Karate Kiba (1976)

Director:

Simon Nuchtern

Release Date:

September 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Sonny Chiba, hired to kill... If his kick doesn't get you... his fatal fist will!

Plot:

Karate master and anti-drug vigilante Chiba returns to his home in Japan, where he holds a press conference...

Plot Keywords:

Karate | Hero | Gangster | Mafia | Martial Arts

Cast

Jirô Chiba
Etsuko Shihomi
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Aaron Banks	...	(U.S. version)
Sonny Chiba
Judy Lee	...	(U.S. version)
Bill Louie	...	(U.S. version)

Also Known As:

The Bodyguard (USA) (recut version)
Viva Chiba the Bodyguard

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA | Japan

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R

Company:

Nippon-American Productions

Quotes:

Narrator: The path of the righteous man and defender is beset on all sides by the iniquity of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper, and the father of lost children. And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious anger, who poison and destroy my brothers; and they shall know that I am Chiba the Bodyguard when I shall lay my vengeance upon them!
[Ezekial 25:17]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Pulp Fiction (1994)

Pretty damn good considering

Ya this movie is kind of cheesy at times but I don't think it should be ripped apart like some of the other reviews. The plot is a bit thin but Sonny makes up for it as usual. As for the artsy camera work, I rather enjoyed it. The camera is shakey during running/fighting scenes but I enjoyed this. It gives the sense of a real chaotic situation instead of just situated camera work.

I do agree the dubbing is poor as hell but overall the movie worked for me and just reaffirmed Sonny Chiba as the Clint Eastwood of Japanese films.