Sonny Chiba Mega Review Thread

[47lab Guest Find all posts View Profile Close 47lab]

Yes.

what are those pins you're using to hold it up? it looks pretty daft. You should invest in some washi tape if you don't want to leave pinholes.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

what are those pins you're using to hold it up? it looks pretty daft. You should invest in some washi tape if you don't want to leave pinholes.

Hah, that's something I improvised with stuff from 100 yen shop.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

G.I. Samurai (Japan, 1979) [35mm] - 3.5/5

Sonny Chiba revived his modern action formula from the late 60s / early 70s in this major action film produced by Haruki Kadokawa. It was a new era, however. Gone were the days of Toei's modestly budgeted production line films, replaced by Kadokawa's highly commercial production strategy which involved major monetary investments and simultaneous multi format merchandise releases (film, pamphlet, theme songs, novel etc.). The film was budgeted at over one billion yen, which was almost as much as Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha (1980) and twice as much as Samurai Reincarnation (1981).

The clever action fantasy mixes science fiction with historical characters. Chiba stars as self defence forces commander whose platoon somehow gets thrown back in time to the 17th century. Luckily for them, all their weapons, equipment, and vehicles (including a helicopter and tank) get transported with them. They find themselves in the middle of a clan war between Nagao Kagetora (Isao Natsuyagi) and Shingen Takeda.

The generous budget has allowed Chiba to design a truckload of great stunt and action sequences. The final encounter between modern soldiers and the samurai is pure war where a tank and a helicopter are destroyed and dead enemies are counted in hundreds. There are some great stunts like Chiba hanging from a helicopter at the speed of 100 kilometres per hour, and Hiroyuki Sanada later climbing into and jumping from the same helicopter. Some of the stunts were filmed using camera attached to a helmet worn by Chiba.

Being a late 70s big budget film, the movie tones down the exploitation imagery somewhat compared to mid 70s. However, there is still a fair amount of violence, sexuality/nudity, unintentionally silly male bonding, and surprisingly dark themes regarding masculine desire for power and domination. Many of these darker shades were actually removed from the film's butchered US theatrical release, which was cut by almost an hour. The original 139 min version is much preferable and doesn't really lag despite the running time, except in the closing scene where the filmmakers needed to get closing theme 'Endless Way' played in its entirety. In terms of execution the film may not have the punch of Chiba's best films, but as an action and stunt showcase it's an entertaining ride.

* Original title: Sengoku jieitai (戦国自衛隊)
* Director: Kosei Sato
* Chiba's role: Starring Role
* Film availability: Kadokawa SE DVD & BD (JP) (new master) (no subs), Kadokawa Standard DVD (JP) (old master) (no subs), BCI/Ronin Entertainment DVD (US) (new master), Adness DVD (US) (old master), Optimum DVD (UK) (new master) (cut for horse falls)



















Hiroyuki Sanada


Hiroko Yakushimaru

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G.I. Samurai DVD comparison

Top: R2J Kadokawa (2000)
2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen (progressive)
Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0
No Subtitles
7,2 GB

Extras
-Original trailer (3:32)
-Cast & Crew listing

Middle: R2J Kadokawa 2 Disc SE (2005)
2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen (progressive)
Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
No Subtitles
7,8 GB

Extras
- Shinichi Chiba interview (20 min)
- Isao Natsuyagi interview (24 min)
- Hiromitsu Suzuki & Monsieur Kamayatsu interview (21 min)
- Jun Eto & Isao Kuraishi interview (22 min)
- Tank featurette (4 min)
- Original Trailer (3:28) and TV Spot (0:18)
- English language trailer (3:26)
- Title screen scene (1:08) and ending credits (1:07) scene from the US version
- Biographies (or rather cast identification)
- Sengoku Jieitai remake featurette (4 min)
- Sengoku Jieitai remake trailer (1:32)
+ Special ending credits version of the film

Bottom: R1 US BCI / Ronin Entertainment 2 Disc SE
2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen (interlaced)
Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
Optional English Subtitles
7,3 GB

