Often making stops with classic Japanese titles during this film journey of mine, there’s a spell of joy that recurs with each watch. To this, as new as I was to all things “Bronson Lee” upon purchasing myself a copy of The Bronson Lee: Za Karate Collection from Severin Films, I had a feeling I was going to be in for a treat. This is after years of already mainlining a handful of Sonny Chiba and Etsuko Shihomi classics adjacent to as much Golden Harvest and Shaw Brothers as I could consume, so of course, leave it to Tadashi Yamashita to chime in and leave a mark on my fandom going forward.
Additionally, Kudos to director Yukio Noda for bringing three memorable classics to cult audiences which remain fresh to this day, especially thanks to Severin Films in their staunch ceremony of a heyday era of martial arts cinema that can only be told by those who lived it. That especially goes for anyone who’s had the time of their lives getting to watch Yamashita at their local Grindhouse theaters or on VHS; Younger me passed up ever renting old school kung fu movies on video because of the low video quality and dubbing that made the films gaudier to me than preferred, and I was already so immersed in 90s fandom and the American market that it took the second HK crossover to really open my eyes, and a life I’ve lived this long to finally get to see films like the Za Karate trilogy in pristine, remastered fashion.
That’s three feature stories with Yamashita leading the way in his early career on screen, riding the wave of martial arts cinema momentum as one of a bevy of stars showcasing their skills before hungry audiences. Beginning with Yamashita in the role of, well… Tadashi Yamashita – a Japanese-American martial artist who flies to Kyoto with his grandmother’s blessing to partake in a tournament for a grand cash prize, our hero is thrust into a world where martial arts is life, and fighting is everything, be it for honor, glory, money, or pride. It’s not long before Yamashita learns of a corrupt betting scheme behind tournament scenes, resulting in a near-crippling confrontation followed by a brutal final bout with a dedicated Singaporean fighter.
The second chapter sees our hero martial artist coping with his latest setback, while adapting to his new life as a former competitor even as his new reputation of late precedes him. At stake is a stolen prized sword which he sets out to claim, while staring down another murderous row of hungry Karate killers with their own assortments of weapons and skillsets – all hired by the gangsters that want to claim the assets and brand of the martial world as theirs. Closing out the trilogy is a finale that sees our protagonist evolving once more after unexpectedly foiling an arms sale, and thrust into danger when the daughter of an honorable Tai Chi Master becomes the target of a vicious gang looking to take over a major martial arts organization.
Yamashita is a force to be reckoned with in this saga, which rightly sits its star alongside the pantheon of 70s Japanese martial arts cinema great including Chiba and Shihomi, as well as Yasuaki Kurata, Hiroyuki Sanada, and the like. The franchise is also host to notable supporting roles including trilogy co-star Yoko Horikoshi, and Masafumi Suzuki who appears in a number of these OG throwbacks; In the Za Karate films, Suzuki plays a renowned sensei who mentors Yamashita along the way in an effort to tame him, if not join him in the climatic battles that play out in the final acts of the second and third film.
Horikoshi also proffers one of the franchise’s few female fighting characters as Suzuki’s daughter, with another being Emi Hayakawa who also plays Yamashita’s romantic interest. The romance here is played rather carefully and lesser in the spotlight than the rest of what the narrative deals in, whereas comedy serves to placehold in setting up the core action and drama, courtesy of the comedic hijinks by Shingo Yamashiro of Wandering Ginza Butterfly 2 and 13 Assassins fame.
The stories are simple and straightforward, with all the familiar beats you can expect from a classic niche franchise. A fair deal of the acting is plentily overwrought for the more bombastic characters featured in this franchise, including and namely the larger-than-life comic book martial arts villains such as actor Chon Men-ju who plays Yamashita’s unyielding Singaporean opponent, as well as Enter The Dragon vets, screen legend Yang Tze (or Bolo Yeung), and Donnie Williams who appears in the second and third films, respectively.
Topping it all off is the action, which serves as the core motivation for many of these characters. You look at a classic Japanese movie with Karate as its centerpiece, and you’re looking at a movie about character who don’t give a single iota about common sense. Everybody is about that life, including our hero in the first film. Everybody wants that smoke. If another fighter saw you and knew that you knew martial arts, and unless the local martial authorities were on hand to cool things off, it was on sight. Hands were getting thrown, period.
The action sequences from this aesthetic aim just as high, but my favorite 1v1 moment occurs in the first film. The fighting is pulsating, momentous and crackles like an actual sparring match with Yamashita and Black Tiger. They have a second match later on with a key modifier to set the tone accordingly for our protagonist in his uphill battle for survival, and yes, I’m wilfully obscuring what that struggle entails in this writing. As new as I was to this trilogy, I want the next person to enjoy and experience it all the same if they’re like me when it comes to these throwbacks.
Come to think of it, The Bronson Lee: Za Karate Collection has some more punch to it than I’m alluding to as it actually contains four films, with the first disc featuring the original uncut 1974 Japanese version, as well as the 1978 U.S. version titled Bronson Lee, Champion which is about six minutes shorter and weaves in some minor changes in story and editing. The second disc contains original versions of Za Karate 2 and Za Karate 3, and in rare fashion, all 3.4 films featured on both discs come with commentary tracks with the main versions of the films including Yamashita himself with Severin Films’ resident Bruceploitation and kung fu cinema geek, actor and filmmaker Michael Worth (U.S. Seals 2: The Ultimate Force) hosting; Also included on the disc one tracks are genre experts like August Ragone, with cult cinema critic Lovely Jon ekeing out a solo partial track for the U.S. version of the first film. Disc two sits Worth and Yamashita with professional boxer A.J. ‘The Rabbit’ Richardi for the sequel, with the third host to Worth and Yamashita with industry fight choreographer John Kreng on hand.
I listened partially to two of the commentary tracks out of the four. Principally, you’ll get a thrill out of hearing Worth and Yamashita chew it up in the studio as the start regales about his experiences in martial arts and entertainment and making the trilogy. You’ll also get to hear out Williams on a scene-specific commentary track for the third film, and both Williams and Yamashita each get in some interview time of their own. Both interviews are enlightening to a degree as they shine a fair light on who these stars are, who they were, where they are today, and what might have become in the years since then. It’s a noteworthy education too, particularly fans of American action and martial arts films with Yamashita having made himself an absolute fixture in the genre for anyone who’s reveled in the thrills of a movie led by Michael Dudikoff or the late Chuck Norris or Richard Norton. You’ll even get a good look at Yamashita in Philip Kaufman’s 1993 crime thriller, Rising Sun, briefly doing the man-dance with Wesley Snipes who plays a hot-headed detective opposite Sean Connery.
The Bronson Lee: Za Karate Collection also includes teasers and trailers. The limited edition comes with a slipcover for extra pizzazz, and either one is a must-own for Karate Baka aficionados, fans of Bruceploitation and showa-era martial arts films. You can buy it now at Severin Films or build your cart over at MVDshop.com.
