A fresh-faced Sonny Chiba is the James Bond-alike hero in this efficient thriller that mixes together plenty of diverse ingredients for movie fans: there's a ton of broad comedy (typically involving unlucky folk and a cross-dresser), plenty of cool action, and a hackneyed but nevertheless involving storyline that follows the YOJIMBO template fairly closely, but still offers some new twists to make it engaging. The film feels like a succession of images involving suited gangsters, nightclub singers, and battle scenes taking place with attractive Japanese scenery as the backdrop.
As per usual, Sonny Chiba carries the film and his character is an odd mix between a smooth James Bond spy-type hero and the hard-ass we all know and love from the STREET FIGHTER flicks and others. He gets very involved in the action scenes, carrying out a few martial arts moves and taking part in plenty of stunts which are of a good quality – there are no stuntmen involved when Chiba's around! Highlights include swinging from a helicopter rope (so much fun it was repeated by Chiba in G. I. SAMURAI), a neat little run around the roof of a mansion, and some tough physicality inside a lit chimney! Chiba is backed up by a more than able cast and there are two particularly interesting characters who have strong parallels with Chiba himself: the first is a fellow "lone wolf" whom Chiba spares from death and the second a corrupt cop with stomach cancer who has a few surprises up his sleeve. The interaction between these guys and Chiba himself is a strong element to the film, although a lot of the other characters are pretty stereotyped.
The action is plentiful which is cool for this genre, and it sure beats the heck out of similar scenes in the Italian Bond rip-offs. There's a ton of bloody shooting which really pushes the boundary for a family-oriented flick and a quartet of rubber-masked assassins, one of whom is a Charles Bronson imitator! However, the film is most notable for being a product of its time, i.e. it's very dated when watched today. Chiba wears a succession of '60s suits and clothing which push the boundaries for taste, while halfway through the film the director takes a time out to shoot a swinging marijuana party, all filmed in a psychedelic hue with fondling lesbian encounters and Chiba sprawling senselessly on a couch! There's also one of those infamous rotating circular beds that were parodied in the AUSTIN POWERS movies, but here it's much funnier because it's for real. All in all, Chiba's ever-engaging presence and a strong plot make this one of the better Bond imitators.
As per usual, Sonny Chiba carries the film and his character is an odd mix between a smooth James Bond spy-type hero and the hard-ass we all know and love from the STREET FIGHTER flicks and others. He gets very involved in the action scenes, carrying out a few martial arts moves and taking part in plenty of stunts which are of a good quality – there are no stuntmen involved when Chiba's around! Highlights include swinging from a helicopter rope (so much fun it was repeated by Chiba in G. I. SAMURAI), a neat little run around the roof of a mansion, and some tough physicality inside a lit chimney! Chiba is backed up by a more than able cast and there are two particularly interesting characters who have strong parallels with Chiba himself: the first is a fellow "lone wolf" whom Chiba spares from death and the second a corrupt cop with stomach cancer who has a few surprises up his sleeve. The interaction between these guys and Chiba himself is a strong element to the film, although a lot of the other characters are pretty stereotyped.
The action is plentiful which is cool for this genre, and it sure beats the heck out of similar scenes in the Italian Bond rip-offs. There's a ton of bloody shooting which really pushes the boundary for a family-oriented flick and a quartet of rubber-masked assassins, one of whom is a Charles Bronson imitator! However, the film is most notable for being a product of its time, i.e. it's very dated when watched today. Chiba wears a succession of '60s suits and clothing which push the boundaries for taste, while halfway through the film the director takes a time out to shoot a swinging marijuana party, all filmed in a psychedelic hue with fondling lesbian encounters and Chiba sprawling senselessly on a couch! There's also one of those infamous rotating circular beds that were parodied in the AUSTIN POWERS movies, but here it's much funnier because it's for real. All in all, Chiba's ever-engaging presence and a strong plot make this one of the better Bond imitators.