The Streetfighter's Last Revenge (1974) User Reviews

Chiba, Sonny Chiba.

[Space_Mafune · 7/10 · 25 February 2006]

Takuma Tsurugi (Sonny Chiba) (AKA: The Street Fighter"), rather like James Bond, is an assassin for hire, a man who is a master of disguise and the martial arts but don't cross or betray him because if you do, you will pay and pay dearly. He, again rather like James Bond, has a weakness for playing with dangerous women, particularly the most ruthless and cutthroat. Here the villains, who have hired Tsurugi to get two tape cassette recordings that when played in unison provide a formula for creating synthetic heroin potentially worth a fortune in the wrong hands, make that most fatal mistake of crossing Tsurugi. And now they will pay!

This moves at a brisk pace, is exciting and action-packed, and feels like a much darker take on a James Bond type of film. It's not really all that much like the previous "Street Fighter" fare at all but it is fun if you're willing to forgive that fact. The only problem I had with the film was all the betrayals and double-dealings became confusing after a time and I was surprised Tsurugi allowed himself to be put into a position where he could be betrayed by the lead villains on more than one occasion. Also Tsurugi is hardly an heroic male lead, in fact he's every bit as ruthless and unrelenting, if not even more so, that this story's villains. Still the good in terms of entertainment value here I feel far outweighs the bad.

They beat it to death

[ckormos1 · 5/10 · 2 January 2020]

I mention in my review for "Return of the Streetfighter" that the first rule of movie making is if something works you beat it to death. The first streetfighter movie worked so they produced a second to beat the concept to death. So what about going for a third beating? Most reviewers feel this movie is a disappointment and the worst of the three movies. What went wrong?

The movie starts with a good action sequence. Sonny gets a job to extract a man from a police shoot out. He then brings him and a mahjong case to get his payment but he is double-crossed. He next fights Etsuko Shihomi. Despite a strong start, after that the problems appear. The character with the sombrero is just dumb. There should have been more fights than the previous movie but instead there were fewer. There was no memorable fight sequence. Instead, the fights all looked alike. Basically, the entire movie seemed like minimal effort in every aspect.

At the same time there was a spin off series, the sister street fighter movies. That's another review!

The Streetfighter's Last Revenge (1974)

[SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain · 7/10 · 29 December 2011]

This film seems to divide a lot of Street Fighter fans. There are a lot of changes from the originals, but for me, it kept most of everything that was great. The action/fight scenes are still magnificent. Really showing off the talents of its stars. The plot is still simple but gets complicated with the obligatory double crossings. This film lacks a real awesome villain. With some illusionist with lasers and a sombrero, he's hardly threatening. Especially since he can't land a punch. Luckily, there are plenty of other great characters, my favorite being Reiko Ike as Aya. A real tragic character whom uses her sexuality to get what ever she wants, whether it be double crossing, or for her own security. Her downfall is her paranoia that everyone wants to kill her. Some people will be perturbed by the constant use of masks and gadgets, as it takes on more of a spy film rather than that of an assassin. Though it's true the violence is toned down, there are still some flourishes of Tsurugi's malicious killer instinct.

the worst of the series BY FAR

[kingsexy · 7/10 · 27 September 2003]

This is not a real street fighter movie. There's no way that this is the same character as the first two movies... why does he have some kind of secret hideout, with disguises and spy-gadgets??? Tsurugi (note: NOT SUGURY) is a violent man, who only does good, because in the end it is what is in his best interest. He's not a super-hero spy or any of the campy crap that can be found in this movie, the third installment. He doesn't call himself "THE STREETFIGHTER" in the first two movies, so why all of a sudden does he say: "They call me THE STREETFIGHTER". The only reason to watch this movie is Chiba and Sue Shiomi. But don't go into it expecting Chiba to have his usual Terry Tsurugi KILLPOWER, because he barely has any in this movie... plus the story is weak in comparison to the first two. The dude who can cut stuff with his laser hands??? All I have to say to him is: "NICE HAT!". Not a cool villain at all. It's not a Street Fighter movie without Junjou.

A distant imitation of the earlier Street Fighter film that is still worth a look

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 24 January 2008]

This review is based on the English language dubbed version entitled "STREET FIGHTER'S LAST REVENGE". The original non-dubbed version is almost certainly better but I have not seen it and don't want anyone to think my review is for the original film. In most cases, the original film is highly re-edited and the plots are often changed so it wouldn't be fair to consider this review to be that for Gyakushû! Satsujin Ken--which was actually released years before the dubbed version.

As for the plot, here it is--though most fans really are more concerned with the action and not the adequate plot: Chiba does a job for the mob and they insanely try to cheat them! Don't they KNOW this means they're in for a major butt-kicking!? Well, the rest of the film is pretty much what you'd expect and the only surprise is that in one of his many fights, Chiba is beaten!! Of course, there's a rematch, but still the idea of the Street Fighter losing to anyone is pretty unique!

Had I never seen the previous Street Fighter films, I might have enjoyed this film a lot more. The action is pretty good--though unfortunately not nearly as good as it was in the first two Street Fighter films. Some of the original brutality was missing (though the crematorium scene is pretty horrific) and the plot seems pretty poor--especially in regard to the scuzzy lady who seems to again and again hurt people and no one seems to notice that she's BAD!! Even at the end, when the nasty skank is killed, Sonny Chiba's character oddly seems sad to see her die! Frankly, he should have celebrated like the Muchkins did when the Wicked Witch of the East died!!

By the way, the evil lady likes to use sex as her main weapon--so don't be surprised when her breasts keep popping across the screen. Parents should consider this before letting kids watch the film. Of course, I think I'd be less worried about my kids seeing this than I would be if they saw all the violence, so it's NOT a kid-friendly film.

THE STREET FIGHTER SERIES LIMPLY FIZZLES OUT

[EL BUNCHO · 13 March 2002]

If you love THE STREET FIGHTER (and you probably do if you looked up this entry) don't even bother with this final entry in the series. This one sucks out loud, and has only one decent fight scene which lasts for about a minute. Our hero now has taken on a more "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE"-type persona since he now is a master of disguise (???). Skip this.

The Street Fighters Last Revenge (in Japanese "Revenge! The Killing Fist")

[seveb-25179 · 7/10 · 22 December 2017]

Perhaps the sixth and final movie starring Sonny Chiba during his watershed year of 1974? As many have said before, less Street Fighter more James Bond, although the character has the same name and profession as the earlier editions. By this time Sonny's character has mellowed into a more traditional heroic figure and is living in a flashy apartment with an automated sliding door, and the trademark black karate outfit has been dropped, instead he's sporting the black tie & white dinner jacket ensemble favoured by International Men Of Mystery. (But never fear, he's still able to summon up enough rage to rip someones heart out of their chest in uncut versions!) However his economical Japanese compact is not quite in the same league as the Aston Martin (Connery's Bond), Lotus Espirit (Roger Moore's Bond) or even the Volvo P1800 (Roger Moore's Saint). Once again the Yakuza try to stiff him for his fee on an assignment successfully carried out, and face the inevitable deadly consequences (will they never learn!) Sister street fighter wants to change sides and become his protégé, but Sonny is having none of it and by the time she finally convinces him of her value, she is dead. The villians include a Femme Fatale of dubious character to occupy Sonny's love interest. She's a bad, bad girl, but can Sonny show her the error of her evil ways or is she just playing him for a fool? The Yakuza first attempt to dispose of Sonny by hiring a bizarre laser wielding Cisco Kid look alike in a huge sombrero, who fails miserably on all levels (the weakest part of the movie). Fotunately for the audience, just when Sonny seems to have everything under control, a mysterious rival with superior martial arts skills appears, who outwits and outfights Sonny, to the extent he feels the need to go back to school and aquire some new and improved techniques. Even so this nemisis proves more than a match for Sonny, and takes him to the limit, and beyond, in the final showdown! With a double twist ending I won't spoil.

The Street Fighter reinvented as a super spy

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 31 October 2016]

Playing down the ultra-violence that made the first two STREET FIGHTER films so memorable, this third and final addition to the movie trilogy is still entertaining for a number of reasons. Firstly, it's less serious than the previous two entries, and less concerned with gritty realism. Instead the film-makers decide to let the audience have a darned good time by upping the camp value and making the film work on a number of levels. Secondly, the film is chock-full of martial arts action which, whilst nowhere near the violence level of previous adventures, still packs a lethal punch in its depiction of Sonny Chiba going about his business of crushing the bad guys to death.

The plot is basically a piece of fluff, something about a couple of video tapes which keep falling into the wrong hands. There are loads of double-crosses, traps, and endless nudity from main starlet "Cathy". The action scenes are dynamic and in full force. Only the vestiges of the brutal street art remain in Chiba's battles; instead he seems more graceful, intent on sweeping his enemies before him with long kicks and amazing sweeps. Thus the battles are exciting, brutal, and fast-paced and never disappoint the viewer. Full points for inclusion of the bizarre Mexican character who attacks with a laser (!) and who gets cremated for his efforts to kill Chiba!

The Chiba-man is on top form despite some very poor dubbing in the US and the supporting cast adequately fill their roles. It's just a shame that the dubbing means that everybody sounds the same, making many of the double-crosses and twists rather confusing to a western audience. Still the film is primarily a piece of spectacle that concentrates on offering non-stop action and this it does with finesse. Chiba has transformed from a hard-bitten mercenary to an almost top-secret super spy, who uses endless rubber masks to outwit his opponents and who has a secret lair with sliding doors and the like. Despite the differences, the cheesy flashback to the death of Chiba's father is present one final time, and the finger-snapping popular score from the first film is back once more, slightly different but definitely put into overdrive this time. Action fans should seek this one out immediately as a great deal of fun. Chiba's last appearance as Tsurugi was in SISTER STREET FIGHTER, a spin-off movie.

Clearly the weakest of the trilogy

[tomgillespie2002 · 4/10 · 16 November 2017]

In Tony Scott's True Romance, from a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino, Christian Slater's Clare Worley takes his date to the movies to see Sonny Chiba's Streetfighter trilogy. When he is questioned about Chiba's questionable 'heroics', Worley responds that, "he ain't so much a good guy as he is just a bad motherf****r." A long-time fan, Tarantino hits the nail on the head here (he would go on to cast his idol in the Kill Bill films). While Bruce Lee was wowing the world with the speed and agility of the martial arts, Sonny Chiba was demonstrating its brutal, more unforgiving side. In The Streetfighter's Last Revenge, Chiba's anti- hero Takuma Tsurugi is at his most sadistic. He may have punched a guy's eyeballs out of his head in the previous instalment, but here he calmly burns a thug alive in an incinerator.

Much of the appeal of Chiba's movies lies with his sneering approach to the ancient arts, where he is far more comfortable sadistically beating a bad guy to a bloody pulp than he is with finding inner peace. This trilogy-closer has upped his mean streak, and made things a hell of a long weirder. The Streetfighter was excellent, Return of the Streetfighter was passable, and The Streetfighter's Last Revenge comes across as a bunch of scenes discarded from the previous movies for being too bonkers. Not only is Tsurugi a near- unstoppable punch, kick and throw machine, but he now dons Mission: Impossible-esque face masks to disguise his identity, and at one point bears vampire fangs for unexplained reasons. There's also a villain even James Bond would chuckle at: A mafia hit-man who dresses like a mariachi with a giant sombrero and shoots invisible laser beams out of his hands.

The plot itself is incredibly simple. Tsurugi is hired to rescue Go Owada (Akira Shioji) from a police riot in exchange for a hefty payment. When he goes to collect his loot, he is handed a bag of cut-up newspaper and is attacked by the Owada family's men. Furious, he decides to take revenge on the gangsters. There's also a stolen tape and a master foe in Kunagami (Koji Wada). Noticeably less violent than the previous entries, this third feature shares more in common with a spy film than the martial arts genre. As a result, it's less fun, and only manages to pique the interest when at its most idiosyncratic and just plain daft. It's also nice to see exploitation icon Reiko Ike in a supporting role as Chiba's wannabe sidekick. But ultimately, Last Revenge stutters through a threadbare story, failing to deliver the sort of gory chopsocky that made the original so wonderful. Clearly the weakest of the trilogy.

It would not be complete unless the third movie is seen assuming viewers liked the first two

[jordondave-28085 · 6/10 · 12 May 2023]

(1979) The Street Fighter's Last Revenge DUBBED MARTIAL ARTS ACTION

Third and final film of "The Street Fighter" movies starring karate actor Sonny Chiba as Terry retrieving a cassette tape involving the formula for heroin. It is then Terry gets double crossed by the people who hired him. He of course becomes motivated to retrieve the tape back from the people who double cross him but have to face obstacles such as a martial artist from Mexico and a corrupt DA who seems to be a better martial artist then him since he learned some of his techniques was derived from Korea. More bone cracklings and nudity than the first two installments as well the fights are slightly better even though it still looks fake in comparison to what we can get these days but it's still better than most Hong Kong chop sockey movies made in the 70's.

A sad end to the series.....

[HaemovoreRex · 4/10 · 1 May 2007]

Well to be fair, matters do at least get off to a cracking start in this, the final chapter in this infamous series of flicks. Sadly however, it has to be said that what follows is tedious at best and moronic at worst.

Fans of the violent excesses that these flicks are most notorious for will be in for a major disappointment here as the said scenes have been well nigh omitted entirely with our hero (the incomparable Sonny Chiba) adopting more of a subtle approach to matters. In fact, our protagonist is now shown adopting multiple disguises in order to accomplice his nefarious ends (a far cry from his head on brutality as displayed in the first two films!)

Easily the least of the series, there's really very little to recommend here other than the rather cool final fight between Chiba and his nemesis (in other words just fast forward to the end)

Overall then, this proves to be a somewhat sad way to end the series. Oh well, one can always re-watch the first two over again I suppose…..

It's better to burn out than fade away

[kluseba · 9/10 · 22 June 2019]

The Street Fighter's Last Revenge is the third and last installment in the series around vicious hitman and karate fighter Tsurugi Takuma. This movie is also the best in the series and one would have liked to see more films in the franchise. This last film combines the strengths of the great first movie such as diversified settings, vicious fight scenes and interesting characters and adds an interesting plot with numerous twists and turns until the very end. In order to fully appreciate this film, you should watch the Japanese version because the American version has cut some fight scenes and changed parts of the plot for no reason whatsoever.

The story revolves around a Yakuza clan associated with a ruthless company that blackmails and bribes politicians. Tsurugi Takuma steals an important tape that proves this scheme and blackmails the Yakuza clan himself. The main character needs to fight an overtly motivated Taiwanese fighter who quickly changes sides to support him, a determined prosecutor who initially wants to expose the criminals but then decides to betray them and get rich and a seductive woman associated to the Yakuza who tries to murder the main character and the prosecutor on numerous occasions.

The fight scenes are even more interesting than in the previous installments because Tsurugi Takuma faces an opponent who is even stronger than him and needs to learn about his background and fight techniques to clear his mind and win the deadly final duel. The characters are even more interesting than in the two predecessors and especially the diversified prosecutor and the deadly femme fatale are particularly intriguing and make the viewers care about their fates. The settings are diversified as the fights take place on a fairground, in a crematorium and at a marina on a particularly rainy night. The story offers numerous at times surprising twists and turns that keep viewers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

The Street Fighter's Last Revenge is among the very best contemporary martial arts films ever made and a very positive surprise after the lackluster second installment in the series. This movie deserves more attention and recognition. Even if you haven't watched the first two films in the series, you should watch this one if you are a genre fan. It's regrettable that the series didn't continue but one has to admit that it ended on a very high note.

Terry-bull.

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 14 June 2016]

I don't know whether the terrible dubbing on my DVD is to blame, but the plot to this third and final film in The Streetfighter series made very little sense to me—some nonsense to do with a pair of cassette tapes containing the formula for synthetic heroin. Sonny Chiba's hard-as-nails mercenary Terry Tsurugi is double-crossed by the Yakuza over the sale of one of these tapes and consequently takes revenge, taking time out from the kicking and punching to get jiggy with sexy siren Aya Ôwada (Reiko Ike, who goes topless). Oh, and there's a mariachi in a big black sombrero who fires lasers from his fingers, and Terry dresses up like Dracula.

Clearly, it's all a far cry from the gritty brutality of the original film, with Terry more secret agent than anti-hero, complete with headquarters featuring sliding silver doors. Terry even dons latex masks, Mission Impossible style, to change his identity. Even though I usually welcome a healthy dollop of wackiness in my martial arts films, It simply doesn't suit this series, being too far removed from the previous films, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. I wanted more of the same, but what I got was a whole load of silliness. Very disappointing.

3.5 out of 10, generously rounded up to 4 for Reiko Ike.

Continues the downhill trend of the series

[simon_booth · 5/10 · 15 March 2006]

The third Sonny Chiba film about the Tsurugi Takuza character continues the trend towards a more sympathetic hero and a less violent/gory film. As such, although it probably has the best story of the three, it's by far the least entertaining. There's virtually none of the gruesome brutality of the original, and Tsurugi is a much less complex and ambiguous man, played with less animal intensity by Chiba. I guess they didn't understand what made the first film so special? There's generally less action in the film, and the fight scenes feel a bit lacklustre when they do occur. Chiba still busts out some cool moves and there are some impressively long takes, but it feels a bit like they want to get the fights out of the way so they can focus on the story (rather than vice versa, as it should have been :p). Etsuko Shiomi returns as a new character who shows some promise, but she's mostly wasted. I hope the SISTER STREET FIGHTER spin off films in which she stars are better.

Maybe 3 STREET FIGHTER films in as many nights is just too much Chiba for me... but more likely, 3 STREET FIGHTER films in one year was just too much Chiba for Chiba and director Shigehiro Ozawa. It's not a bad film in its own right, but it's certainly disappointing when compared to the original. Oh well, c'est la vie :)

EDIT: from reading the other reviews on IMDb it's clear that the English dubbed version of the film RADICALLY changes the story... the tape and the plot have nothing to do with heroin! Further evidence that dubbed films should be avoided at all costs!

Awful dubbing, but Sonny kicks ass!

[Driver-5 · 28 February 2000]

Japan had its Bruce Lee craze just like everywhere else in the early seventies and Sonny Chiba was their answer to Bruce Lee. Along with the vicious action scenes there were some typically Japanese acts of misogyny which seem pretty bizarre to Western audiences when it's the "hero" doing it (When was the last time you saw Chuck Norris or Jackie Chan sell a woman off to a slave ring because she couldn't afford to pay for getting her brother out of jail?). STREET FIGHTER'S LAST REVENGE is somewhat tamer than the first entries into the series. This time around Chiba is more of a James Bond kinda character, donning rubber masks and vampire fangs(!) and is mixed up in a plot involving cassettes with top secret information. There's also some Gong Show-type freak (Who you see a lot of on Japanese TV) who can break chains (He actually uses a laser) who's heard to kill Chiba (Yeah, right!). Along with the awful dubbing there's also the same black and white footage where Chiba, as a kid, sees his father executed to the Chinese which turns up in all the STREET FIGHTER movies.

