The Street Fighter (Japan 1975)

Rating: ***
Cast: Sonny Chiba

Wacky and extremely violent, Sonny Chiba plays a hitman who's only love is money. He gets hired to spring a criminal from jail, only to end up being double-crossed by him. Naturally, revenge is right around the corner. Like many Japanese films, the martial arts sequences aren't very flashy or exciting, but Sonny Chiba is definitely a take-no-prisoners bad ass. His bug-eyed intensity is both comical and unsettling at the same time. Also like many Japanese films, the pacing is challenging, but the final fight on the villain's boat speeds things up a bit.