Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (1991)

A young man with superhuman strength is incarcerated at a prison run by corrupt officials and seeks to use his martial arts to clean up the system.

Director:

Ngai Choi Lam (as Simon Nam)

Writers:

Tetsuya Saruwatari (manga "Riki-oh"), Ngai Choi Lam (screenplay)

Stars:

Siu-Wong Fan, Mei Sheng Fan, Ka-Kui Ho

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Siu-Wong Fan	...	Riki-Oh Saiga
Mei Sheng Fan	...	Cyclops Dan
Ka-Kui Ho	...	The Warden
Yukari Ôshima	...	Huang Chaun
Kan-Wing Tsang	...	Old Ma
Kwok-Pong Chan	...	Sa (as Chan Kwok-Bong)
Kôichi Sugisaki	...	Taizan
Frankie Chi-Leung Chan	...	Hai (as Chi-leung Chan)
King Chan	...	Ba Chu
Phillip Chung-Fung Kwok	...	Kuang (as Philip Kwok)
Ji Keung Wong	...	Guan Dao
Kwai-Hung Wong	...	Shorty
Kwok-Leung Wong	...	Manabu the Warden's Son
Kai Wing Lam	...	Wildcat Samuel
Tetsurô Tanba	...	Master Zhang Shangui

Storyline

The story is set in the year of 2001 in a prison owned by a major company. A new prisoner sees his friends being harassed and killed by the guards and seeks his revenge.

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Plot Keywords:

prison | martial arts | heroism | grindhouse | gore | 

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Taglines:

The Greatest Hong Kong Martial Arts Action Revenge Gore-Soaked Prision Breakout Love Story Cult Film of 1991 Ever Put on DVD!!! (2010 Media Blasters Remastered DVD Edition)

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and gore, and for some drug content

Details

Country:

Hong Kong USA Japan

Language:

Cantonese English Mandarin Japanese

Release Date:

5 October 1991 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company Credits

Production Co:

Diagonal Pictures,Paragon Films Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min (cut) 91 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film takes place in 2001.

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Goofs

The way Oscar flies in two shots, while fighting Ricky.

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Quotes

Oscar: [Oscar has blinded Ricky] Some powder glass from the assistant warden. Let's see you're as strong, when your blind.
[Ricky starts punching the air due to not being able to see, Oscar then takes his knife and cuts Ricky's arm, he then knocks Ricky to the ground]
Oscar: Well blind man, you're arm's gone now. Ricky, you're finished.

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Alternate Versions

Upon remastering the film for a second time, the version mastered in 2015 by Fortune Star is the first version since its original theatrical release to feature on screen Chinese text when Ricky and the two other convicts are introduced in the beginning of the film. It is possible this text was originally added upon inserting the original burnt-in Chinese and English subtitles directly onto the film print, but was then originally lost when mastering the film from the original non-subtitled negatives.

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Connections

References Prison on Fire II (1991)

User Reviews

One of the bloodiest, most over the top horror comedy martial arts films ever made (Or maybe the only one)

If you hate blood and guts (literally) stop reading now this movie is in no way for you.

On the popcorn scale of fun brain removed films this is on the top rung for laugh out loud enjoyment.

The plot has Ricky, a kid with super strength being thrown into prison for killing the man responsible for the girl he loved. This is a corrupt privatized prison of the future where the prisoners are nothing more than cheap labor. Ricky instantly gets under the skin of the wardens, the guards and the leaders of the prison population. Cartoon violence with bloody gory consequences ensue. Body parts go flying as Ricky fights to stay alive and help his fellow prisoners.

This is one of the bloodiest movies I've ever seen. Think Python's Salad Days sketch but for 90 minutes. There is blood and limbs everywhere. The effects run from very good to god awful, with most just okay. None of it is really "real".There's no way you could do this film realistic, assuming the plot allowed it, with out having the audience throwing up all over the place. I'm assuming they are done the way they are for effect, we see the effect of the violence and laugh at the silliness of it all while keeping our lunches.

And as the film spins more and more out of control, with plot holes that are more like stellar voids, you find your self staring and laughing at it all, disbelieving that grown people put this together. Its a 12 year-old's action figure dream come true, but some how it all works on an adult level since the film makers seem to be winking and nodding at those watching it.

High camp? Low brow? There is nothing in this film that seems to be serious except for the way that pretty much everyone plays it dead nuts straight to wonderful tongue through cheek effect.

Not a movie you want to see on a first date (or any date) this is a movie to watch with some loud friends with strong stomachs and a great sense of the absurd. Its not a great film as such and I doubt it was ever intended to be, however on the throw your mind out of the car on the way to the video store scale this film rates at the top.

And I can't stress enough this film lives up to its rep for blood and guts. If you don't like to see them flying in every direction stay away stay away stay away.