viewed in its full uncut glory. The arch enemy from the first film returns to continue his quest for vengeance against Tsurugi. There are three outstanding set pieces in the flick. One, the fight against the masters of different Martial arts. Two, Tsurugi against a group of people in a health place. Three, the final battle between Tsurugi and the mob's goons.