Extras
- Shinichi Chiba interview (20 min)
- Isao Natsuyagi interview (24 min)
- Hiromitsu Suzuki & Monsieur Kamayatsu interview (21 min)
- Jun Eto & Isao Kuraishi interview (22 min)
- Tank featurette (4 min)
- Original Trailer (3:25), TV Spot (0:16) and Teaser (0:38)
- Bonus trailers for Ninja Wars (1:50) (dub) and Legend of the 8 Samurai (2:10) (dub)

Top: R2J Kadokawa (2000)
Middle: R2J Kadokawa 2 Disc SE (2005)
Bottom: R1 US BCI / Ronin Entertainment 2 Disc SE




































The R2J SE is the best DVD edition. More about it later. The R1 SE is a good option if you need English subtitles. It's interlaced, comes with some additional artifacts, and misses a couple of extras, but it's still a good package. The film looks and sounds good, and you get all the most important extras. Also note that the R1 SE includes a cool Teaser Trailer that is not found on any of the R2J editions. A small complaint would be the overly long chapters in the film; most of which run approx 20 minutes. The same applies to the interviews. The disc would have been easier to use with more chapter stops.

A third dvd with the new master is the R2 UK Optimum. It's NTSC to PAL, features notably more compression artifacts, it's cut by BBFC, and only comes with basic extras (trailer etc). I had it once, but couldn't take screencaps because the damn thing wouldn't play on my computer.

I don't own the Kadokawa BD, so I can't comment on the quality.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

Now, a few more words about the G.I. Samurai R2J SE.

Great transfer (although a couple of scenes seems a bit too colourful), great audio options (original track and two remixes), and terrific extras. Disc 1 features a TV spot, original trailer (remastered & original aspect ratio, as opposed to the old R2J trailer which is the same but but worn out and constantly switching between full screen and widescreen aspect ratio) and cast identification. Disc 1 also features a special edition (with only 2.0 sound available) of the film. The only difference seems to be added ending credits, which play stills images next to the credits. You get to see Sonny Chiba directing Hiroko Yakushimaru, Hiroyuki Sanada performing the helicopter stunt etc. It's a shame that these images aren't available in better quality.

The interviews on disc 2 are great. The cast members share a lot of memories about making the film. Chiba demonstrates his katana skills, Kamayatsu reveals he never read the script, and Natsuagi explains how didn't realize he might fall until he was 200 metres above the ground hanging from a helicopter with no wires attached. There's a small feature about the tank that was made especially for this film, footage from the edited US version, trailer for the US version (it's ironic the US trailer is exclusive to the Japanese SE dvd, and the Japanese teaser is exclusive to the US SE) and trailer & featurette for the remake. The only thing really missing is a commentary track.

Here's some screencaptures from the R2J extras

Shinichi Chiba interview






That's a camera helmet, in case you were wondering.


Isao Natsuagi interview


Hiromitsu Suzuki (left) & Monsieur Kamayatsu (right) interview


Isao Kuraishi (left) & Jun Eto (right) interview


The tank still exists. It was sold to a private ”car collector”.


Special ending credits on disc 1: Chiba directing Hiroko Yakushimaru

[47lab Guest Find all posts View Profile Close 47lab]

I have that BCI 2 disc set and just a fucking awesome movie all around. My fave scenes are the interactions between Chiba and Natsuyagi -- men from wildly different eras but more similar in their makeup than they initially realize. Too bad Haruki fucked up with the cocaine and money embezzling because I enjoyed quite a few of the movies from his time at the helm of his namesake film company. Shame BCI went kaput before putting these out on blu ray. I'm still hoping for a HK bootleg of the Jap blu ray ported over with English subs but hasn't materialized yet.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

Dead Angle (Japan, 1979) [DVD] - 3/5
154 minute, novel based crime drama about a sociopath businessman (Isao Natsuyagi) and his associates who cheat small businesses out of their money with shady contracts in the early 50s. It's a pretty well acted and somewhat original film that nevertheless suffers from the late 70s / early 80s "mammoth disease" that came to plague Japanese cinema. Running time has been extended beyond the necessary point, and the emphasis has been shifted from action to character drama. Thankfully, here it works pretty well. Sonny Chiba has a small but decent supporting role as a small time mobster who becomes partners with the main character, doing some of his dirty work.

* Original title: Hakuchu no shikaku (白昼のæ»è§’)
* Director: Toru Murakawa
* Chiba's role: Small Supporting Role
* Film availability: Toei DVD (JP) (no subs)







Chiba


Chiba






Chiba

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Shogun's Ninja (Japan, 1980) [35mm] - 3.5/5
A relatively bizarre ninja film mixes period drama, idol appeal, and fantastic action, all set to a truly horrible porno jazz soundtrack. Hiroyuki Sanada is a young avenger returning from exile from China (a perfect excuse for Hong Kong style action choreography, often enhanced with the same awesome slow motion technique introduced in Karate Warriors). Evil Sonny Chiba and his two loyal ninja servants are after his life. The film is insanely uneven, with some beautifully atmospheric scenes followed by utterly ridiculous spider ninjas in very modern looking costumes. Tetsuro Tamba has the film's best supporting role as white beard ninja master, but villain Sonny Chiba also gets his share of great scenes. The opening assassination alone makes the film worth seeing. Etsuko Shihomi appears as well. Suzuki, Sanada, Shihomi and Chiba, however, did much better in the following year's action comedy classic Roaring Fire.

I keep changing my rating for the film every time I see it. It's got such evident strengths, and such evident weaknesses, that whichever dominates my memory, the other is bound to impress/disappoint me the next time I see it. But it is a fun film, no matter how you see it.

* Original title: Ninja bugeicho momochi sandayu (忍者æ¦èŠ¸å¸–　百地三太夫)
* Director: Norifumi Suzuki
* Chiba's role: Small Supporting Role
* Film availability: Adness (DVD) (USA)

Superb opening with two ninja assistants on Chiba's shoulders. The opponent is Masashi Ishibashi, btw.


Sanada




Tetsuro Tamba




Sanada's love interest Yuki Ninagawa. If you want to see her without clothes, you need to watch Kichitaro Negishi's (superb) Crazed Fruit (1981)


Chiba

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

Here's a brief dvd comparison for Shogun's Ninja

Top: R1 Ronin / Adness
Bottom: R2J Toei





















The R1 isn't perfect, but I do prefer it in terms of video. I don't have the disc here right now. I remember at least some of the R1 releases had a pretty rough audio (such as the Oyama films, I think) but I don't remember how this was. Toei's audio is fine, as usual, so that could possibly turn the tables.

BCI also put this out on double feature BD with The Killing Machine. A German BD also exists.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

I forgot to mention about the Shogun's Ninja teaser trailer, which is pretty cool. It consists mainly of behind the scenes footage and training prior to the filming. It's on the Toei dvd; not on the R1 dvd unfortunately.

"Hiroyuki Sanada"




Japan Action Club stuntman tasting Sanada's foot




"Super Action"


"Action Director: Sonny Chiba"


"Directed by Norifumi Suzuki"

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Tokyo Daijishin Magnitude 8.1 (Japan, 1980) [16mm] - 2/5

This generously budgeted TV film and effects extravaganza remains one of the rarest films in Sonny Chiba's filmography. The film premiered on Nippon TV in 1980, and completely disappeared until it was screened in a special event in Tokyo in 2013. That screening was reportedly so popular that only a fraction of the customers were able to obtain a ticket. in 2014 Cinema Vera screened the film at the Chiba festival, with plenty of screenings from a relatively worn out 16 mm print.

As suggested by the title (Tokyo Great Earthquake Magnitude 8.1), it's a disaster movie based on the premise of a giant earthquake hitting in Tokyo. This fear stemmed from real life: Tokyo had been destroyed by earthquakes several times, most recently in 1923 when more than 140 000 people died and over 400 000 buildings were destroyed. Disaster movies were not an especially common genre in Japanese cinema, however, kaiju films were. It wasn't such a big step from giant monsters stamping Tokyo to a natural disasters creating similar cinematic destruction.

Indeed, a couple of shots in Tokyo Daijishin Magnitude 8.1 seem so familiar that they just might be old Godzilla sets put into new use. That wouldn't be surprising since many of the filmmakers, including producer Tomoyuki Tanaka and special effects director Koichi Kawakita, and co-production company Toho, had their background in Godzilla films. The obviously fake looking but enjoyable miniature work is actually the best thing about the film. There are a couple of especially memorable scenes, like an aircraft flying over Tokyo that has turned into a giant inferno, and the dawn in the destroyed metropolis.

As character drama Tokyo Daijishin Magnitude 8.1 falls flat. All the usual clichés from helpless grandmother to dumb children and pets escaping on the wrong moment are included, not to mention characters discussing how terrible it would be if an earthquake hit Tokyo - just a few hours before it really happens. That is quite disappointing considering the film was directed by Kiyoshi Nishimura, who had helmed interesting thrillers and existential action films like The Creature Called Man (1970) and Hairpin Circus (1972) in the 1970s.

Sonny Chiba plays the starring role; however, he doesn't have much else to do than run back and forth in the middle of special effects, and worry about supporting characters constantly getting in trouble. It's not even an especially physical role since most of the effects are make-believe (e.g. miniatures and visual effects). His most memorable scene involves blowing up a door while taking cover inside a safe. Yutaka Nakajima, who appeared in some earlier Chiba films like The Executioner (1974), plays the female lead, but her role is very forgettable as well. There are a few other supporting actors as well, but amusingly a great lack of extras. It seems the entire budget was spent on special effects since there are only a handful of people in Tokyo and they miraculously run into each other throughout the film.

Because of its rarity Tokyo Daijishin Magnitude 8.1 will remain to be a sought after movie. It's a decent special effects show that probably deserves to be seen by genre fans, especially for its nostalgia value, but it's hardly a great movie. For fans of Chiba it's passable viewing, but not among his more memorable roles.

As a side note; the film's budget was 150 million yen, which was five times higher than the episode budget for the famous cop-action series Seibu Keisatsu (which is still fondly remembered for its insane action scenes full of car wrecking and explosions) that was screening on TV around the same time. By the 1980s many of the former actions stars, like Yujiro Ishihara, Tetsuya Watari, and Chiba himself were mostly working on TV. Chiba had already starred in various different shows since the 1960s, like Key Hunter (1967-1973) and The Bodyguard (1974). In the 1980s he begun to work primarily for television. It was a great era of epic small screen action entertainment that often rivalled, and sometimes surpassed, the theatrical films. Nothing like that exists on Japanese TV anymore.

* Original title: Tokyo Daijishin Magnitude 8.1 (東京大地震マグニチュード8.1)
* Director: Kiyoshi Nishimura
* Chiba's role: Starring Role
* Film availability: None (review format: 16mm)

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The Bushido Blade (USA, 1981) - 1.5/5
This historical epic about Commodore Perry's men attempting to retrieve a stolen sword in Japan is one of the worst films Sonny Chiba ever appeared in. The film basically portrays most of the Japanese characters as sneaky backwards barbarians whose concept of honour is a laughing matter. Oddly enough, the film was actually helmed by Toho veteran Tsugunobu Kotani rather than an American filmmaker. Talk about orientalism. In all fairness it must be said the American characters also mostly come out as ignorant morons, but it is impossible to say whether this was intentional or not.

