Karate Kill

What would the end of a decade be without a look back on the movies which came out of it? We may no longer be in the golden era of fight flicks, but one only needs to spend a few moments thinking of the past 10 years, to realize there’s still plenty of talent with the enthusiasm and skill to create a great martial arts movie. From new blood like Iko Uwais and Max Zhang, to members of the old guard like Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan, the 10’s was a decade which gave everyone their moment to shine.

Kenji (Hayate) is on the hunt for his sister Mayumi (Mana Sakura), who has disappeared without a trace. He is a driven man however, so he is determined to find her and return her to safety, regardless of what that entails. His mastery of the martial arts won't hurt either, as he will face off with some nasty folks by the end.

Having previously reviewed Kurando Mitsutake’s absolutely batshit insane revenge film GUN WOMAN I was beyond delighted when the screener for his latest film KARATE KILL appeared in my mailbox.

After losing touch with his sister a young Japanese fella named Kenji (Hayate) is finally given the opportunity to search for her. But as she's gone missing on the other side of the world trying to make it under the bright lights of LA, where does he start? Fortunately for him a kick in the face translates into exactly the same thing all over the world.

I have learned a lot in my time on Earth but one thing that is possibly the important is that anything can be accomplished in life using one’s own mastery of karate. That is obviously something that director Kurando Mitsutake has known for some time as he’s continued to show love for the martial arts going back to Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf.

Karate Kill is yet another slice of cinematic madness from Mitsutake, one that harkens back to the days of Godfrey Ho’s choppily-edited ninja movies, the epics of Sonny Chiba and those grainy VHS-era relics of kung-fu cinema that inspired a generation of filmmakers (and rappers, cough, Wu-Tang Clan, cough). Only it’s also filled with the type of exploitation action that is typically reserved for horror films.

If you are unfamiliar with the work of writer and director Kurando Mitsutake, it is time for you to remedy that situation. Kurando has directed four films – Monsters Don’t Get to Cry (2007) , Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf (2009, and Kurando plays the lead as well as doing the writing and directing duties), Gun Woman (2014) and Karate Kill (2016 but just had its United States release on July 18 of this year) and each film is better than the last, as you would expect as he gains experience.

Revenge flicks are like soft ice cream dispensers at an all-you-can eat movie buffet. You can fill up on your dramas and your romances and your high-brow comedies, but what you really came here for is the sweet stuff, and most revenge films tap right into that craving with tons of action, lots of great motivation, and usually some hyper-graphic violence that leap well over the line of good sensible taste.

Karate Kill from Gun Woman director Kurando Mitsutake if everything we loved about that great era of over-the-top action films and more. It’s 1987 again, folks.

For those who love watching movies with long scenes of someone walking in slow-motion during a quick, one-two punch minute of character development...and for those who love heroes in movies that hardly speak a word but rudely ask for help while also antagonizing a fight that surely could have been avoided...and for those who love a good short and sweet film filled with likable characters, gory fight scenes, and sound effects purposely louder than the actual dialogue, look no further, because the movie Karate Kill is exactly what the doctor ordered.