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» » Satsujin ken 2 (1974)

Short summary

Takuma "Terry" Tsurugi returns. In this sequel, he sets out to bust up a phony charity put together by the Yakuza.

SATSUJINKEN series. #2 of 3 films.

User reviews


  • comment
    • Author: Tat
    Sonny Chiba returns as Tsurugi, slightly more well-mannered here as befits a film that is neither as gory or as good as the original. The plot is straightforward - Tsurugi upsets the mafia, they send hordes of goons to kill him, he kicks their asses. The film has plenty of fight scenes that are still intense and brutal, but tones down the level of animal rawness... it does offer us a bit of nudity in exchange, but frankly it's no substitute for a guy getting his genitalia ripped off in a fight.

    Still, it is pretty entertaining and the fight scenes are still impressive.
  • comment
    • Author: Efmprof
    Well, against the ostensible general tide of opinion I must say that I wasn't a particularly huge fan of the original film that this follows. In fact, for me at least, the only saving grace it boasted was in its violent excesses – the majority of which were saved until the final third of its running time. From reading many of the other reviews on this site, it furthermore seems indicative that the exact said graphic violence is the principle reason that most other reviewers have awarded the flick such lofty marks.

    Interestingly and conversely, this sequel actually tones down the blood letting somewhat and apparently as a result didn't hold quite as much appeal it would seem. Well, that's what I'm assuming at least.

    From my own perspective however, whilst this sequel is indeed bereft of much of the old red stuff a flying, I would say that it actually surpasses the original in pure entertainment value by far. The martial arts sequences are far superior this time around including some rather nifty Kobudo weapons displays throughout. Also Sonny Chiba is on much better form here to – just check out the awesome sequence near the start of the film in which our protagonist allows himself to be taken to a police station in order to silence a witness. He makes his escape by kicking the bars out through the wall and leaping through the subsequent hole from a few stories up!

    Another scene of amazing note involves our hero punching some poor chap so hard in the back of the head that his eyeballs literally pop out!!! (some great utilisation of ping-pong balls there!) It's also great to see the return of a supposedly deceased character from the first flick who returns here with the intention of exacting his revenge upon our hero.

    To be quite honest, there's only one negative I can think of in this flick and that is the ill advised inclusion of Chiba's 'side-kick' (the first film also suffered the indignity of including one to!) who in this instance is a veritably annoying chick boasting ridiculous looking pig tails and who furthermore, has a rather unfortunate propensity for warbling along to crappy music (badly at that!)

    Aside from this minor gripe though, overall, this proves to be a tremendously entertaining affair throughout and is well worth tracking down!
  • comment
    • Author: Balhala
    Sony Chiba returns as the assassin for hire to take on a whole bunch of new villains. Satsujin Ken 2/The Return of the Streetfighter(1974) continues the adventures of Martial Arts master, Takuma Tsurugi. Begins with an excellent fight with the Police that ends in Tsurugi jumping out a window after silencing a witness for a client. He completes the job by killing off an accountant who betrayed the mob. Not as good as The Streetfighter(1974) and with less of the good/bad persona that made the first film an enjoyable film to watch. The Return of the Streetfighter(1974) is best viewed in its full uncut glory. The arch enemy from the first film returns to continue his quest for vengeance against Tsurugi. There are three outstanding set pieces in the flick. One, the fight against the masters of different Martial arts. Two, Tsurugi against a group of people in a health place. Three, the final battle between Tsurugi and the mob's goons.
  • comment
    • Author: dermeco
    Director Shigehiro Ozawa and Sonny Chiba did this sequel immediately after their first Street Fighter (1974) in 1974-5. The plot is almost identical (what there is) as Sonny is again Terry who does dirty jobs for the mob and never has any morality in his mind bothering him. He just kills and kicks people's asses if the job requires that. Well so much for any "deeper" elements this film would have had; these are just ultra violent action films which are there only to offer the audience more savage action than those of HK film makers' of the same period.

