Rage of Honor

The '80s action renaissance was the last real showcase for a traditional Hollywood "star system." You had folks like Arnold and Sly at the top, Van Damme and Seagal sweating hard in second place, and home video hopefuls like Michael Dudikoff and Chow Yun-Fat bringing up the rear. Each performer brought their own special set of skills, and was rarely able - or allowed - to do anything more. That sort of pigeonholing didn't seem to bother Sho Kosugi, star of a series of progressively sillier ninja films that kicked off the decade, who finally branched out (sort of) as a DEA agent out to avenge the death of his partner in 1987's Rage of Honor.

Fearing a leak inside the organization, Shiro Tanaka (Kosugi) turns in his badge and travels to Buenos Aires to hunt down the drug smugglers who killed his buddy, rather unwisely bringing his girlfriend, Jennifer (Robin Evans), along for the trip. Soon they’re fighting off hired thugs, trained ninja assassins and, in one incredibly bizarre sequence, a tribe of loincloth-clad natives in an attempt to steal back a floppy disc full of intel.

There's really not much more to it than that; Rage of Honor is just one long fight sequence after another with partners swapping weapons and locales like a martial arts square dance. Kosugi, a competitive martial artist who fell into the movies almost by accident, is at his best when he's punching, kicking, jumping or stabbing so the lack of a plot - and minimal dialogue - works in his favor. Not to mention the fact that Rage of Honor is nearly bloodless, making it one of the rare '80s action movies that its target audience - 10 to 15 year-old-boys - could comfortably watch with their parents. (The film actually is R-rated, but for the life of me I couldn't tell you why!)

Director Gordon Hessler, who also helmed Kosugi's Pray for Death (1985), does a good job of delivering wide shots and simple edits that let the viewer appreciate the fight choreography. There's nothing here that tops a Jackie Chan or Jet Li flick, but it makes up in quantity what it lacks in quality. Rage of Honor was obviously Kosugi's attempt to reach a wider audience and get out from behind the black ninja mask; there's even a James Bond vibe as the actor takes down a factory full of bad guys in full tuxedo garb. But the film itself was too non-threatening to catapult Kosugi out of the ranks of action also-rans.

That said, throwing stars never really go out of style. And Arrow Video's new Blu-ray package is a must-buy for Kosugi fans, especially those who already picked up the company's Pray for Death. Extras include the second of a two-part interview with Kosugi, an informative "ninja history" featurette and collector's booklet.