Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Bushy-sideburned Sonny Chiba takes out a mob of racketeers in this 1975 Yakuza eiga (nihilistic gangster film). Self-parody is the name of the game, and director Noribumi Suzuki (not to be confused with legendary Seijun Suzuki) knows its rules well. Excessive violence, cartoonish characters, blood spraying everywhere, funky tunes, and classic one-liners are all in there. If your belly can stand laughing for one and a half hours straight, rent this campfest immediately!

Killing Machine is about a Shao Lin martial arts master, Doshin So (Sonny Chiba), who opens up a school in racketeer-infested post-WWII Japan. Believe it or not, this b-movie is actually based on a true story. The film begins in the year 1945, and our hero Doshin So is a Japanese intelligence officer working behind Chinese lines. Much to his dismay (illustrated by So picking up a machine gun and firing it around Japanese headquarters Rambo 2 style), Japan has surrendered to the Allies and the war is lost. After the war, Doshin So returns to his firebombed hometown only to find lawlessness and poverty. Desperate to help Japanese society get back on its feet, Doshin So opens up a martial arts school dedicated to give honest people back their strength and honor.

The progression revolves around Doshin So's episodic encounters with a local gang of disapproving racketeers who are bent on his destruction. Fight scenes are at the core of Killing Machine, and each one serves as a sort of ending to the episode. Run-ins between Master So's students and racketeers occur quite frequently, so be assured that martial arts fans get their money's worth.

Master So is a stereotypical hero fighting for honor and justice within a town that doesn't want him. Clashes between the bleeding-heart optimism of Doshin So and the nihilistic society of post-war Japan contributes to a load of laughs. Much like the boyscout hero Holly Martins in The Third Man, Master So sticks out like a sore thumb against the backdrop of cynicism.

Killing Machine is quite self-aware of the ridiculous nature of the Yakuza genre. Campy dialog and shocking yet artificial violence duct-tapes the cheesy storyline together. For example: after the baddies rape the daughter of his student, Master So invades the racketeers' nightclub headquarters seeking justice. With one swift motion he whips out a pair of scissors and cuts off the rapist's penis, feeding the bloody member to a nearby dog (it's funnier than it sounds). My buddies and I bursted into laughter so loud and for so long that my neighbor filed a noise complaint against us. WARNING: do not watch Killing Machine after the noise-limit time of your apartment building/complex.

Self-parody also shows its funny face during the ridiculous dialog. When one of the characters gives a teary-eyed "this is why I have to sell my body" speech, a hobo playing depressing harmonica can be seen just off to the side of the frame. Also, when forced to leave an impoverished commune, Doshin So relates his manifesto of heroic morals to a bunch of sappy kids who don't understand what he is telling them. This symbol alone is worth laughing over, but the execution of the scene makes it absolutely priceless.

Director Noribumi Suzuki's takeoff of the genre's boom-and-zoom camera technique adds to the funky comedy. Some fight scenes freeze at weird moments (like right when a chain is thrusted into the mouth of a baddie) before swiftly cutting to the next sequence. You never get bored with stills because Suzuki changes camera angles every five seconds or so, punctuating the onscreen action.

If the ridiculous nature of excessive violence doesn't make you laugh, the soundtrack certainly will. Funky horns and wah-wah guitars compliment the action quite nicely - Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, and James Brown would be proud. The sound itself is cheesy and fun with punches sounding like gunshots and gunshots sounding like atomic bombs. Priceless antiquities only found in the bargain bin at your local videostore.

If you like Blaxploitation flicks, chances are that you'll like Yakuza eiga and this 1975 campfest. All of the familiar trademarks are there, including hilarious one-liners (my favorite: "We usually make people welcome, but in your case, you're welcome to go!"). For other classic Yakuza flicks check out Branded to Kill, Black Lizard, and Vigilante in the Funky Hat.

My recommendation is simple: if you like dark humor mixed in with self-mockery and over-the-top martial arts, Killing Machine is for you. I'd even recommend watching this puppy in dubbed English (as opposed to subtitles) for added effect. Where to find this Sonny Chiba campfest? In the bargain bin of course.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age