    Return of the Street Fighter has many flashbacks from the first film and never seems too original or interesting, but still it is never boring or hard to watch without falling asleep. The action is plentiful and Sonny tries again to be ultra cool and tough guy with some misogynistic habits, too. The violence is laughably over the top but still shocking and extreme enough to secure the highest X rating (or NC-17) for this kind of film, and so a film this savage would never come from Hollywood nowadays.

    If one likes mindless action and memorable music score with strong imagery of gratuitous violence, then Return of the Street Fighter is worth a watch, but still I prefer the original first Fighter film (not that it is any remarkable masterpiece either). These films are Japan's answer to Hong Kong's Bruce Lee and Jimmy Wang Yu, but ten times more vicious, mindless and cinematically not so ambitious. 4/10
  • comment
    • Author: Nkeiy
    This sequel to one of the most notoriously violent films in cinematic history is funnier, less gory, and more sloppily filmed than the original "The Streetfighter"...but don't worry, because it's still loaded with punches, kicks, and broken bodies. If you're a fan of this series, "Return of the Streetfighter" does not disappoint. Shinichi 'Sonny' Chiba is back as Terry Tsurugi (misspelled 'Tsugury' in the closing credits). Once again, Tsurugi accepts an assignment from the mob and, once again, his scruples get the better of him when the job requires him to kill Masaoka (Masafumi Suzuki, the virtuous karate instructor from the first film). There's something of a subplot involving a disgraced cop who helps Tsurugi and Masaoka take on the mob's seemingly endless supply of minions, but for the most part, this sequel is far more exaggerated and cartoonish than the film that preceded it. The direction, acting, and dubbing are sloppy as all hell, but that's easy to forgive in a movie like this; it's so much fun that you can't dislike it! Ratnose died in the last film, so Tsurugi's sidekick this time around is a really annoying young woman who dresses in pseudo-hippie fashion and says "cat" and "daddy-o" a lot (as it turns out, she's also working for the bad guys, but her scruples get the better of her, too). You thought Ratnose was a pain in the ass, but this chick is something else again and it's hard to muster any sympathy for her when she dies. The most enjoyable thing about "Return of the Streetfighter" is that they bring back Junjo (Milton Ishibashi, the villain from the original film) with synthetic vocal cords to replace the ones Tsurugi had ripped out! In keeping with the sequel's more cartoony feel, Junjo is not the vengeance-obsessed character he was in the original, but more like an emotionless, part-robotic supervillain. The lead baddie, a mustachioed, shaggy-haired Mafia don who looks like a fugitive from Three Dog Night or the Doobie Brothers, is the most ludicrously exaggerated Occidental villain in the history of Asian cinema. Every time he opens his mouth, it's to gripe about "the whole lousy Yellow hemisphere". Given the don's raging prejudice, you'd think his Japanese henchmen wouldn't be so eager to defend him from Tsurugi, but hey...this is a ridiculous film. What can I say? You either love this kind of movie or hate it, and I love it!
  • comment
    • Author: Wiliniett
    I remember I really disliked this movie the first time I saw it... though I not only saw it full-frame (meaning that the fights were often hard to make out), but that it was an edited version, missing all that blood and bone crunching that warms all our hearts. Well, I recently got hands on a DVD of the first movie and this, and I gave it another look. Imagine my surprise that this public domain DVD not only had the movie in widescreen, but uncut! Seems they probably got the master from an old New Line laserdisc. (What's up with that, New Line - you release the first movie on VHS uncut and in widescreen, but you released the second movie on VHS cut and full-frame?!!?)

    My view of the movie the second time is somewhat better... but it still doesn't match the impact of the original. Chiba's character is much softer, lacking the anti-hero aspect he had in the original that made him simultaneously grotesque and a figure to respect OR ELSE. As well, the action even in this uncut version I saw lacks the viciousness and bloodiness that was a major selling point of the original. I have to wonder if maybe the harshness was toned down here by the filmmakers in an attempt to gain a wider audience on its home turf.

    There are a few acceptable action sequences, but nothing particularly outstanding. The story is lamer, with Chiba's new sidekick a particularly annoying (and ugly!) figure. At times the movie feels like a bad parody of the whole series. Still, it could have been far worse; I remember THE STREET FIGHTER'S LAST REVENGE to be even worse than this! (Though I also saw that full-frame and edited.)
  • comment
    • Author: Olelifan
    If you ever had a single reason to doubt the greatness of Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris, Sonny Chiba in the role of Terry Tsurgi, a deadly half-breed assassin for hire, will make you a believer that they're ammeters in every sense of the word.

