Please don't spend money on this.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Notoriously Famous, or Infamous, Sonny Chiba Movie, along with Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon" (1973), Solidified the Kung-Fu Craze in America. Bad-Ass, as He and the Movie are often Called, is an Accurate Description.Chiba made a lot of Films, this one is part of a Trilogy, but "Street Fighter" Stands Alone in its Audacious Violence, Non-Stop Action, and Unrestrained Bloody Battles. The Martial Arts Expert's Screen Persona Stamps and Stomps His Image On Screen with Facial Contortions, Grunts and Groans, and for a Man 5'10" Tall, has Lightning Quick Hands and Feet.He is No Goody-Goody either. He is a Mercenary and will Work for Anyone and Lustfully Gropes Females at will. The Plot is Inconsequential, the Girls are Brightly Attired Beauties, but it is the Gratuitous Gore that Everyone Remembers besides Our Anti-Hero. And Gory it is with Buckets of Blood and a Few Scenes that are Legendary that won't be Spoiled here.If You are merely Curious, this Film Alone will Prove why All the Fuss about Sonny Chiba. Originally X-Rated for the Violence and Cut for American Release, in the Eighties the Original Version makes it way to Video and the True Aspect Restored. Beware any Lingering Censored and Full-Screen Versions that should be Avoided.

This was the film that made Chiba an international star, and is also famous as being the first film in America to be given an X certificate due to its violent content and not for sex or swearing.There is very little plot in the film. Luckily there is some excellent action along the way which makes up for any of the plots shortcomings. Chiba is excellent and proves once again that he is one of the best martial arts stars ever. Here he plays Takama Tsuguri, the Streetfighter of the title. He isn't you'r usual kind of hero, and in any other film he would be probably classed as a villain. The film begins with Tsuguri being hired to break out a convict from prison which he does with extremely violent results. Afterwards he is double crossed by the family. Most people would get their revenge by just beating them up, not Tsuguri. Instead he beats up the convicts brother and sells the sister into prostitution, and this is the hero of the movie.What lies ahead of this are a number of increasingly violent action scenes culminating in an excellent fight on board a giant tanker fighting the main villains henchman until he comes face to face once again with the convict that he freed at the beginning of the film.Direction in the movie is basic, other than a use of an x-ray shot that shows broken bones, which was utilised to better effect years later in the Jet Li movie "Romeo Must Die". Also there are no performances of note other than Chiba, and even then he is known more for his fighting skills than his thespian ones.It is no surprise that this film made Chiba a star as he is definitely in a class of his own. His popularity in America was also due to the death of Bruce Lee and audience's wanted to fill the void left by him. Personally I prefer Chiba to Bruce Lee. He may not be as skilled as a Martial Artist, but just seems more deadly on screen than Lee was. Even in its dubbed and re-edited form, the Streetfighter is still a great Martial Arts movie.

Superb action film that is superior to all recent efforts. The Street Fighter is everything you should love about the genre. In fact, it does so much right, it should be used as a template for any film wishing to achieve such levels of excitement and brutality. The first thing to grab my attention was the lead protagonist. He isn't exactly a nice guy. Far from it. He's a mercenary for hire, and not the lovable rogue like Han Solo. He is sadistic and cruel and self serving. However, Chiba manages to instill such charisma that I was drawn to the performance. As the film progressed, so did Chiba. His actions became more heroic, even if his methods could still make me cringe. The action scenes are those I long to return. This isn't some "exciting" frenetic exercise in editing. The action derives from the actors and the stunts. The camera is following what is going on, and heavy editing is not needed. There are some stylistic flourishes which add extra cool, but not so much as to detract from the emotions of the characters. Some parts are a little convoluted, but the balance between story, dialog, and action is beautifully thought out. It's all helped along by a very 70's and very sexy soundtrack.

I must confess that upon initially sitting and viewing this, it struck me to be one of those films that you hear lots of praise for but upon watching it yourself, cannot for the life of you understand what all the fuss and hype is about.Certainly, the film starts off in a decidedly disjointed manner and to be honest is a somewhat less than spectacular affair until a good way into its total running time. However, keep watching because matters do pick up and indeed pick up admirably towards the end….You see what really saves and indeed makes this film so memorable is its incredible scenes of graphic ultra-violence which even today still pack quite a wallop. In fact, this film was ostensibly the first non-horror film to be awarded an 'X' certificate back upon its initial release.Amongst the choice sights on offer include our protagonist gouging various cronies eyeballs, ripping off a would be rapists genitals with his bare hands(!), tearing out a mans throat and punching one poor chap so hard in the gut that he pukes! (probably the nastiest scene of all in fact!) Also of note include some nice gory head smashings such as when one poor wretch takes a fall over a railing and the infamous sequence in which our man cracks another chaps skull; the fatal blow being shown in 'x-ray' form!For fans of a bit of screen violence, you can't go wrong with this classic!