Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread (1974) User Reviews

An interesting sequel to "Sister Street Fighter" (1974)

[dee.reid · 8/10 · 26 January 2011]

With its funky 1970s music score and outrageous fighting sequences, 1974's "Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread," a sequel to "Sister Street Fighter" which had been released earlier that same year, is an interesting if not entirely successful follow-up to the previous film. It is worth noting that the sequel concerns the return of Koryu Lee (Etsuko "Sue" Shihomi), a half-Japanese/half-Chinese Karate powerhouse who travels from Hong Kong to Japan to investigate the disappearance of a wealthy man's young daughter. As she digs deeper into the mystery, she uncovers a deadly diamond smuggling ring and the powerful gangsters behind it. Directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi (who also directed the first film), the fights are fast, furious, and bloody - everything a good Karate film from Japan should be. One of the reasons the film works so well is because of the performance and fighting prowess of Etsuko Shihomi. A student of Japanese martial arts sensation Sonny Chiba's action school, Shihomi more than holds her own against the numerous baddies standing against her. She's also very easy on the eyes - yes, she is quite a cutie! But don't let that fool you: she can kill you twice before you knew what hit you. It's interesting to note that some bad guys make the mistake that just because she's a girl, she can't fight, or she's weak, or both. Well, as "Sister Street Fighter" and this film prove, anyone who makes that assumption is sorely mistaken, and you'll wind up on your back on the floor unconscious for making such an arrogant assumption.

8/10

Wrong side of the law

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 18 June 2020]

Never mess with the Sister (Street Fighter). But I guess bad guys will be bad guys and kidnap people. Everyone thinks they'll get away with it. Not if the Sister has anything to say ... kick about it! I reckon after the first one was so succesful, they thought let's keep this going. In the same year nonetheless.

And you have similar ingredients. Many bad guys, a lot of fights, blood and nudity. Selling points you say? Well who's going to argue with that? I hope nobody, that would be akward. Doesn't mean you personally have to like those things. It's just what a demand there is out there. So much so, that even with obvious mistakes like a very visible arm, that is being cut off, is actually "hidden" under the shirt of one actor. And yes you would have seen it, even if I didn't tell you (likely). This heightens this to a different degree of crazy mental ... and that is what you get. The movie is not confusing anybody or lying about what it is

Interesting

[GOWBTW · 8/10 · 9 May 2008]

The sequel to Sister StreetFighter was something I didn't think was possible. If you thought you've seen it all, Think Again! This time without Sonny Chiba, the Sister Street Fighter is out to protect a young child who's mother is involved with a gold smuggler/ drug enforcer. The uncle was a detective who was tending the niece, and is killed by doing it. The Sister Street Fighter leaves Hing Kong with the niece meets up with her friend from class and kick some serious butt at a dock in Japan. Those two ladies make a great team. In the meantime, the big-time villain tries to get some of the greatest fighters to take her out. One fighter has a punch that more lethal than any weapon a skilled fighter will possess. However, his boss' true colors come out when he is double-crossed during the fight against the female fighter. The reunion of mother and daughter was short-lived, but the fight for avenging loved ones went on non-stop. Both fighter take out the greed ladened boss. Paying for his misdeeds straight out! A fine movie, very fun to watch. don't care about the budget, the movie speaks for itself! 3 out of 5 stars!

Etsuko Shihomi returns—without Sonny Chiba—in SISTER STREETFIGHTER 2

[BrianDanaCamp · 28 January 2008]

SISTER STREETFIGHTER: HANGING BY A THREAD (1974, aka SISTER STREETFIGHTER 2) is a follow-up to SISTER STREETFIGHTER and has Hong Kong resident and martial artist Koryu Lee (Etsuko Shihomi) coming back to Tokyo to track down a female friend, Birei, who's been kidnapped by diamond smugglers. It's an early '70s Japanese martial arts crime film with abundant nudity, bloodshed, torture, outlandish fashions and a peculiar criminal-dominated alternate universe where there are no cops and the gangsters avoid guns but hire martial artists--the more exotic the better--to do their fighting for them. It's all beautifully photographed on dramatic locations and garish sets. One fight takes place amidst empty racetrack stands and another takes place in a railroad yard and has the heroine battle an opponent atop a moving boxcar. There's even a fight among logs floating in the water at one point. As over-the-top as Japanese films sometimes got in the 1970s, they were generally well-produced. My only complaint on that end here is the over-reliance on hand-held cameras in many of the fight scenes.

The plot doesn't bear up well under scrutiny. There are far too many convenient coincidences and the heroine, Koryu, finds her way to the villains' various lairs way too easily. There are some off-putting moments detailing the surgical removal of diamonds from nude women's rear ends, as well as a brutal torture session directed at Koryu's sister, who just happens to be involved with the diamond gang.

