Crwthod A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

Tymon Sutton The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

gavin6942 A down-and-out American boxer (Scott Glenn) becomes involved in a feud between two Japanese brothers.This is one of those hidden gems you never hear about. A great blend of American and Japanese cinema, some action and some grit. The film really ought to be a cult classic, and yet I feel like very few people have ever heard of it. Most surprising to me is how the film did not seem to get a bump after the Netflix series "Daredevil" took off. In some ways, Scott Glenn's character on that show is very much a continuation of his character here.Thanks to Kino, the film is available on Blu-ray though it does not seem to have any features. That is too bad. I am always ready for an audio commentary.

garyb513 Not the greatest film ever, but certainly entertaining. I liked Scott Glenn in the role. This is one of those films that the hero has far less than perfect character. Glenn's character is so cynical that he cannot see the dignity and character of Mifune's character right away. His character is not the only one who did not get the Japanese warrior code Bushido. A large part of the movie is about cultural differences.Probably the battle scene at the end made a lot of people lower the score. It was very over the top, and Glenn's character survives by using unconventional tactics. To me, the scene is the the big payoff in the movie.

Terence Allen The Challenge is one of those genre movies that is so good that it not only breaks the genre mold but gets lost in the shuffle, hidden by lots of other movies not nearly as good.Scott Glenn and Toshiro Mifune give excellent and their usual intense performances as a budding samurai cum boxer and his instructor, bonding as the instructor is caught up in a clan feud with his brother.This movie is good for three reasons. One reason is the normal steadfast performances of its stars. The second is the keen, insightful direction of John Frankenheimer, a grossly underrated director who helmed such classics as The Train, Ronin, and The Manchurian Candidate. And the third is the able kenjutsu (swordfighting)and aikido of a then unknown American martial arts instructor based in Japan who at the time was going by Steve Seagal. I guess I don't have to tell you who he grew up to be.

Charles Eagle SPOILER ALERT Fantastic intelligent action flick from a master of the genre, John Frankenheimer (check out THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE or RONIN). Bottom-of-the-barrel boxer Scott Glenn is recruited to escort a valuable Samurai sword and is thrown into a blood feud between two brothers who both lay claim to the blade, which is one of a set of twin weapons called the Equals. One brother is a rich gangster/businessman, the other a venerable sword master (Mifune at his best)who seeks to uphold the family honor symbolized by the heirloom swords. After a couple of bloody ambushes Glenn says "sayonara" to save his own skin, but returns due in part to his attraction to Mifune's luscious daughter, and from his own desire to conquer his limitations and become the warrior that Mifune sees within him. Ultimately he is the old man's last hope and after extensive training and a bit of "vision quest" consciousness-raising confronts the martial-arts expert mobster on his own turf. The resulting office sword battle is bloody and no-holds-barred and Glenn finds not only his own honor but the respect and affection of the aging warrior who believed in him. I've followed different movie martial-arts styles since way back when and this was the first time I recall seeing the impressive handhold and body-throws of the Aikido style championed by Steven Seagal (small wonder since it was he who created many of the fight scenes for this one, prior to becoming an action star himself). I knew a few martial arts people when this film was released, and they were all impressed especially by the training and culture-clash sequences and by the relationship between the students and their master played by Mifune. One teacher I knew even borrowed my tape of the film to show to his class---this was back around 1983. This one's been shown on the tube under a number of lame-assed alternate titles but it's still a great flick. The sex scene between Glenn and the girl ain't bad either! Don't let anyone kid you, this is an action film and a half, with not only hand-to-hand martial arts but dazzling swordfights and gun battles in mind of YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. If you like this one, check out THE YAKUZA, THE OCTAGON, and HIGHLANDER if you like a bit of fantasy with your bladework.