Available on DVD ! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat   CLICK HERE to buy from Triple Feature: Dead or Alive Trilogy Japanese language, English subtitles Blu-ray Always make sure of DVD-compatibility !!!

Ryuichi (Riki Takeuchi) is a yakuza of Chinese descent who wants to take on the local mafia with his small group of loyals - and he seems to be just the man to do it, as he's ruthless beyond breaking point, accepts that his stripper girlfriend gets dishonoured and killed, that his own brother (Michisuke Kashiwaya) turns his back on him because of his criminal conduct, and later gets killed for it even though, shoots his own associates without warning should they step out of line and the like. Plus, he's always up for violence.

Jojima (Sho Aikawa) is a police detective notorious for getting his job done - but he's on a small wage, so when his daughter gets sick and needs expensive surgery, he starts accepting bribes from the local mafia - and that gets him at odds with Ryuichi and his gang, and in the series of skirmishes that ensue, Jojima's partner (Susumu Terajima) and family are killed ... but if Jojima's one thing it's stubborn, just like Ryuichi - so a duel to the death is pretty much unavoidable ...

Now one has to admit Dead or Alive does have its shortcomings in the storytelling department: The epic story is just sketched out rather than told, uses a few too many shortcuts to come together as utterly coherent, and taken on pure story terms, the film is actually pretty routine genre fare ... and that all doesn't matter one bit while watching Dead or Alive unfold, as this film's just crazy in every way, it seems to tumble in free fall from one over-the-top setpiece into the next, some tragic, some dead funny, without ever standing still while its imagery is often grotesque or absurd or even parodistic, but never ceasing to keep one entertained and surprised, up to the finale that's really jaw-droppingly absurd in the best possible way.

Probably not a movie for everyone for quite a bit of excessive violence, but if that's your thing (on screen I mean), then definitely a movie for you!

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

Feeling lucky ? Want to search any of my partnershops yourself for more, better results ?

The links below will take you just there !!!

Find Dead or Alive at the amazons ...   amazon.com   amazon.co.uk   amazon.de Looking for imports ? Find Dead or Alive here ...   eThaiCD.com Your shop for all things Thai Something naughty ? (Must be over 18 to go there !)   find Dead or Alive at adultvideouniverse.com

Thanks for watching !!!