If there is something positive about the film, it's the big name cast featuring Toshiro Mifune, Bin Amatsu, Tetsuro Tamba, and Sonny Chiba. None of them make much of an impression, but at least Chiba is given a couple of passable action moments. Some might also be interested to hear Laura Gemser is in the film. Richard Boone makes his final film appearance in the film, and he looks like he hated every second of it. The film does get a little more to tolerable as it advances, mainly due to a romance between a young navy officer and a Japanese woman, but that's not saying much. It is really no wonder the film never hit the Japanese theatres, and even avoided video release until 1990.

* Original title: The Bushido Blade
* Director: Tsugunobu Kotani
* Chiba's role: Small Supporting Role
* Film availability: Wellspring DVD (US) (90 min TV version, fullscreen)
* Note: reviewed version: 90 min edit.

This poster is so much better than the film

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I bought Bushido Blade when it came out on DVD domestically years ago, knowing nothing about it and figuring it would be amazing given the cast. But you're right, it's a big wasted opportunity and a pretty dull film.

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Samurai Reincarnation (Japan, 1981) [35mm] - 4/5

Sonny Chiba plays legendary samurai Jubei Yagyu (for the 4th time) in this unique swordplay horror epic that seamlessly mixes historical characters with supernatural fantasy. Jubei has to encounter an army of evil made of defeated swordsmen brought back to life by fallen Christian Shiro Amakusa (Kenji Sawada).

The film was based on a novel by the frequently adapted ninja exploitation author Futaro Yamada (Kunoichi Ninpo, 1964; Ninja's Mark, 1968; Ninja Wars, 1982) and co-produced by Toei and Haruki Kadokawa, with a budget of 500 million yen (roughly 5 million USD in modern currency). Hideo Gosha was originally set to direct, but he was replaced by Kinji Fukasaku after Gosha was arrested for possession of illegal weapons.

Considering the large budget, it is amazing how dark and atypical the film is. From the "hell on earth" opening with thousands of decapitated bodies lying on ground to a storyline that spends its entire first hour following villains, and Jubei Yagyu fighting the beloved Musashi Miyamoto who has turned into a zombie, this truly goes against conventions.

Sonny Chiba designed the film's action scenes, including the stunning final duel against Wakayama in a burning castle that still makes audiences wonder how the hell did they do that? Reportedly, almost everyone suffered burns during the filming. Modern CGI spectacles look pathetic in comparison.

It's an atmospheric, unforgettable film that will not please all viewers. The slow pacing alone may turn out a challenge for some, but it also works to the film's benefit. When Jubei Yagyu , armed with a sword that would "cut even God were you to encounter him" finally encounters Musashi Miyamoto about 1.5 hours into the film, the tension has reached a level few swordplay films can match.

* Original title: Makai tensho (é”界転生)
* Director: Kinji Fukasaku
* Chiba's role: Starring Role
* Film availability: Media Blasters DVD (USA), IVL DVD (Hong Kong)

Kenji Sawada




Chiba


Jubei Yagyu vs Musashi Miyamoto


Ken Ogata is almost unrecognizable as Musashi Miyamoto


Tomisaburo Wakayama

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Ninja Wars (Japan, 1982) [DVD] - 3.5/5
An enjoyable big budget ninja actioner with a relatively high exploitation factor for what is essentially an idol film. Hiroyuki Sanada stars, Kadokawa idol Noriko Watanabe is his ninja girlfriend who is captured and killed by evil monks who need a virgin's tears to produce a love potion that will help them rule the country. Sonny Chiba has a small but important supporting role as a mysterious ninja who is assisting Sanada. Violence and sex are prominent although not very graphic, but it's love that conquers all in a surprisingly romantic climax. As an 80s Kadokawa production it's a far more commercial film than the 70s genre flicks, and features far superior production values. The film was the year's 3rd most popular Japanese film at the box office (a double feature with Dirty Hero)

* Original title: Iga ninpí´chí´ (伊賀忍法帖)
* Director: Kí´sei Saití´
* Chiba's role: Major Supporting Role
* Film availability: Adness DVD (USA), Kadokawa BD (Japan) (no subs)

Sanada and Watanabe




Chiba




Yes, this is the film with monks throwing up acid!






Chiba