Roaring Fire – Toy Robot Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1981
Director: Norifumi Suzuki
Writers: Shinsuke Inoue, Masakazu Shimura, Norifumi Suzuki
Cast: Hiroyuki Sanada, Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, Etsuko Shiomi, Mikio Narita, Toshiaki Minami, Tatsuo Endô, Shunji Sasaki, Rikiya Yasuoka, Seizô Fukumoto, Abdullah the Butcher

Release Date: September 7th, 2026 (UK), September 8th, 2026 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 94 Minutes 52 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £15.99 (UK), $34.95 (USA)

"On the death bed of his adoptive father, Texas-raised rancher Joji learns a shocking family secret - he has a twin brother and sister he never knew about. Determined to find his brother, Joji travels to Japan only to discover he has been mysteriously killed. As he stays with his sister and digs deeper, Joji uncovers his uncle's involvement in criminal enterprises, including plans to obtain a priceless 130-carat diamond known as the Queen of Sheba. Betrayal and vengeance unfold as Joji confronts his corrupt uncle and fights to avenge his family." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Roaring Fire comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.5 GB

Feature: 25.2 GB

There is no information provided about the source used for this release transfer; it is in line with most of Toei’s off-the-shelf HD transfers. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity is strong, black levels fare well, and there are no issues with compression. That said, there are times where the image does not retain an organic look and there appears to be some digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. It should be noted that there is some dialogue that is in English. The track sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and action sequences sound robust when they should. Included are removable English subtitles for Japanese dialogue.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a US TV spot (31 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), two theatrical trailers (3 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese, no subtitles), an interview with film critic Clément Rauger titled A Buffet of Comedy and Action (24 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an interview with film critic James Mudge titled A Roaring Success (20 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles for Japanese film clips), an interview with pro-wrestling critic and film writer Chris Lines, who provides a career retrospective of Abdullah the Butcher titled A Roaring Success (16 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles for Japanese film clips), an interview with Japanese film critic Akihiko Ito titled Fire-Storm! Sonny Chiba, the Man, the Actor, and the Legend (23 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with film historian Brian Bankston, three art cards, reversible cover art, an obi sleeve, three art cards, and a slipcover.

Summary:

Norifumi Suzuki directed Roaring Fire. He’s known for The Lustful Shogun and His 21 Concubines, Sex and Fury, School of the Holy Beast, The Killing Machine, Star of David: Hunting for Beautiful Girls, and Shogun's Ninja. He also directed several films in the Girl Boss and Terrifying Girls' High School film series.

On his death bed, the man who raised Joji reveals that he is not his real father and that Joji’s real parents died tragically in a plane crash. Shortly thereafter, Joji goes to Japan in search of his sister and his twin brother, Toru. Joji quickly finds his sister Chihiro, who is now blind and lives with their uncle. Joji one evening accidentally overhears his uncle, who has ties to the criminal underworld, discussing his various illegal operations. His uncle discovers Joji's eavesdropping and offers him a chance to join the organization. Joji promptly turns his uncle’s offer down, which immediately puts his life in danger.

Roaring Fire is a melting pot of genres that leans heavily into action and exploitation elements. The initial setup does an excellent job laying out the main characters and there are an ample amount of surprises that ensures there is never a dull moment. A strength of the narrative is how well it balances action and exposition as it builds to an outstanding finale that perfectly brings everything together. 

When it comes to action sequences, Roaring Fire delivers and then some. The stuntwork throughout is impressive and many of the fights feature high-flying choreography. For a film where all of the action set pieces leave a strong impression, a scene between Joji and a character named Samson is arguably the most memorable. Samson is portrayed by Abdullah the Butcher, a former professional wrestler, whose imposing size makes for some fascinating fights. The scene in question takes place in a pool and Joji uses his speed to wear Samson down.

While action is front and center, Roaring Fire has many wonderful comedic moments, like the scene where Joji returns to his family's home. When he arrives, there is a group of girls hanging out at the pool in bikinis who confront him after his monkey steals one of their tops. Things escalate; his hand accidentally rips off another girl's top. Another humorous moment of note is a scene where Joji is being chased by ninjas who are not that skillful. Other humor comes from Shunsuke Tachikawa, an undercover narcotics agent who’s posing as a magician.

Hiroyuki Sanada (Rush Hour 3) is the star of Roaring Fire. He’s cast in two roles, twin brothers Joji and Toru. In the case of the latter, he dies in a hellfire of bullets that opens the film. A frequent collaborator of Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, Roaring Fire gives him the opportunity to lead a film instead of his usual supporting role. That said, he delivers an excellent performance that features some of his best fight scenes.

Hiroyuki Sanada is surrounded by a solid supporting cast of familiar faces from 1970s and 80s Japanese action cinema. Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba (The Street Fighter) delivers a memorable performance in the role of Shunsuke Tachikawa. He takes his limited screentime and creates a character that steals every moment he’s in. Another performance of note is Etsuko Shiomi (Sister Street Fighter) in the role of Chihiro, Joji’s sister. Her character is blind and she uses the sound around her to defend herself against all attackers. Her fighting prowess is impressive, and unable to beat her, the bad guys use music to cover up their movement as they attack her.

When it comes to exploitation elements, Roaring Fire pushes the extremes. The main bad guy is a drug kingpin with a Nazi fetish. Besides having a portrait of Adolf Hitler and swastikas, he has a room that's rigged like a gas chamber. That said, these Nazi-related moments add shock value and nothing more. Norifumi Suzuki was one of the best Japanese filmmakers when it came to down-and-dirty exploitation cinema and with Roaring Fire, he delivers another gem. Ultimately, Roaring Fire is a highly entertaining mix of action, exploitation, and mayhem.

Roaring Fire gets a first-rate release from Toy Robot Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer