The Sonny Chiba Collection: Volume 2 - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

The Sonny Chiba Collection: Volume 2



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


WARNING: THE SCORES ABOVE ARE A COMBINED SCORE FROM ALL 7 FILMS, THE INDIVIDUAL SCORES ARE CONTAINED BELOW IN THE INDIVIDUAL SECTIONS OF THE REVIEW


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Movie
The Defensive Power of Aikido :
The Defensive Power of Akido isn’t REALLY a Sonny Chiba picture in the way most of us were expecting. Instead, it stars his brother Jiro Chida in the role of Morihei Ueshiba, who is born to a simple farming family, only to be raised in the martial arts. Over the years he hones own version of Akido, proving himself one of the resident master (even being taught by one such master, played by Sonny Chiba himself).

The Defensive Power of Akido is a pretty classic style of martial arts film, delving into what it takes to become a master at your style. As such it features the traditional growth story lines, with Morihei Ueshhiba going through trials and tribulations to hone his craft, as well as defend his style from the masters around who want to see him fail. The flick balances a fine line between 1960s Samurai films in terms of time period, but blends the more modern day elements with Masters in suits and ties rather than robes and sashes.

Honestly, The Defenssive Power of Akido may be the most traditional martial arts film in the entire box set, but not only does it feature Sonny Chiba the least, it’s also the least memorable. Sure, it follows through with some great fight scenes, but it feels like a budget Shaw Brothers film rather than an intense Japanese production. As such, it’s kind of forgettable and rote.

13 Steps of Maki:
Ok, I take it back. The Defensive Power of Akido isn’t the least “Sonny Chiba” forward film of the set, it’s 13 Steps of Maki. In fact, Sonny Chiba’s only appearance in the film is a few minute cameo at the end, even though his character is literally referenced all throughout the 80 minute film (I’m not sure whether he was supposed to play a more prominent role and was cut, but for whatever reason Chiba only shows up in a late film scene before ending the flick). But despite that, this is one of the most insane, fun, and pure GONZO Chiba films ever.

Based off of a comic book, 13 Steps of Maki focuses on the titular 13 steps and her stray cats girl gan in Japan. They’re all a group of female martial artists who come across as delinquents and rabblerousers at times, but use their martial arts prowess to help others when they can. After having some trouble with a random woman on the side of the road (the stray cats leave her buried up to her neck in sand) they find out the hard way that there are others more powerful than them. Turns out that this woman was the daughter of a big time corporate head who is bed with the local Yakuza. The Yakuza hunt down and capture Maki herself, trumping up some false charges and imprisoning her against her will.

As I said, 13 Steps of Maki is purely a gonzo film. It blends sleazy “woman in prison” stereotypes from the 1970s, classic martial arts tropes, and Yakuza gangster tropes all together for one wild ride. The film literally has EVERYTHING in it but the kitchen sink. Torture, assault, sex parties, blood flowing from every orifice, dismemberment, general Karate mayhem, and I was loving every freaking second of it. There’s not a whole lot to the story itself, but the 80 minute film is just one gigantic fight scene, with each scene stringing directly into the next fight scene. Basically this is comic book grindhouse at it’s purest, with 1970s sleaze and the disgusting misogynistic gaze of the villains. If you’re a fan of grindhouse films at all, this is a must see in my opinion. Especially since it basically is a more hardcore version of Sister Street Fighter, which was one of the better Shihomi films out there.

Karate Warriors:
Karate Warriors hails back to the age old Sergio Leone classic trope of a nameless fighter coming into a conflict and playing two rival forces against each other. Much like A Fistful of Dollars or Yojimbo, Chico (Sonny Chiba) is recruited by a gang as their fighter, while simultaneously a modern day Samurai character is hired by an opposing gave. But unbeknownst to both gangs, the two hired guns are actually working against the wishes of their bosses in hopes of sowing seeds of chaos among the ranks.

The story is as old as time, but who really cares. This is really about hand to hand combat scenes with a modern day samurai and Sonny Chiba Karate kicking people across the room. The tale gets modernized a bit with a heroin drug smuggling operation, and the ruthless Yakuza style gang attacks, but we have to remember that NO ONE is a good guy here. While the gangs may be the obvious villain here, Chico is not above getting his hands dirty too. While the mobs are looking for the lost heroin that the boss’s predecessor hid, Chico is also looking to get his hands on it. The seeds of chaos that he sows among the ranks is not exactly what one would call “justified”. All he really wants is to keep the gangs fighting long enough for him to find the loot before they do.

One really Eastern aspect to the film that the Samurai and Chico are actually at odds. If this was an American remake we’d probably see them team up at the end so that we can root for them both, but not the case here. Chico and the Samurai obviously have to to fight, as no matter how cool the other one is, there can only be one big guy on campus here, and the resulting battle at the end is well worth the wait.

Great Okinawa Yakuza War :
The Great Okinawa Yakuza War follows a more traditional late 70s Japanese feel, as Sony Chiba playing a hardened Yakuza member. The film takes a huge deviation from the previous 3 flicks in the set, churning out a hardcore grindhouse film with all of the nasty gang on gang violence that made Yakuza gangster films so popular back in the day. It’s seedy, gritty, and focuses on gang rivalries more than classic hand to hand karate fights. While 13 Steps of Maki was comic bookish in it’s gonzo grindhouse style, Yakuza War is much more down to earth and brutal.

The film takes place during early 1970s when the US government gave back control of Okinawa to Japan after keeping our thumb down on them after WWII. And with the power vacuum suddenly in place, the surrounding Japanese Yakuzas want to take Okinawa back under their control and rule it like they have the rest of Japan. This means it’s an absolute bloodbath as gang on gang violence threatens to tear the city apart. Chiba is Masataka Kunigami, a brutish and insanely vicious gangster who wants nothing to do with the new breed of mobsters. His word is his bond, and his word is to subdue the entire city, no matter the cost.

Karate For Life:
Karate For Life is actually the 3rd film in a trilogy of films about legendary fighter Mas Oyama (Chiba). The first two films (Champion of Death and Karate Bear Fighter) sadly aren’t included in this set, but on it’s own Karate For Life is still a solid watch. Oyama is a big brute, filled with rage and ready to kick the butt of anyone who stands in his way. He ends up running a bit too high of a restaurant tab as beating the snot out of Karate students isn’t the money maker that it may seem to be (sarcasm). However, Oyama thinks his luck is picking up when he gets an offer to come down to Okinawa and be part of a wrestling match and fight a real judo master.

Turns out when he gets there, the wrestling is actually pro wrestling by the occupying U.S. Military base where the U.S. soldiers use their wrestling trained fighters to beat up on local Japanese fighters. Oyama’s given the opportunity to fight the U.S. wrestlers, but also given orders to take a dive so that the troops get what they want. A U.S. fighter beating up some Japanese dude. Well, Oyama isn’t exactly the type to take a dive, and ends up wiping the floor with the wrestlers, which ticks off the Yakuza mobsters who are running the operation. Mix in the fact that there’s a woman for him to fall for, some good old fashioned betrayal, and your typical “I fight for honor” story line that is very prevalent in Japanese and Chinese martial arts films.

Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon:
And what Japanese action set would be complete unless we had a film adapted from Japanese Manga! So yes, Sonny Chiba is back playing the infamous anti-hero Duke Togo, an iconic hitman hired to be the best of the best. To do the jobs that no one else can in a weird blend of James Bond and Jason Bourne. The film stars on a yacht off the coast of Florida, where Golgo 13 (taken from 13th man at Golgotha selling out Jesus) is hired to by a drug lord to kill one of their men who has been embezzling funds from their coffers. The man he’s out to kill is known as “The Kingpin” and one of the best gangster from Hong Kong, and NOT going to be easy to kill. But this is Golgo 13, and he gets his man, no matter the cost.

Golgo 13 is a much more mainstream film than many of his others, still blending in that trademark grindhouse tone with a more modern day gangster appeal that fits in with James Bond aesthetics. There’s hot girls, skimpy outfits, killing of minions with an M16a2 (that’s actually rather decked out), and cheesy 1970s music. There’s an obvious flair that comes from the Manga, but overall it feels like Chiba and the powers that be were more interested in copying the old 1970s James Bond flicks, and as such has a much different flavor than the previous movies in this set. Overall it’s a fun romp, and it’s ALWAYS fun to watch Golgo 13 in live action, but it’s also the silliest and most “bland” of the set outside of The Defensive Power of Akido.

The Okinawa War of Ten Years:
To round out the seven film set, we’re back into another Okinawa film with The Okinawa War of Ten Years. We’re back on mainland Japan once more, where the new Yakuza members are having a hard time with the mainland gangs that have cropped up during the time that the U.S. had control of Okinawa. So to settle the matter, the new crime bosses vs. the Yakuza of old battle it out in the streets in a trial of blood and death to see who will gain control over the mainland.

Chiba plays less of a violent psychopath than he did in The Great Okinawa Yakuza War, instead growing a beard and playing a more cool and collected mobster. The film takes place over the course of 10 years as the two rival forces figure out a way to co-exist (or eliminate the other) in a world where they’ve been away for each other for literal decades. Again, like The Great Okinawa Yakuza War, this is another slow burn violent thriller, but also one of my least favorites of the selection. Chiba is toned down quite a bit from his normal over the top persona, and while fascinating, just doesn’t have that “pull” that his other films have.




Rating:

Not Rated by the MPAA




Video:

The Defensive Power of Aikido :
Without much to go on I can only assume that the 7 films ensconced in this set are taken from 2K HD sources from a while back. There’s no insert in the press release bragging about new 4K masters, so we can assume that these were from older stock. Either way, starting out the set is a nice example of a good 1080p transfer with The Defensive Power of Akido. The 1975 film looks really clean and clear, with that heavy 1970s grain, but never being obtrusive or obstructive to the overall image. Detail is really solid, though black levels sometimes get a bit crushed. Colors are muted, but more on the natural side of the grading scale, and flesh tones are bronzed, but still pleasantly balanced with the aesthetic of the film.

