Yakuza Wolf 1 and 2 – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Japan, 1972 (Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder, Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences)
Directors: Ryûichi Takamori (Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder), Buichi Saitô (Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences)
Cast: Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, Kôji Nanbara, Makoto Satô, Ryôji Hayama, Rokkô Toura, Yayoi Watanabe, Hideo Murota, Tomoko Mayama, Tôru Yuri (Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder), Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, Tsunehiko Watase, Reiko Ike, Tatsuya Fuji, Mikio Narita, Asao Uchida, Ryôhei Uchida, Shinzô Hotta, Shôki Fukae (Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences)

Release Date: February 19th, 2024
Approximate running times: 87 Minutes 48 Seconds (Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder), 84 Minutes 37 Seconds (Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £26.99 (UK)

"In the spaghetti Western inspired I Perform Murder, a mysterious black-clad killer (Chiba) with a personal vendetta against the yakuza manipulates two rival clans in order to draw out his targets, leading to a climactic bloody shootout that must be seen to be believed.

Then in Extend my Condolences, Chiba plays a criminal who is betrayed and sent to prison. After serving his time, he wages war on the yakuza, eventually raiding the mansion of the crime boss who turned on him in a spectacular action packed climax that would later be directly homaged by John Woo in A Better Tomorrow II." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder, Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences)

Here’s the information given about the transfers, "1080p presentations of both films across two Blu-ray discs, from new restorations of the original film elements by Toei."

Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 30.8 GB

Feature: 24.9 GB

Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 24.8 GB

Feature: 24.1 GB

The sources used are in great shape and, in most ways, look comparable to Shout Factory’s Region A Blu-ray releases. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity is strong, black levels fare well, and compression is very good. Also, when compared to Shout Factory’s Blu-ray releases, this release's encodes are stronger.

Audio: 4/5 (Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder, Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences)

Both films come with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese, and both films come with removable English subtitles. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, both audio tracks are satisfactory.

Extras:

Extras for Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 35 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Howard Hughes titled Yojmbo, Django and Yakuza Wolf (23 minutes 47 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Mike Leeder and Arne Venema.

Extras for Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 45 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Mike Leeder and Arne Venema.

Other extras include reversible cover art, an O-card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a 28-page booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information for both films, an essay titled Wolf in Sheep’s Leather written by Tom Mes, an essay titled Bullets and Blades: Macaroni Westerns and Samurai Cinema written by Howard Hughes, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing. 

Summary:

Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder: The narrative revolves around Gosuke Himuro, whose murdered father was the leader of the Himuro clan. Five years after his father's death, he returns to Okinawa looking for his sister Kyoko and to avenge his father's death. Knowing that a single man cannot defeat two clans on his own, he pits the Onama clan, which killed his father, against the Koyu-Kai clan, which turned his sister Kyoko into a junkie sex slave.

Content-wise, Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder lays somewhere in between the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series and the Street Fighter Trilogy. Other influences are Yojimbo and the spaghetti western genre, notably Django. In the latter case, there is a moment that clearly has a Django vibe.

Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder has a provocative opening where a naked woman in the throws of sex and her lover are killed by an assassin. And though the premise retreads familiar ground, a briskly paced narrative with an ample amount of sleaze and carnage ensures there is never a dull moment.

And as good as the cast is in their roles, Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder is undeniably Shin’ichi "Sonny" Chiba’s show. He portrays Gosuke Himuro, the estranged son of a murdered yakuza boss. He delivers a strong performance, portraying a tough guy character that is cut from the same mold as the types of characters he is most known for. Another performance of note is Yayoi Watanabe (Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion) in the role of Gosuke’s sister Seako. Though her screen time is limited, she still delivers a powerful performance that makes Gosuke’s quest for vengeance all the more potent.

Another strength of Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder is its visuals, which do not miss a beat when it comes to exploiting every moment of sleaze and bloodletting. Standout moments visually include the scene where Gosuke rescues his sister from an opium den. Other standout moments include a scene where Izumi, the boss of the Koyu-Kai clan, has his kidnapped daughter returned in a Christ-like pose in the back of a dump truck. and the ending, in which Gosuke is forced to invent a new way to shoot his gun after both of his hands are broken. Ultimately, Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder is a textbook example of Toei’s 1970s output, a decade in which they were unrivaled in Japan when it came to exploitation cinema.

Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences: Though it is billed as a sequel to Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder, in reality, Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences is a sequel in name only.

The narrative revolves around an arms dealer named Ibuki who ends up in prison when a deal goes sideways. After his release from prison, he tries to start a new life, only to be drawn back into his old life of crime due to a betrayal.

Though there are many similarities between Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences and Yakuza Wolf: I Perform Murder, the most notable is that both are yakuza films about vengeance. Tone-wise, these two films are like night and day. Yakuza 2: Extend My Condolences often employs humor to offset its grim moments.

Another thing that sets Yakuza Wolf 2 Extend My Condolences apart from Yakuza Wolf: Perform Murder's fight scenes, which are more elaborate set pieces. There are many fight scenes in which characters are outnumbered. Notably, there is a scene where Shin’ichi "Sonny" Chiba’s character Ibuki faces off against three highly skilled assassins.

When watching a Toei film from the 1970s, you will notice recognizable faces. Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences is filled with a who's who of 1970s Toei. And their performances are all very good in their roles, especially Shin’ichi "Sonny" Chiba in the role of Ibuki. Though not one of his more memorable characters, he is still able to deliver an ample amount of machismo and kick a lot of asses along the way. Another performance of note is Reiko Ike (Sex and Fury) in the role of a nightclub performer named Mari. There is not much to this character beyond her being eye candy.

From a production standpoint, Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences has all the elements one would expect from a 1970s Toei exploitation film. Its narrative moves along briskly; there is a good mix of action and sleaze, and there is a satisfying finale to the events that preceded. Also, the visuals do a great job reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Yakuza Wolf 2: Extend My Condolences is an entertaining film that fans of Shin’ichi "Sonny" Chiba will get the most mileage out of.

Eureka Video gives Yakuza Wolf 1 and 2 their best home video releases to date, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer