Rating: ***
Review Date: 4/14/25
Cast: Jiro Yabuki, Sonny Chiba, cameo by Etsuko Shiomi
The film's opening subtitles are, "a fictional story based on historical facts," which means it's more entertaining than truthful. Morihei Ueshiba (Jiro Yabuki) is a kind, but stubborn farmer living on Hokkaido. He also practices jujutsu and is one of the toughest guys around, until karate expert Shinbei Natori (Sonny Chiba) effortlessly beats him during a brawl with a mean construction crew. Incensed by his defeat, Ueshiba dedicates his life to studying martial arts and trying to find a way to beat Natori's karate. In an interesting twist, Natori turns out to be a pretty decent guy, but fate winds up setting the two of them against each other.
While the film claims to be about the founder of Aikido, it's never actually mentioned and the film is more about Ueshiba's stubborn obsession with becoming the best martial artist that he can be. The drama is lightweight and allows for some emotional moments, but the film's attempts at humor are awkward and misplaced. Jiro Yabuki (Sonny Chiba's younger brother) gives an excellent performance and his fight scenes are full of energy and intensity. That said, he is upstaged by Sonny Chiba, who is in top form and his powerful and lightning quick moves are breathtaking to behold. Watching him and Jiro fight at the end of the film is delightful, even if some of the camera work is less than stellar. However, despite being seriously wounded at the end of the film, Natori is simply written out of the script and we never find out what happened to him. Frequent co-star Etsuko Shiomi also shows up for a couple of brief fights, but she fails to leave an impression.
The acting is decent and both Jiro and Sonny are energetic and charismatic performers. Both of them embody the essence of martial arts, which is the real message of the film. The moral of the story is that martial arts are a great way to train and discipline the mind and body, and shouldn't be used for fighting. But fighting is a great way to demonstrate and hone your skills.