    Continuing from the last film, "The Street Fighter", Terry is hired once again by the Yakuza to take out two former members who could very easily disclose some very important info to the cops, namely that the boss is hoarding money in order to build a fake dojo. Joining him is his partner Kitty, a jive talking embodiment of the seventies who loves popping in 8-tracks in Terri's "gettaway car" and grooving the hell out.

    And yet me just say, if you are squeamish around blood or violence, DO NOT WATCH THIS.

    This quite possibly the most brutal kung fu film ever made, but that's what makes it so great.

    For instance, there's a scene in the spa which turns out to be a trap set up by the Yakuza. Terry throws half the men into a sauna, locks the door, and jacks up the heat to the point where the crime stooges are broiled alive.

    But honestly the violence is what makes it so beautiful and so memorable because it's done on such a intricate level of insanity that you can't help but laugh. Terry does these things, these viciously savage inhumane things in order to honor the memory of his father, to let no man overtake, to let nobody else be "the number one man".

    If you are any sort of Kung Fu buff, or simply just a fan of Eastern cinema, you owe it to yourself to watch this over and over again with your friends, by yourself, with estranged family members Because no one should be without knowledge of the greatness that is Sonny Chiba
  • comment
    • Author: Virn
    Warning! SPOILERS to this film and the predecessor "Gekitotsu! Satsujin Ken" aka. "The Streetfighter"! I once read a review, comment or ad (I cannot remember which it was) which very aptly described Shigehiro Ozawa's original ""Gekitotsu! Satsujin Ken" aka. "The Streetfighter" of 1974 as "the most mother****** film ever made". This sequel, "Satsujin Ken 2" aka. "Return of the Streetfighter" which brings back Sonny Chiba in his most career-defining role of the body-part-ripping karate-killing-machine Tukuma Tsurugi, is maybe just not quite as 'mother...' as its predecessor, but its still pretty far out there, and another proof that Sonny Chiba is the most bad-ass of bad-asses.

    This time, the hired Karate-Assassin Tsrurugi is assigned by the mafia to execute a victim by ripping out his vocal cords. When he later refuses to kill the respected karate-master Kendo Masaoka (Masafumi Suzuki) for the mafia, Tsurugi is put on a hit-list himself. As anybody who has seen the first part knows, however, Tsurugi is not the guy the mafia, or anybody else, would want to mess with...

    Sonny Chiba is (as always) fantastic, both in his unequaled martial arts skills, and in his role as one of the most supremely bad-ass characters in the history of motion pictures. Tsurugi is slightly more humane (and therefore slightly less bad-ass) than in the preceding film, but he still is a mercy-less one-man-army killing machine whose strange sounds when flexing his muscles before another deadly stroke (understandably) evoke mortal fear in his enemies. Instead of the silly sidekick he had in the first part, he has a somewhat silly, but also cute female sidekick played by (Yôko Ichiji) in this one. Tsurugi's mortal enemy, Tateki Shikenbaru (played by Masashi Ishibashi) is also back, having somehow survived the ending of the first film. Strangely, the film poster depicted here on IMDb shows the beautiful Yutaka Nakajima, who played the female lead in the first part, even though she does not appear in this film.

    Overall, this one may have some inconsistencies in its storyline, but it is just the gory, action-packed and supremely bad-ass sequel that fans of the first "Streetfighter" film should enjoy. Highly recommended to any Martial Arts/Cult-cinema fan, and a must-see for my fellow Chiba-fans.
  • comment
    • Author: Vuzahn
    This immediate sequel to the cult and violent classic from the same year doesn't bother changing the formula in any way, shape or form. Instead director Shigehiro Ozawa gives us exactly the same kind of movie as before in mood, look and plot. The plot itself is the weakest aspect of the film, and seems like a weak rerun of the original movie's storyline. Indeed many of the same things happen to the characters. Another annoyance is the inclusion of some unwanted long flashback scenes, made to pad out the already short running time. Ignore these grievances and you'll find yourself watching another good old ultra-violent tale of action, revenge and much ass-kicking. Another welcome return is the funky score, complete with a highly memorable theme tune which grows on you every time you hear it.

