Diagonaldi Very well executed

GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Leofwine_draca Sonny Chiba is the predictably ass-kicking hero in this engaging historical effort which shows what life was like in Japan just after World War 2…in a nutshell, pretty grim. Chiba plays the real-life Master Soh, a martial arts master who successfully opened his own Shaolin kung fu school in Osaka – but not before lots of blood has been spilt. The film is really made of two halves, the first half telling the historical story, and focusing on plenty of emoting from Chiba – who undergoes a moral transformation – and concentrating on his relationships with a gang of orphaned kids and a nice gal who resorts to prostitution to earn some money.The second half of the film is more familiar territory for STREET FIGHTER fans, charting Chiba's progress against the various gangs who make up the villains of the film. Things begin on a high note as Chiba massacres a bunch of Chinese soldiers before learning that the war is over. He proceeds to go berserk and gun down all of his Japanese seniors in one go! After this, Chiba returns to Japan to set up home in a black market, and it's not long before he's jabbing out the eyes of an American serviceman who mows down a little kid with his jeep.Things progress pretty much as you would expect from there, as Chiba fights off yakuza gangs, local thugs, and more, although the film noticeably lacks a main villain with whom Chiba can pit his wits – he's just too good for them all! The film is as gory as you would expect, with an arm-severing that'd make the ONE-ARMED BOXER wince and look away, and Chiba goes around breaking arms in various well-choreographed fight scenes which are the real highlights of the film. The most outrageous shot occurs as Chiba takes revenge on a rapist, cutting off his tackle with a knife and feeding it to a stray dog! The supporting cast are strong, especially the female performers, including Chiba regular Etsuko Shihomi, aka SISTER STREET FIGHTER. Things culminate in a massive running battle in the forest as Chiba takes on a sword-wielding yakuza gang, no prizes for guessing who comes out tops in this one. All in all THE KILLING MACHINE is a superior martial arts film that any STREET FIGHTER fan is sure to enjoy.

aggie80 One of the nice things is that this movie opens with some introduction to the history of martial arts in China. The movie is put together well and is far from the typical kung fu movie, much closer to the standard samurai flick. There are a wide number of fight scenes in many different locations. This has a bit more of a political message buried in it then most, but lots of things in it that don't make a lot of sense. But the bottom line is that there is an underlying theme of the Samurai to it.Interesting thing to note is that the American Flag that is prominently shown in one place as being of the American conquerors shows 50 stars instead of the 48 that would have flown there after WWII. Not too much of the ugly foreigners in it, but strong Japanese nationalism. I'll watch this again, particularly for the action scenes.

cjrock1 Sonny Chiba as Doshin So,Originator of Shorinji Kempo. This was Chiba's first of two portrayals of a real life martial arts masters ( His portrayal of his Sensei Mas Oyama in "The Champion of Death" being his second). Incredible fight scene choreography featuring authentic shorinji kenpo techniques, though of course it wouldn't be a Sonny Chiba film without his removal of body parts of several opponents. The plot involves life in postwar Japan in which Doshin So comes to the aid of numerous war orphans as well as a young girl who is forced to become a prostitute to survive. The film also features Sue "Sister Streetfighter" Shiomi, a mainstay in many Chiba Films as well as a talented martial artist herself. Sonny Chiba shows much love and respect for the history of his chosen arts as well as his former Senseis (he has a black belt in shorinji kempo as well as Mas Oyamas kyokushikai karate). I rank this film as #3 in Chiba's top 5 films, a must see for Chiba fans and martial arts enthusiasts alike.

Nate-9 In one scene he helps orphans, the next he rips off someones penis and feeds it to a dog. He cries the loss of his love, the prostitute he helped get off the street...then his friend gets his arm cut off with a sword and blood spurts from the stump. All of this with Japanese Nationalist beliefs and hatred against Chinese & Americans. This does star Sonny Chiba and it isn't bad, though the drama seems a little cheesy with the orphans and everybody's fake tears. Not one of his top three films for sure.