This is definitely the worst of the trilogy but still has many of the elements that made the series so great

[kevin_robbins · 5/10 · 15 February 2023]

The Street Fighter's Last Revenge (1974) is a movie in my DVD collection that I recently rewatched on Tubi. The storyline follows karate icon Tsurugi who is hired by the government to retrieve a tape with details on how to make a special blend of heroin. When he's double crossed he looks for revenge on those who set him up.

This movie is directed by Shigehiro Ozawa (Sister Street Fighter: Fifth Level Fist) and stars Sonny Chiba (Kill Bill), Reiko Ike (Sex & Fury), Yutaka Nakamura (Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance), Kôji Wada (Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss) and Tatsuo Endô (Audition).

This is definitely the worst of the trilogy but still has many of the elements that made the series so great. The soundtrack is excellent, the dialogue is hilarious and the training scenes are a lot of fun. Chiba remains as ruthless as ever and you can't have a Street Fighter movie without a legendary fight sequence in the rain. The final fight is worthwhile but the plot and premise did lack and feel like an excuse to make another Street Fighter movie.

Overall, this movie doesn't live up to the greatness of the first film and is even a step down from the second picture but is still worth a viewing. I would score this a 5-5.5/10 and strongly recommend it.

That's an old form from Korea... named Cosmic Waves!

[mister_pig · 10/10 · 9 June 2003]

Wow, what can I say about SFLR? It is one of the greatest karate-action flicks ever to grace the screen. For my money, you just can't beat Sonny Chiba. He can act, and he can also do some extremely impressive karate!

Something I really like about this series of movies, is the fact that Terry (The Street Fighter) isn't really a 'good guy' per se. He is just the main character. He is only out for himself and is extremely ruthless. I just love the way the character is written. You won't find a movie in this genre that is more entertaining.

If you've never seen SFLR and you like this genre, do yourself a favor and get it now!

10 out of 10

The Revenge is Taken Out on the Viewer

[NoDakTatum · 3/10 · 15 October 2023]

In order to take the series in a new direction, the film makers dropped the rough and tough street fighter motif in favor of some really bad 007 and "Mission: Impossible" stuff. The simple plot starts when Tsurugi (Sonny Chiba) gets double crossed by some drug dealers who need two audio tapes in order to create cheap synthetic heroin. He also gets mixed up with a corrupt District Attorney, who kicks Tsurugi's bootay thanks to an ancient Korean martial arts technique. The D. A. is also playing both sides of the fence, and the Street Fighter and the D. A. end up bedding one of the hottie girl villainesses, leading to an explosive finale.

Chiba dons a mask not once but THREE different times, pulling it off like a poor man's Martin Landau. He also has a secret room in his apartment, and sleeps with the villainess. All I could wonder was "what happened to the Street Fighter?" Instead, Chiba wears disguises from which his identity is discovered anyway. At one point, he has two giant suitcases of money as payment for the heroin recipe tapes. He sleeps with the villainess, who distracts him long enough for the suitcases to be stolen. Did Chiba hide the money elsewhere, knowing the villainess' plan? Did he booby trap the suitcases, knowing the henchmen would be after them? No! Now he has to get the money back again. For an international hitman, scrappy street smart karate expert, and champion of justice, he sure does some stupid things in this film. By the time the Bond-like villain shows up (a guy in a sombrero with lasers hidden up the sleeves of his bull fighting uniform) the film had lost me. A subplot involving an answering service girl who has a crush on Chiba goes nowhere. "Street Fighter's Last Revenge" is by far the worst of the first three Street Fighter films. I cannot recommend it.

The best dubbed voices on record...

[JackieGoodtimes · 10/10 · 12 January 2002]

Look, if you want a serious kung-fu, kickass movie... this may not be it. But for what it's worth... this movie has more unintentionally funny one liners than many kung-fu movies I've seen.

If you enjoy making fun of movies as you watch them, and have a nicely packed bowl, this film makes for a fun Saturday night.