    Sonny Chiba is back as Terry Tsurugi, once again on top form and seemingly enjoying himself in the multiple action stakes. Once the action begins properly (after the first half hour or so) it doesn't let up, as Chiba takes on assassin after assassin before finally deciding to attack the bad guys himself, with the film culminating in an exciting massacre that very nearly equals the legendary finale of the first movie. There are some nicely varied locations – the fight on the ski slopes is great, and the attack in the bedroom is a fun touch. The script and dubbing are sub-par but the effects are negligible. As well as the returning Chiba, chief villain Junjo (the sickly-looking guy) also comes back, minus vocal chords but with a brand spanking new electronic voice box, leading to a couple of cool showdowns between the two larger-than-life characters.

    What of the old ultra-violence you may ask? Well, it has been toned down here, but only slightly. Plenty of bones are broken, a guy has his throat destroyed by two fingers alone and in the gory – but slightly cheesy highlight – a guy's eyeballs burst out of his skull after a powerful crack from Chiba's tough hand. Also expect to see lots of bloody shootings, impalements, and a touch of pathos here and there as minor characters are killed and Chiba is forced to emote a little before getting back to his job, killing many villains. Don't let the lapses in logic and interest dissuade you – this is still a fantastic action film at a comic book level, highly watchable and 95% engaging. Lovers of the first film check it out.
  • comment
    • Author: Doulkree
    Sonny Chiba returns as bad-ass mercenary Takuma 'Terry' Tsurugi, cracking skulls, breaking bones and causing untold internal injuries as he takes on the mafia, who want him dead for refusing to kill an old karate colleague. With virtually the whole movie consisting of one brutal fight scene after another, martial arts fans should be more than satisfied with this sequel, despite the plot being a virtual rehash of the first film.

    As expected, there's lots of impressive kicking and punching from karate champ Chiba, as well as some extremely over the top action that sees our anti-hero performing superhuman feats, including leaping off a motorbike to somersault over a gate, and kicking a hole through a brick wall to leap to safety. Terry Tsurugi's impressive fighting skills also result in plenty of graphic violence, with blood spurting and gushing from his enemies' wounds, and, in the film's most outrageous moment, a punch to the back of a man's head causes both eyeballs to pop out of their sockets.

    Other guaranteed crowd-pleasing moments include Terry slipping under the sheets with a naked woman who turns out to be yet another assassin, the return of bad guy Tateki Shikenbaru (Masashi Ishibashi) from The Streetfighter (now equipped with an electronic voice-box, his vocal chords having been ripped out by Terry in the first film), Terry pouring a bottle of whisky over his head (I found that hilarious), and an action packed finale that sees Chiba taking on numerous henchmen, blinding a Mafia baddie with a throwing knife and stabbing some poor bloke in the stomach with the barrel of a gun!

