Soul of Chiba (1977) User Reviews

most ridiculous kung fu ever (but in a good way)

[zelig77 · 30 August 2002]

this is my favorite kung fu movie of all time! and i have seen more than a few. it is totally absurd, implausible, and incoherant, but that's what i look for in a great kung fu movie!!! watch for the following scenes: 1.the old woman ramblin on for about 5 straight minutes about "this man is my son" 2.sonny chibas girlfriend taking out two guys with her hair as a weapon 3.ridiculously stupid stunts, too numerous to mention 4.sonny and his sidekick managing to elude several dozen men with automatic weapons, who are running maybe 20 ft behind them! this included the impossible act of making a bow and arrow, using his arm,a piece of string, and a twig! 5.the highlight of the movie, however, is the slow motion fight between sonny chiba, and 5 men who are possesed by monkeys! the matrix stole this fight scene, i swear to god! it is so cool looking, and i keep my copy cued up to this scene! if you love kung fu, MST3K, and monkeys, then seek out this classicly stupid movie! its fun!!

It's a terrible film, but Sonny Chiba completists might want to see it

[gridoon2024 · 4/10 · 1 September 2008]

Sonny Chiba has a reputation as the Japanese alternative to Bruce Lee, but he probably didn't built it on films like "Soul of Bruce Lee"! This is a real hack job, with disastrous continuity and a story that's almost incomprehensible though the part that matters (Chiba seeking revenge for the murder of his kung fu master) is quite simple. Sometimes it's hard to even tell who is who (and even harder to care). The new DVD version is pretty poor as well, with a supposedly "widescreen" print that's still clearly missing a lot of picture information on the sides. Chiba does get the chance to show his skills on several occasions, and also undergoes one of the weirdest training methods ever (receiving electric shocks from a machine to increase the speed of his movements!). Regrettably, Etsuko Shiomi and Bolo Yeung get only ONE fight each. A hard-to-sit-through film, and the presentation takes away even from the fights. (*1/2)

This is a MADHOUSE!

[actionfilm-2 · 3/10 · 12 November 2010]

Started watching this for no good reason. It begins rather mundanely, but about 20 minutes into it Sonny Chiba has a nicely staged fight on a bridge so I continued watching. Then arrived the scene that caused me to stop plucking on the guitar and give the film my full attention.

One moment Sonny Chiba is chewing the fat with Bronson Lee (so named due to his supposed resemblance to Charles Bronson!), and the next second he's casually strolling thru the jungle. Okay fair enough, Sonny got bored with the conversation and went for a walk, either that or the film's editor dozed off. But then 4 men appear before him and start acting strangely to say the least. Even Streetfighter Chiba gets a startled look on his face as the men fall down on all fours and start chanting a tune straight out of The Omen. Suddenly they charge the Chiba like a mob of frothing mad monkeys, I mean literally, the four men are possessed by Chinese monkey spirits and start clawing and biting poor Sonny, who has about as much as he's going to take from the primate possessed pack. Out comes the karate arsenal as Sonny engages in the best man vs multiple monkeys fight ever committed to celluloid. Cancel the call to the exorcist as Sonny knocks the 4 men out of the spirit world and back into reality with his martial arts expertise and a few Hail Marys.

There's more weirdness in this film, like Chiba training with electrodes attached to his body (even his posterior!) via a strange garment that looks like womens underwear. Don't want to accuse the filmmakers of firing up one two many opium pipes but no clear headed person could have come up with this madness!

one of the most funniest movies EVER

[sir_hunchalot · 10/10 · 27 February 2004]

just some lines from the dialogue

the dying master "it was...someone"

chiba asking why did the killer kill his master - "he wasnt holy, he was evil...he dealed drugs...he made drugs"

this movie is hilarious, funnier than 99% of existing comedies. i wonder if they made it on purpose, i cant imagine that this kind of brilliant parody could rise from the 70s. but the actors look and sound so serious when doing all kind of ridicilous and mindless things. this movie makes you think WHAT THE F*** JUST HAPPENED many many times.

i want this on dvd or some format.

Low-octaine Chiba film not made by Japan

[Serpent-5 · 2 May 1999]

Barely released in Japan Chiba film features Chiba, Sue Shiomi, Tadashita Yamashita, and Bolo Yeung in this dull actioner. Chiba is the lead, but only second bill, as Bolo Yeung (who has little to do) top billed. This is the first non-Japanese film Chiba did, and probably casted because of THE STREET FIGHTER craze. The end sucked, and Chiba looks bored in the film. Played wide in America (especially the one week run in Los Angeles), and disappeared for many years, only to resurface up in video (print on video has spanish optics and is really worn. Couldn't they pay to get a legit copy?).