13 Steps of Maki:
13 Steps of Maki is much grungier looking, with a 1970s Grindhouse aesthetic going on. Grain is more prevalent, as is that overly saturated maroon red tone. Blacks are deep and inky, with minimal banding, and fine details readily prevalent. I will say this. The overall colors may be over saturated with reds and blacks, but faces look slightly drawn and sallow, with an orange push that is a bit awkward to look at sometimes. Overall it’s a very capable looking transfer that doesn’t seem to have any major artifacting outside of a little banding going on.

Karate Warriors:
Much like the first two, the print for Karate Warriors is pleasantly clean of abnormalities, doesn’t look like its in any need of restoration. The colors are more yellowed and pale, but primary colors do stand out in contrast to the muted tone of the rest of the film. Details are abundant and smooth motion leads to a very nice looking disc (although the bitrate for this film was lower than I would have liked). I did see some banding and some crush going on, but this isn’t a horribly artifact ridden disc at all, so fans should be pleased.

Great Okinawa Yakuza War :
The Great Okinawa Yakuza War is probably one of the best looking films in the set, though it is not by a whole lot. The 1976 film doesn’t look as dingey or grainy as the others, adding in more blues and greens to the color grading. There doesn’t appear to be a massive amount of artifacting, and the details presented on film are more than appreciable. Blacks have a slightly milky look to them though, and have a creamy appearance in really dark sequences, but other than that this is still a very natural and clean looking transfer.

Karate For Life:
Karate For Life is the first one that sort of stumbles a tad (in comparison). Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a nice looking transfer that appears to be clean from most print damage and blesmishes, but it has a yellowed and sallow look that is sort of unappealing. Faces are yellowed a tad and the blacks have that milky look that The Great Okinawa Yakuza War had to deal with, just much more aggressively so. I did appreciate how detailed the print looked, though, as fine details are more than pleasing and close ups very revealing. There’s some natural softness to the in the ring fight scenes, but overall it’s a crisp and well detailed image.

Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon:
Golgo 13 is very much a grindhouse film, and the transfer replicates that harsh and grainy look that was so tyical of that ear. It’s not going to be absolutely perfect, nor give every bit of detail out there, but it replicates the very harsh and grungy look that it has always had. Blacks are actually deep and inky this go around, with no signs of milky shots in the darkness, not to mention some really good shadow detail. Primary colors look more pastel and slightly faded, but still pop enough for the dim looking images. Skin tones are well done and natural, with that slightly bronzed look that is typical of Japanese films. Overall, this is a nice looking disc, but still very heavily stylized like most Grindhouse flicks.

The Okinawa War of Ten Years:
1978’s The Okinawa War of Ten Years is probably the nicest looking out of the bunch, with a very crisp and clean looking transfer. There’s no major signs of artifacting, and the image itself is devoid of speckles, pops and heavy grain overall. Grain is still most certainly there, but it’s not overly heavy like some of the previous ones, and black levels remain deep and inky. Fine details are excellent when dealing with close ups and backgrounds alike, with more of an emphasis on the close ups showing the most revealing details.










Audio:

Being that these were all shot very similarly with similar time frames and similar capturing techniques, the 2.0 Mono tracks are generally VERY similar. One or more might edge another by half a star, but as an overall whole the mono mixes sound very much on the same tier. Dialog is well done, with strong center and main placement, with just a hint of that fuzzy sound that Mono mixes of that era are known for. There's not a whole lot of dynamic range or razor sharp clarity, but nothing is obstruced by horrible hissies and pops and cracks in the mixes. Very simply, this is a VERY simple sound design that works with the *biff, *pow! *smash! sound effects of the day to deliver a nice lossless experience. Nothing to write home about due to the simple design, but technically the tracks are in good shape and sound quite serviceable.




Extras:

Disc One
• The Defensive Power of Akido Trailer

Disc Two
• Karate Warriors Commentary by Chris Poggiali and Mark Walkow
• Karate Warriors trailer

Disc Three
• Karate For Life Commentary by Brian Bankston
• Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon Commentary by Brian Bankston

Disc Four
• The Okinawa War of Ten Years Trailer

Final Score: ​

Sonny Chiba has always been one of the more under rated of the Old 70s-90s martial arts super star, but he has an incredibly dense and varied filmography to enjoy. Which makes this set from Shout Studios even more appreciated. The discs lack a ton of extras outside of a few commentaries from 3rd parties, but let that not dissuade you from picking up this set. The audio and video are very solid considering the low budget 80s Japanese sources, and they’re all more than fun to watch. I loved the first Sonny Chiba set, and this is a solid followup. My only wish is to get a full on Street Fighter collection of his on Blu-ray some day. Definitely recommended for Sonny Chiba fans.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Sonny Chiba, Hideo Murota, Hiroki Matsukata, Tsunehiko Watase, Etsuko Shihomi, Jirô Yabuki
Directed by: Various
Written by: Various
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 AVC / 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
Subtitles: English
Studio: Shout Studios
Rated: NR
Runtime: 1215 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: November, 14th, 2023

Recommendation: Good movies, Solid Set

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