Return of the Street Fighter

Sonny Chiba is back as Terry Tsurugi, and this time it’s personal! Okay, it’s always personal in these types of films, but believe me, when this guy’s out for vengeance, he doesn’t screw around. Like its predecessor, Return of the Street Fighter is ultra-violent: eyes are gouged, heads are smashed, and in the most disgustingly comical scene in the entire picture, Tsurugi hits a guy so hard that the dude’s eyes pop out! It may be sick fun, but it’s good fun all the same.

As the second chapter in the always-entertaining Street Fighter series, Return of the Street Fighter ranks as one of the rare sequels that actually rivals the first. However, in the beginning the movie doesn’t seem quite as promising. For starters, the plot is basically the same as the original, as Tsurugi is again working for the mob, but later he refuses to accept a hit contract because it violates his personal code of honor. Tsurugi balks at killing his friend Masaoko (Masafumi Suzuki, reprising his role from the original), much to the dismay of the mafia, led by the ridiculously named Don Costello (Claude Gannyon). As is usual in martial arts flicks, violence ensues.