The Challenge [Blu-ray]

Director: John Frankenheimer John Frankenheimer

Overview

The Challenge is a classy effort directed by John Frankenheimer. Scott Glenn stars as an American boxer who finds himself in the middle of a Japanese blood feud. Toshiro Mifune and Atsuo Nakamura plays the last surviving brothers of an ancient samurai family, embroiled in a battle of the possession of the family swords. Once involved in this contretemps, Glenn must also contend with the minions of the Yakuza, a Japanese Mafia-style organization. Sword of the Ninja was co-written by John Sayles, better known as the writer/director of such films as Brother From Another Planet and Eight Men Out.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/16/2016
UPC:	0738329177225
Original Release:	1982
Rating:	R
Source:	Kl Studio Classics
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound]
Language:	English
Time:	1:48:00

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Scott Glenn	Rick
Donna Kei Benz	Akiko Yoshida
Atsuo Nakamura	Hideo Yoshida
Calvin Jung	Ando
Clyde Kusatsu	Go
Sab Shimada	Father of Yoshida,le père de Yoshida
Yoshio Inaba	Instructor
Seiji Miyaguchi	Old Man
Miiko Taka	Yoshida's Wife
Kiyoako Nagai	Kubo
Kenta Fukasaku	Jiro
Toshirô Mifune	Yoshida
Shawn-Caulin Young	Ando
Sab Shimono	Toshio
Kazunaga Tsuji	Hashimoto
Kusuo Kita	Actor
Pat McNamara	Actor
Pamela Bowman	Actor
Roy Andrews	Actor
Toshio Chiba	Actor
Jerry Goldsmith	Composer
Justin Starrett	Actor
Devin Walker-Molaghan	Actor
Kam Williams	Actor
Nicole Zanatta	Actor
Leroy Garrett	Actor
Aneesa Ferreira	Actor
Lolo Jones	Actor

Technical Credits

John Sayles

Richard Maxwell

Ivan Moffat

John Frankenheimer	Director
Ron Beckman	Producer
Lyle Poncher	Executive Producer,Producer
Robert L. Rosen	Producer
John Sayles	Screenwriter
Richard Maxwell	Screenwriter
David E. Campbell	Sound Effects
Robert G. Henderson	Sound Effects
Ivan Moffat	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

While undoubtedly a few notches below the best work of its participants, the film brings together the talents of Toshiro Mifune, John Sayles, and John Frankenheimer in a well-executed samurai effort. It's framed around the moral education of an arrogant, burnt-out American boxer Scott Glenn who gets caught up in a battle between two Japanese brothers: one, a Yakuza, the other (Mifune) a master of the martial arts. Although some may not appreciate the ugly-American clichés of the Glenn character, Sayles' dialogue is light years beyond what is usually found in this genre, in a script that touches on themes of honor, corruption, and the twilight of the samurai tradition. Frankenheimer's merciful decision to use Steven Seagal only as a martial arts choreographer results in beautifully executed, if at times excessively bloody, battle scenes. Glenn is excellent as the former pug who accepts the discipline of the East, and the 62-year-old Mifune, obviously in fantastic shape, fills his role with an effortless dynamism.