    7.5/10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb (although Yôko Ichiji as Terry's irritating sidekick Pin Boke tempted me to round the score down).
  • comment
    • Author: Chillhunter
    Reminiscent of the previous film ("The Streetfighter') with essentially the same plot. "Takuma Tsurugi" (Sonny Chiba) accepts a job for the mafia which requires him to get inside a police station to kill a prisoner before he can talk. Once that is accomplished he is then offered more money for another assignment. But he refuses. Figuring that he knows too much the mafia decides to assassinate him. Again, if you've seen "The Streetfighter" then this plot is very familiar. Anyway, like most martial arts films the action is paramount and this film definitely delivers. However, the dialogue is bad, his accomplice "Pin Boke" (Yoko Ichiji) is annoying and a couple of the scenarios are just too unrealistic. Likewise, the flashbacks (to the previous film) seem more of a nuisance than anything else. In short, if you like martial arts films then you might enjoy this one. But it lacks originality and because of the other criticisms I don't believe this is one of the better ones out there.
  • comment
    • Author: Burirus
    Return of the Street Fighter avoids the trap of many sequels, by actually simplifying procedures. The plot is much easier to follow and there are less characters to concern yourself with. Return of the Street Fighter is completely filled with action sequences, the plot is laid out early on to give us 80 minutes of ferocious action. It's all really well shot and Chiba brings his inescapable talents to the role. There are some stranger aspects to the film, such as outrageous examples of super strength and agility. Chiba can now hit people so hard that their eyes pop out. He even stabs people with guns. It's more tongue in cheek than the original. The twists are really unexpected, but sometimes reintroduce characters for no reason, other than yet another fight scene. The film also uses two fight scenes from the original as flashbacks. However, they are the ENTIRE scenes. It's not as though this film was lacking action scenes.
  • comment
    • Author: mIni-Like
    In this sequel to The Streetfighter, released the same year, it's much more of the same for bad-ass martial-artist-for-hire Tsurugi (Sonny Chiba), only much less plot. Of what there is, the film focuses on a fake charity organisation used to embezzle money for the mob and see good folks out of their hard-earned money. Tsurugi is still p****d at the mob from the first film, so he doesn't take too kindly to this revelation. The mob sends waves of bad guys after him, and he kicks their arses. Also returning is Masashi Ishibashi as the presumed-dead Tateki, only minus a throat and plus an artificial voice-box.

    I must admit I remember very little of this film apart from a lot of thoroughly enjoyable action sequences in which Chiba is never under any threat. I thought this was because I'd drank quite a lot of brandy, but it is because the film genuinely contains little else. Saying that, I still enjoyed the 70 minutes of carnage. It doesn't come near to the original, in which Tsurugi is much more despicable character, but I suppose they were aiming at a wider audience with this sequel. Which is probably why the gore factor, something that was so lovable about the first film, is noticeably toned down. It still has a scene where Tsurugi knocks someone's eyes out with a blow to the back of the head, so not all is lost. An easy 70 minutes, and mixes very well with spirits.

    www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com
  • comment
    • Author: Yggdi
    Because this film is pretty much a rehash of the last STREET FIGHTER film--with a very, very similar plot and an assistant that is destined to be dead meat by the end of the film. About the only real improvement I noticed was that leading man Sonny Chiba had a decent haircut for once! Like the last film in the series, the Yakuza orders a hit on Chiba because he won't do business with them. About the only difference is that apparently the American mafia is also involved--though oddly the guy they got to play the Don looked more like John Lennon in his big hair and beard days and nothing like Vito Corleone! This was pretty poor casting, as the guy just looked like a young hippie.

    Also like the first Street Fighter movie, Chiba uses a combination of martial arts techniques (including more judo this time) to kick the butts of dozens of bad guys. I did notice, though, that Chiba's athleticism showed off more in this film as he did some incredibly leaps and spins and tumbles. But once again, Chiba is a very pragmatic man. Instead of just beating up the bad guys like the usual martial arts hero, his anti-hero takes the effort to then kill almost all the attackers as well--in very brutal fashion--with tons of blood and fingers through the throat, etc. This makes for a much more realistic sort of martial arts film than those of Jackie Chan or even Bruce Lee (who did kill some of those he fought in his movies, but not nearly as many as Chiba), but they also make the films a BAD choice for kids (though it is a bit less bloody than its predecessor)!! Plus, this film does have a bit of nudity--so take note.

    By the way, I am not saying that Chiba was better than Bruce Lee--but he fought to win and to destroy his opponents even more than Lee did in his films. Both were super-realistic and talented, but Chiba's style was even more brutal, whereas Lee took on more men simultaneously and fought in a quicker manner.

    Overall, for lovers of martial arts films, you won't be disappointed. However, understand that there isn't anything all that new here--it is in many ways just a rehash of STREET FIGHTER.

