21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One Of The Top 5 Martial Arts Films Of All Time!, April 11, 1999
This review is from: The Challenge [VHS] (VHS Tape)
In my humble opinion, the 2nd best modern-type martial arts film ever made (after Bruce Lee's "Enter The Dragon").
Whereas "Enter The Dragon" was Chinese/Western cultural, "The Challenge" is Japanese/American cultural. East meets West in a big and hard way.
Two brothers have been feuding over possession of 2 family heirloom swords for over 35 years. These are some of the finest katana ever made, and they are over 500 years old. One brother (the bad guy) is (in 1982) a super rich tycoon who has forgotten his Samurai heritage and honor, while the other brother (Mifune, the good guy) has become one of Japan's most revered Samurai Senseis.
The Brother's father had been in the process of ceremonially handing over the Swords to the Good Brother (in 1945) when the Bad Brother steals them, and does something else dreadful in the process.
Two years later, the Bad Brother looses one of the pair of swords to his American captors in the closing days of WWII. This sword is taken to America as a souvenir.
Both brothers have spent the next 35 years tracing this sword, and finally it is found in LA in 1982. Scott Glen plays a has-been pro boxer hired by one of the brothers to help smuggle the sword back into Japan. Once in Japan, Glen gets caught up in the war between the brothers, a war he does not understand due to his American background. But gradually, as he learns more about Japanese culture, and more specifically, as he becomes immersed in the culture of "Bushido", he not only comes to understand, but then accepts as his own all the precepts of the way of the warrior.
Definitely on of my favorite films. Lots of action, some profanity, and very mild sex. And one of the best modern presentations of the Samurai culture ever made. You can see Toshiro Mifune's fingerprints all over it (he also produced the film).
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply the best Japanese sword epic an American can view, January 7, 2003
This is a fascinating & kick-ass movie for anyone interested in Japanese swordplay, & especially great for us stupid Americans (gaijin) who don't know our butts from a brick about the subject, because it's a film ABOUT a gaijin who gets caught up in the middle of a generations-old violent family dispute over a mysterious pair of very important & impressive swords. Scott Glenn (Silence of the Lambs) is an American boxer recruited to smuggle an ancient sword into Japan. Upon arrival he is taken by thugs who explain that the sword he was hired to smuggle is one of a pair of swords known as "The Equals"-- swords passed down from generation to generation in a powerful Japanese bloodline. During the last passing-down ceremony, one of two brothers bloodily ambushed the ceremony, wanting The Equals for his own. Banished, he has become a ruthless & powerful modern business warrior. The other brother has stayed true to his ancient heritage & now trains others in tradition & a myriad of ancient fighting arts, including mastery of the sword. Glenn is forced to choose between the brothers to reunite The Equals & bring an end to this long and bloody feud, one way or another. Along his journey, he(& thus vicariously the viewer)is taught a wealth of knowledge about the ways of both ancient & modern Japanese power and lifestyle. It's a fascinating education that never leaves your intelligence insulted. On top of all this, the action scenes are at once brutal, graceful, thrilling, inventive, never escaping the realm of realism, & just damn astonishing. An outstanding film, The Challenge is one of my all-time favorites.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tremendous, November 28, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Challenge [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This movie has it all. It's an incredible but realistic story of life and death. Good vs Evil. Honor vs Glory. Toshiro Mifune is his usual collosal character. Scott Glenn plays the appropriately strong but vulnerable pawn. I saw this movie in 1984 and remember it vividly. Perfect for martial arts lovers or just anybody.
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