The Street Fighter Trilogy – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Japan, 1974 (The Street Fighter, Return of the Street Fighter, The Street Fighter's Last Revenge)
Director: Shigehiro Ozawa (All Films)
Cast: Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, Yutaka Nakajima, Chiyoko Kazama, Etsuko Shihomi, Goichi Yamada, Osman Yusuf, Seizô Fukumoto, Shunji Sasaki (The Street Fighter), Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, Yôko Ichiji, Masashi Ishibashi, Naoki Shima, Zulu Yachi, Katsuya Yamashita, Hisao Kôno, Kazuyuki Saito, Shunji Sasaki (Return of the Street Fighter), Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, Reiko Ike, Kôji Wada, Tatsuo Endô, Akira Shioji, Seizô Fukumoto, Shunji Sasaki, Etsuko Shihomi (The Street Fighter's Last Revenge)

Release Date: April 17th, 2023
Approximate running times: 90 Minutes 45 Seconds (The Street Fighter), 82 Minutes 32 Seconds (Return of the Street Fighter), 83 Minutes 16 Seconds (The Street Fighter's Last Revenge - Japanese Version), 79 Minutes 13 Seconds (The Street Fighter's Last Revenge - U.S. Version)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese (The Street Fighter, Return of the Street Fighter, The Street Fighter's Last Revenge - Japanese Version), LPCM Mono English (The Street Fighter, Return of the Street Fighter, The Street Fighter's Last Revenge - U.S. Version)
Subtitles: English (The Street Fighter, Return of the Street Fighter, The Street Fighter's Last Revenge - Japanese Version), English SDH (The Street Fighter, Return of the Street Fighter, The Street Fighter's Last Revenge - U.S. Version)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £29.99 (UK)

"Sonny Chiba stars as Takuma “Terry” Tsurugi, the animalistic antihero driven by sex, money and brawling in the infamous series that first introduced the name of the martial arts legend to a global audience.

The first film to receive an X rating in the U.S. purely on account of its violence, The Street Fighter sees Tsurugi embroiled in a game of double and triple crosses involving both local and foreign mafia gangs when he is hired to kidnap Sarai (Yutaka Nakajima, The Executioner 1 & 2), the beautiful heiress daughter of a recently deceased oil tycoon. In Return of the Street Fighter, Tsurugi uncovers an extortion racket behind the construction of a new karate dojo and a shadowy cabal whose reach stretches across the whole of Asia. In The Street Fighter’s Last Revenge, Chiba is joined by Toei star Reiko Ike (Girl Boss Guerrilla, Sex and Fury) as Tsurugi goes hand-to-hand against an ambitious public prosecutor (Koji Wada) with his own fists of fury over evidence of a corporate coverup involving a chemical spillage." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (The Street Fighter, Return of the Street Fighter, The Street Fighters Last Revenge - Japanese Version), 4/5 (The Street Fighters Last Revenge - U.S. Version)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "The original 35mm camera negatives for The Street Fighter and Return of the Street Fighter were scanned in 2K resolution and supplied by Toei Company LTD. The Street Fighter's Last Revenge was sourced from a High-Defintion master supplied by Toei Company LTD. Picture restoration and color grading were completed at R3Store Studios, London."

The Street Fighter comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.2 GB

Feature: 26.4 GB

Return of the Street Fighter comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 28.3 GB

Feature: 24 GB

The Street Fighter's Last Revenge comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.1 GB

Feature: 22.6 GB (Japanese Version), 21.4 GB (US Version)

Though the sources used for The Street Fighter and Return of the Street Fighter are comparable to the sources used for Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray release, Arrow Video’s release for these two films boasts slightly stronger image clarity, colors, and black levels. Also, compression is solid, and the image for both of these films retains an organic look.

Though the sources used for The Street Fighter's Last Revenge's Japanese and U.S. versions are comparable to the sources used for Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray release, Arrow Video’s release for these two versions is noticeably stronger in every way.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Japanese), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

The Street Fighter and Return of the Street Fighter each come with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese and a LPCM mono mix in English. Included are removable English subtitles for the Japanese language tracks and removable English SDH subtitles for the English language tracks.

The Streetfighter's Last Revenge, the U.S. version of the film, comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English, and included with this version are removable English SDH subtitles. The Streetfighter's Last Revenge, the Japanese version of the film, comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese, and included with this version are English subtitles.

All of the audio mixes are in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well represented. And though all of the audio mixes sound very good range-wise, the Japanese-language tracks sound more robust.

Extras:

Extras for The Street Fighter include an image gallery (27 images - posters/stills), Japanese theatrical trailer (2 minutes 58 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), U.S. theatrical trailer (2 minutes 8 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with filmmaker Jack Sholder titled Cutting Moments – The Street Fighter Trailer (13 minutes 4 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba titled Street Fighting Man (27 minutes 12 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Asian film specialists Andrew Heskins and James Mudge of easternkicks.com.

Extras for Return of the Street Fighter include an image gallery (15 images - poster/stills), Japanese theatrical trailer (3 minutes 8 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), U.S. theatrical trailer (1 minute 59 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), U.S. theatrical teaser (32  seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of the Martial Arts.

Extras for The Street Fighter's Last Revenge include an image gallery (42 images - posters/stills), Japanese theatrical trailer (3 minutes 3 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), and U.S. theatrical trailer (3 minutes 1 second, LPCM mono English, no subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to first pressing), and a forty page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled From Superhero to Street Fighter written by Chris Poggiali, an essay titled The Street Fighter Trilogy: Sonny Chiba Gives the World a Kick-ass Dirty Hero It Had Never Seen Before - and Never Forgot written by Mark Schilling, Sonny Chiba filmography, and information about the restorations.

Summary:

Bruce Lee would launch martial arts films into the international spotlight through Toei Co. Ltd. Like many other studios in Asia, it would spawn a slew of Bruce Lee imitators. Toei’s answer to Bruce Lee was Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba, whose intense fighting style and brutality hadn’t been seen before. Upon its release in the US, The Street Fighter would be the first film to receive an "X" rating for violence instead of graphic sexual material.

In 1993, with the release of Tony Scott’s True Romance (written by Quentin Tarantino), Sonny Chiba and The Street Fighter films would spark renewed interest. In "True Romance," Clarence and Alabama meet at a Sonny Chiba triple feature.

“I thought Sonny was the good guy.” – Alabama

“He ain’t so much good guy as he’s just a bad motherfucker. Sonny don’t be bullshittin’. He fucks dudes up for life. Hold on, a fight scene’s coming up.” – Clarence

Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has gone on to use Shin’ichi "Sonny" Chiba in his film Kill Bill Volume 1. In Kill Bill, Shin’ichi "Sonny" Chiba’s character Hattori Hanzô is also the name of a character Shin’ichi "Sonny" Chiba played on Japanese television known as Hattori Hanzô: Kage no Gundan or the film’s US title, "Shadow Warriors." And with the success of Kill Bill, Shin’ichi "Sonny" Chiba is even more popular than ever.

The Street Fighter: All actors, no matter how well-known, have that signature role for which they will forever be remembered. For Shin’ichi "Sonny" Chiba, that role would be Takuma Tsurugi (Terry Tsurugi in the English-language version) from The Street Fighter films.

In the 1970s, there was a trend of replacing "heroes" with "anti-heroes." And Takuma Tsurugi falls into that latter category. Takuma Tsurugi is a ruthless character who’s driven by financial gain. He also lives by a code of honor that says that if broken, no amount of money will save you from his wrath.

Content-wise, though, The Street Fighter takes many familiar elements that have become synonymous with martial arts and action cinema. The result is something that far exceeds the sum of its parts by creating something unlike anything that existed once before or since The Street Fighter. With that being said, there will be two more Street Fighter films. The other two films in this series never come close to "capturing lightning in a bottle" as The Street Fighter does.

From a production standpoint, The Street Fighter is a film where everything perfectly falls into place. The premise is superbly realized, and the narrative is a satisfying balance of action and melodrama. The fight scenes are inventive and well-executed. And when it comes to the fight scenes, there is never a shortage of broken limbs and lost body parts. with many of the fight scenes being exceedingly gory compared to fight scenes from other martial arts films from this era.

Without a doubt, The Street Fighter’s greatest asset is Shin’ichi "Sonny" Chiba’s explosive portrayal of Takuma Tsurugi. He approaches the role with just the right amount of intensity, and he shines most during the fight scenes. His performance far exceeds expectations when it comes to melodramatic moments. Notable for a rare tender moment in which Takuma Tsurugi mourns the loss of his sidekick.

Another performance of note is Masashi Ishibashi (Roaring Fire) in the role of Tateki Shikenbaru (this character’s name is Junjo in the English language version). His character makes a formidable nemesis for Takuma Tsurugi. Other notable performances include Etsuko Shihomi in the role of Tateki Shikenbaru’s sister and Goichi Yamada in the role of Takuma Tsurugi’s quirky sidekick Rakuda Zhang (Rat Nose in the English-language version).

Standout moments include a flashback sequence that provides backstory about Takuma Tsurugi’s childhood. This moment occurs throughout the film when Takuma Tsurugi’s back is against the wall. Other standout moments include a scene where Takuma Tsurugi castrates a rapist by ripping off his balls and this film’s finale, which takes place on a tanker in a rainstorm. This film’s finale is a scene that is foreshadowed in the opening sequence, where Takuma Tsurugi, disguised as a priest, helps free Tateki Shikenbaru from prison. In this scene, Tateki Shikenbaru challenges Takuma Tsurugi to a death match.

Return of the Street Fighter:  It is rare that a sequel surpasses or equals the film that preceded it. And though Return of the Street Fighter opens with an elaborate sequence that is on par with the best moments from The Street Fighter, it quickly became clear that Return of the Street Fighter was not much more than a rehash of its predecessor. With Tateki Shikenbaru (this character’s name is Junjo in the English-language version) returning from the dead to fight Takuma Tsurugi one more time in Return of the Street Fighter.

Besides resurrecting Takuma Tsurugi’s main nemesis from The Street Fighter, other areas where Return of the Street Fighter is lacking include how it pads the narrative with flashback sequences and karate demonstration sequences. Another area where Return of the Street Fighter comes up short is in regards to Shin’ichi "Sonny" Chiba’s lack of screen time.

That said, when Shin’ichi "Sonny" Chiba appears onscreen, it is electrifying. He delivers a "take no prisoners" performance that further cements Takuma Tsurugi's place as one of action cinema’s most iconic characters. Another performance of note is Yôko Ichiji in the role of Takuma Tsurugi’s sidekick, who replaces Rakuda Zhang (Rat Nose in the English language version), Takuma Tsurugi’s sidekick who died in The Street Fighter.

From a production standpoint, despite its short comings, Return of the Street Fighter is a highly entertaining film that fans of The Street Fighter should thoroughly enjoy. Return of the Street Fighter is never lacking when it comes to violent set pieces, and some minor nudity has been thrown in for good measure to sleaze things up.

The Street Fighter's Last Revenge:  Though The Street Fighter set the bar high for the films that followed it, The Street Fighter's Last Revenge actually succeeds when compared to its predecessor, Return of the Street Fighter. Instead of yet again rehashing the elements that have become synonymous with The Street Fighter, The Street Fighter's Last Revenge takes the opposite route, and, in some ways, it can be seen as a reboot of the series.

Where the first two Street Fighter films did not hold back when it came to their violent set pieces The violence in The Street Fighter's Last Revenge feels tame compared to its predecessors. with the violence at times almost approaching cartoon-like violence. That being said, that is not to say that the violent set pieces are devoid of blood in The Street Fighter's Last Revenge.

Besides, there is a shifting tonality when it comes to its depiction of violence. The Street Fighter's Last Revenge’s use of humor is another way that it is markedly different from its predecessors. with most of the humor coming from the various disguises that Takuma Tsurugi wears.

Once again, the main attraction is Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba in the role of Takuma Tsurugi. He delivers a highly entertaining performance that fully embraces the absurdity that unfolds. Etsuko Shihomi in the role of Huo-Feng, an assassin who wants Takuma Tsurugi to be her mentor, is another standout performance. And Reiko Ike (Sex and Fury), whose character provides an ample amount of eye candy in the role of a femme fatale.

The Street Fighter Trilogy gets an excellent release from Arrow Video that gives each film their best audio and video presentations to date, carries over all the extras from Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray, and comes with a trio of new extras, highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer