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IMDbPro

The Executioner

Original title: Chokugeki! Jigoku-ken
  • 19741974
  • RR
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
504
YOUR RATING
The Executioner (1974)
Action
Three street toughs are hired to take down a Tokyo drug dealer in this hard-hitting Toei karate action film.Three street toughs are hired to take down a Tokyo drug dealer in this hard-hitting Toei karate action film.Three street toughs are hired to take down a Tokyo drug dealer in this hard-hitting Toei karate action film.
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
504
YOUR RATING
    • Teruo Ishii
    • Teruo Ishii
  • Stars
    • Shin'ichi Chiba
    • Eiji Gô
    • Yutaka Nakajima
    • Teruo Ishii
    • Teruo Ishii
  • Stars
    • Shin'ichi Chiba
    • Eiji Gô
    • Yutaka Nakajima
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 9User reviews
    • 20Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos41

    Shin'ichi Chiba in The Executioner (1974)
    The Executioner (1974)
    The Executioner (1974)
    Shozo Saijo in The Executioner (1974)
    Shin'ichi Chiba in The Executioner (1974)
    Shin'ichi Chiba, Eiji Gô, and Yutaka Nakajima in The Executioner (1974)
    The Executioner (1974)
    The Executioner (1974)
    Meika Seri in The Executioner (1974)
    The Executioner (1974)
    The Executioner (1974)
    Yutaka Nakajima in The Executioner (1974)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Shin'ichi Chiba
    Shin'ichi Chiba
    • Ryuichi Koga
    • (as Sonny Chiba)
    Eiji Gô
    Eiji Gô
    • Ichiro Sakura
    Yutaka Nakajima
    • Emi
    • (as Doris Nakajima)
    Hiroyuki Sanada
    Hiroyuki Sanada
    • Toga as a boy
    • (as Hiroyuki Shimosawa)
    Yasuaki Kurata
    Yasuaki Kurata
    • Karate teacher
    Makoto Satô
    Makoto Satô
    • Takeshi Hayato
    Ryô Ikebe
    Ryô Ikebe
    • Arashiyama
    Masahiko Tsugawa
    Masahiko Tsugawa
    • Mario Mizuhara
    Michitarô Mizushima
    Michitarô Mizushima
    • Hakusessai Koga
    Rikiya Yasuoka
    Rikiya Yasuoka
    • Lone wolf
    Hideo Murota
    • Boss
    Meika Seri
    • Woman
    Takashi Hio
    • Bunshô Chin
    • (as Kôji Hio)
    Hiroshi Nawa
    Hiroshi Nawa
    Willie Dorsey
    • Ruin
    Tsutomu Harada
    Shozo Saijo
    • Blazer Nishiyama
    Toshiyuki Tsuchiyama
      • Teruo Ishii
      • Teruo Ishii
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Connections
      Followed by The Executioner II: Karate Inferno (1974)

    User reviews9

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    The Brutal, the Bad and the Bad-Ass - Sonny Chiba Rocks the Boat!
    I recently watched two immortal Sonny Chiba Karate classics from the great Toei Company in one night, one being "The Street Fighter" (1974) and the other this gem named "Chokugeki! Jigoku-ken" aka. "The Executioner" from the same year. I couldn't possibly say which of these two I enjoyed more, both deserve their status as true greats of Japanese 70s exploitation. Whereas Shigheiro Ozawa's "Gekitotsu! Satsujin ken" is a raw and ultra-brutal film in which the almighty Mr. Chiba plays a ruthless killing-machine of an anti-hero, Teruo Ishii's "The Executioner" is also very violent, but a lot more humorous. I was a fan of director Ishii before seeing this film for some of his awesome contributions to the Pinky Violence genre (such as "Female Yakuza Tale", 1973), and this awesome flick even increased my admiration for the man. "The Executioner" is an incredibly entertaining flick that delivers everything an Exploitation lover could possibly desire - from martial arts and brutal, bloody violence, to wonderfully odd, typically Japanese humor, eccentric characters, sleaze and gratuitous female nudity, a funky score and great cinematography - "The Executioner" has it all.

    Three men, the skilled ninja Ryuchi Koga (Sonny Chiba), the deadly assassin and former drug detective Takeshi Hayato (Makoto Satô), and the criminal and death-row escapee Ichiro Sakura (Eiji Go) are assigned to crush a drug ring which, due to diplomatic connections, is unaccessible to the law... All three leading men fit their roles very well, Chiba, of course, being the main attraction. The film obviously took a lot of inspiration from Spaghetti Westerns, most obviously from Sergio Leone's 1966 masterpiece "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (the best Western ever made, and probably my personal choice for the best film ever). The 'introduction' of Satô, for example, was almost taken over exactly from Lee Van Cleef's introduction in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" - only that this one features explicit gore and loads of sleaze. The character relations are also somewhat resemblant of those in GBU, although the distinction between 'good' and 'bad' is even more vague. Eiji "Tokyo Drifter" Go is the one responsible for most of the funny bits. Sonny Chiba's martial arts are, as always, absolutely amazing, and they come along with loads of brutality. Chiba plays a more likable character here than in the "Street Fighter" films, but he's kicking ass the violent way all the same. Beautiful Yutaka Nakajima, who also played the female lead in "The Street Fighter", is once again a welcome addition in her role here. To sum up: "The Executioner" is brutal, stylish, action-packed and fun in equal measures, and an absolute must for fans of Japanese Exploitation cinema. Sonny Chiba, we worship thee!
    helpful•3
    1
    • Witchfinder-General-666
    • Jul 17, 2009

    Details

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    • Release date
      • 1978 (United States)
      • Japan
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
    • Production company
      • Toei Tokyo
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 27 minutes
      • Color
      • Mono

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