    Finally,...what's up with Sonny's lady friend?!!? She looked for all the world like a Japanese version of Pippi Longstockings!!! And that terribly dubbed voice! Ugh! The rest of the dubbing was excellent, but she sounded almost like a cartoon character!
  • comment
    • Author: Hulbine
    After the visceral dynamite of THE STREETFIGHTER this one comes as a bit of a disappointment, but check it out for a couple of outrageous sequences. What really sucks is the overdependence on flashback footage from the original and some truly nonsensical plot points (*SPOILER* When escaping from a police station, rather than use the door, Chiba kicks through a wall and runs away!!!). The fight on a ski slope is worth waiting for though, and the end of that fight will make you do a double-take. Points are subtracted for Chiba's incredibly annoying "hipster" girl sidekick. Halfway through the film you'll want to see him knock her teeth out! Overall, not a bad way to waste an hour-and-a-half, but do not expect anything near the original.
  • comment
    • Author: Whiteflame
    Sonny Chiba is back with those funny faces. I am still never sure if he is a good guy or a bad guy. He seems to switch sides at will. One thing is certain; he does not have the honor of Bruce Lee - he's in it for the money.

    I really don't see the point in the karate lessons or the weapons naming (sai, nunchuka, kon, etc) , or all that brick breaking.

    This time, he has a new sidekick - a girl with some fantastic outfits.

    The fighting in the film appears to be pretty realistic. Chiba seems to bleed as much as his opponents. He has a really cool step there that has some cool sounds when he is on your ribs.

    The crushing-blood-on-the-face blow is a real gore-fest. The eye popping scene is going to make you laugh. No rapists in this film; so we don't see any more castration, but we do have a Bond girl of sorts who has evil on her mind.

    If you like the action, then there is plenty for all.
  • comment
    • Author: Very Old Chap
    Terry Sugury (Sonny Chiba) returns as the merc for hire in this sequel to the classic original. This time around Terry is hired by a business man (in other words gangster) who is building a super martial arts academy by soliciting "donations" for the school by falsely using the name of Terry's teacher. But when the teacher catches wind of the plot and nearly assassinated the street fighter quickly shows the baddies who really is boss.

    Thoughts: This highly energetic (and I feel better) sequel is a nonstop blast. The action is more abundant this time around with some lovely gore too (the eyeball scene was so cool). Yeah the dubbing still stinks and we have yet another suspect henchman but hey run with it you'll be glad you did. S10 gives the film an 8 out of 10.
  • comment
    • Author: Zan
    A very entertaining, and funny Sonny Chiba-flick, which is the sequel to his legendary movie "Street Fighter", where he played the hitman Terry Tsuguri. The first one was the only movie rated 'X' from violence at the time. Sadly, this sequel doesn't contain as much gore and guts as the first one, but it still has some nice Karate-scenes. Sadly, when the movie has begun, we will have to wait over 40 minutes that the fighting starts, but soon the storms will rise, and bones will crack! The legendary villain, who supposedly died, from the first movie, is back...with a vengeance! Has some funny scenes (the scene in the sauna), some dramatic scenes (the b&w flashbacks from Terry's childhood), some very good fight-scenes (the scene in the alpes, the fínal battle), some groovy martial arts weapon-scenes (the training in the Karate-school), and the theme is a classic! I rate it **½ from ****. Be sure to watch it in it's full widescreen ratio.
  • Credited cast:
    Shin'ichi Chiba Shin'ichi Chiba - Takuma Tsurugi (as Sonny Chiba)
    Masafumi Suzuki Masafumi Suzuki - Kendo Masaoka
    Yôko Ichiji Yôko Ichiji - Pin Boke
    Claude Gagnon Claude Gagnon - Don Costello
    Masashi Ishibashi Masashi Ishibashi - Tateki Shikenbaru
    Hiroshi Tanaka Hiroshi Tanaka - Isamu Otaguro
    Naoki Shima Naoki Shima - Shichiro Yamagami
    Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
    Michiyo Bandô Michiyo Bandô
    Uzura Brown Uzura Brown
    Marina Elbirth Marina Elbirth - Mafia Assasin
    Seizô Fukumoto Seizô Fukumoto
    Hal Gold Hal Gold - Rio Grandol
    Keisuke Handa Keisuke Handa - Takutoshi
    George Ilican George Ilican - Arabian Champion
    Masataka Iwao Masataka Iwao - Masuda
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