The real reason for martial fans to watch this, of course, is to see star Etsuko Shihomi giving Hong Kong kung fu divas Angela Mao and Chia Ling (Judy Lee) a run for their money as the most dynamic female martial arts stars of the era. The protégé of Sonny Chiba, who popped up in several of her films, Shihomi fights with similar intensity, concentrating on survival and hitting her targets with damaging blows rather than engaging in the more showy, performance-oriented fighting styles of Hong Kong's female stars. (Granted, Shihomi's best films don't hold a candle to Angela Mao's best films, but that was never exactly Shihomi's fault.) There are some far-fetched moments here, including a fight in mid-air that causes the eyes to roll (literally!), but for the most part, Shihomi takes on all manner of formidable opponents with plausible ferocity.

Shihomi (who was sometimes billed in American release versions as Sue Shiomi) is aided in the action by Yasuaki Kurata, who takes on the Chiba role here and lends key male support. Kurata made a name for himself in Hong Kong kung fu films, including HEROES OF THE EAST, LEGEND OF A FIGHTER and FIST OF LEGEND, and it's nice to actually see him wreaking havoc in a Japanese martial arts film for a change.

The film follows the formulaic structure of the first film, changing the endangered sibling from a brother there to a sister here who wasn't even mentioned in the first film. The fights were more frequent and more imaginatively staged in the first film, which also benefited from the presence of Chiba himself in some key fighting sequences. (Chiba, of course, began this whole cycle with his own run of STREETFIGHTER films.) Etsuko and Kurata returned for RETURN OF THE SISTER STREETFIGHTER, which suffered from a lower budget and shorter shooting schedule, resulting in hastily shot action scenes and an even more ludicrous plot.

Too similar to the original

[unbrokenmetal · 6/10 · 7 February 2009]

Koryu (Etsuko Shihomi) flies from Hong Kong to Tokyo in order to rescue a hostage, but the gangster boss keeping that hostage has many skillful fighters. The summary of "Sister Street Fighter"? No, the summary of its sequel, although that reads exactly the same. The second movie copied the first, while the producers carefully kept everything that probably was responsible for its success. A few tiny differences I'd like to sum up: The gangsters smuggle diamonds instead of drugs this time. Etsuko Shihomi wears a much nicer costume in blue and gold (later: red and gold). There is more hand-held camera which can be annoying on the big screen. And there is some additional sadism, for example when the girls who smuggled diamonds under their skin are cut open like cattle by the butcher (no excuses, please - anesthesia were available in 1974), there is a horrifying scene when Koryu's sister is tortured, also when Koryu kills one bad guy by nailing his pair of glasses to his head. Nothing for Sunday afternoon television, I'd say. Anyway, the first movie was better and less predictable. I voted 8/6/8/7 for the 4 "Sister Street Fighter" movies.

Entertaining old-school martial arts

[dconner · 7/10 · 20 February 2008]

I just stumbled across this movie on cable (under the title "Sister Street Fighter 2," and I believe the above review by Brian Camp relates to a different movie (or, perhaps, the movies are inconsistently titled in English, which often seems to happen in this genre.) I believe the Camp review relates to "3," as the movie I saw contained different plot elements and action settings, and the one review on "3" mentions the same "surgical removal of smuggled diamonds" bit, which does not appear in this film.

In this one, the plot concerns gold smugglers and a crime lord named Oh. Koryu travels from Hong Kong to Yokohama to take down the crime ring and save a little girl's mother (Oh's prisoner, mistress, and chemist, an interesting trifecta.) There's a lot of well-executed action, and Etsuko Shihomi has an appealing screen presence. It's especially well-photographed, and looks great in widescreen. The bad guys have a lot of over-the-top color, from a death match to determine which of a dozen or so strange martial artists from around the world (including one who I think is supposed to be a Zulu spearman) will have the right to kill Koryu (wouldn't it be easier to just send *all* of them after her?) But these movies have their own rules. The white-suited, one-handed, wheelchair-bound Oh is a lot of fun, and a rather transparent imitation of *Enter the Dragon*'s Han. You'll never guess the secret of Oh's fake left hand! Or of his wheelchair (though if you're an SCTV fan, you might be able to make a guess!)

A decent action flick

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 6/10 · 1 July 2023]

If you want large quantities of mindless action, and are okay with the quality of that action being decent/passable rather than truly amazing, this sequel satisfies.

I think barebones action movies are capable of greatness, but the action has to be great, and it's not the best here. Neither is it the worst, but I would say that the first Sister Street-fighter movie is better.

It's got me less than optimistic for the other two movies, but I think I know the kind of mood I have to be in to enjoy these, so will wait for that feeling to strike again I guess. Anyone who's not super into old-school martial arts movies should steer clear.

Follows the formula

[ckormos1 · 6/10 · 11 January 2020]

It starts when our girl takes pause from eating her apple to interfere in a gang killing. The guy she saves dies anyway. He was a police officer who gave her evidence. It all leads to diamond smugglers and other stuff so she is off on her mission.

From the start the bad guys are trying to kill her. Nothing is realistic about that goal. All of the attacks against her are showcased as demonstrations of various martial styles. The fights are even labeled by style. Nevertheless, all the styles look the same. Many weapons are also used. There is also the expected acrobatics and trampoline stunts.

Our girl, Etsuko Shihomi, as Koryu, fights without Sonny Chiba's help in this movie. Kurata does have a big fight scene though.

Overall, the movie follows the formula of taking the first movie and doing the same things a bit bigger and better. I rate it a tad above average for the year and genre.

The Sister Street Fighter Series:Part 2:Hanging by a Thread.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 8/10 · 5 September 2019]

For the Japanese Challenge on ICM,I decided that I would open up some of the Blu-Ray sets by UK company Arrow. Having found the first one (also reviewed) to be a knock-out, I decided to reunite with the Street Fighter.

View on the film:

Keeping the swords shiny, Arrow present another winning transfer, with the picture being crisp, (and not blurring during any of the active camera moves) and the clang from the swords on the soundtrack being kept clean.

Stepping forward for a second round,Etsuko Shihomi gives a spellbinding turn as Koryu, whose fighting moves Shihomi again performs with a graceful passion,this time welded by Shihomi to Koryu's raw emotions to get revenge. Proving that diamonds are forever, Hideo Murota steals the movie as boo-hiss baddie Osone, thanks to Murota bringing out a gleefully sadistic, cackling harshness in Osone.

Made just a few months after the first SST, returning writer Masahiro Kakefuda is joined by Norifumi Suzuki in taking the outline of SST 1,and twisting it in a new off the wall direction. Returning to smugglers being the villains,the writers joyfully present them in a dastardly, pulp manner, slicing into the world of Grindhouse when the smugglers surgically implant their diamonds into the buttocks of Hong Kong prostitutes who are then sent to Hong Kong. Jumping back into another round, the writers drive Koryu's force in taking down the gang with a wicked personal touch of her sister being involved with them.

Joining Kakefuda and Shihomi in this reunion, director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi & cinematographer Yoshio Nakajima take their frantic karate chops of SS1,and dice them with a blazing atmosphere that crosses over into the Pinky Violence genre. Backed by Shunsuke Kikuchi's terrific twang score, Yamaguchi twirls a gloriously excessive sleazy atmosphere, springing from naked fitties, slick whip-pans on every bloody finishing move, a dip into tasty Lucio fulci-style eye gouging,all loaded in bubbling brash vibrant colours oozing 70's Grindhouse fumes, ultra-stylised zoom-ins and wah-wah freeze frames catching Sister Street Fighter hanging by a thread.

A sequel that's great fun

[Leofwine_draca · 8/10 · 22 December 2020]

This strong follow-up to the first film has no Sonny Chiba in support this time around, but you do get a good-guy Yasuaki Kurata as his replacement which more than makes up for it. The plot is a virtual retread of the first film's, with Koryu now hunting for her kidnapped sister as well as an old school friend who's got involved with unsavoury types. The slim plotting is the merest excuse for virtual non-stop action and fighting as our heroes tackle a whole army of varied bad guys, each of whom has either a different nationality or uses a different style. Gory mayhem ensues, with inventive touches throughout and a classic climax in the Japanese style. Great fun!

Funky adventure with sinister antagonists

[kluseba · 8/10 · 27 June 2019]

Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread is the second film in the martial arts franchise about the empathic, resilient and tough lead character Li Koryu. This time around, the movie doesn't feature actresses or actors from the Street Fighter franchise that helped kickstart this spinoff series that would turn out being as great or even slightly better than the original series. This entry is the franchise's emancipation and easily proves that versatile actress Etsuko Shihomi can stand her ground all alone.

The story isn't a far call from the first entry but neither this franchise nor Sonny Chiba's Street Fighter films stood for particularly creative plots. Li Koryu is asked to find a former classmate who got kidnapped and is forced to be the mistress of the boss of diamond smugglers who surgically implant the precious stones into the buttocks of Chinese prostitutes. To make matters worse, Li Koryu's own sister is linked to the criminals and forced to betray her sister. Li Koryu however gets assisted by a mysterious stranger who is initially hired as a hitman tasked to kill her but has his own hidden agenda.

The film is on par with its solid predecessor. The story is entertaining, fast-paced and quirky. The fight scenes involve more hand-held camera sections which adds a new touch to the series. The characters are eccentric, memorable and unique. The locations are fascinating as fight scenes take place on a rolling train, in an abandoned stadium and even on logs on the water. It's the most brutal movie in the franchise that involves some graphic scenes that conveniently spice things up from time to time. The funky soundtrack underlines the film's dynamic touch at the pulse of the wild seventies.

This movie is entertaining from start to finish and will appeal to anyone who likes contemporary martial arts films or quirky action thrillers from the seventies. The movie has aged rather well thanks to its charismatic protagonist and modern camera techniques. It's one of the few examples when the sequel is as great as its predecessor.