5 Star

A Feast for The Martial Arts Fans.

Arrow Video bring us a true Martial Arts classic series of four films starring the high kicking, flying Etsuko Shiomi (Legend of Eight Samurai, Shogun’s Samurai). This collection comes with the Original Sister Street Fighter and the two sequels and the fourth film shows a different character (still played by Shiomi) but still in the same vane as the others.

Etsuko Shiomi is Li Koryu (Tina Long in the dubbed version, first film only) she is a young woman enjoying life, until she is called to the head of the police department and is told that her brother Lee, a shorinji kempo champion and an undercover Hong Kong drug agent has gone missing whilst investigating the dummy corporation called Central Export for drug trafficking heroin. Being a good sister she should help the police and find her brother. (we see where George Lucas (Star Wars) got his idea for Princess Leia Organa’s (Carrie Fisher) hairdo).

In Hong Kong she heads to the Mandarin club where she is to meet Fanny Singer (Xiè Xiùróng) who is Lee’s contact, but before she can get to talk to her she is abducted, this is the first time we see Shiomi‘s skills at fighting as she takes on multiple enemies. She defeats the enemies but the remainder manage to get Fanny in a car and it speeds off only to be halted by some barrels and a man with considerable skills (Sonny, Shin’ichi Chiba, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 – Vol. 2) and he manages to save Fanny.

The head of the Central Export Co Ltd is Kaki (Bin Amatsu, The Bushido Blade) and he is smuggling his heroin by soaking wigs in the heroin and Tina finds this and the game is on.

Kaki has his own army as well as the hired Hammerhead (Milton Ishibashi, Fighting Fist) which show off many styles of Martial Arts such as Soshin-Ryu, Ryukyu Kojo-Ryu Karate, Takasago-Ryu blowgun, Chained Sickle, Okinawan Kobudo, Tonfa, Karate Champion, Thai Kickboxing and fourth Dan black belt in staff. With all this talent you know you are in for a treat.

Four film and with over 5 ½ hours of punches, kicks and wire work this Arrow Video package is definitely one for the Martial Arts shelf in your home. Consisting of:-

Sister Street Fighter, Return of the Street Fighter, Return of the Sister Street Fighter and Sister Street Fighter: Fifth Level Fist.

Sister Street Fighter Collection is Available on Blu-ray

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:

High Definition digital transfers of all four films
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations
Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio
Original English dubbed audio for Sister Street Fighter
New optional English subtitle translation for all four films
English SDH subtitles for the English dub for Sister Street Fighter
New video interviews with actor Shinichi Sonny Chiba, director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, and screenwriter Masahiro Kakefuda
Original Japanese theatrical trailers for all four films
Original U.S. theatrical trailer for Sister Street Fighter, plus original English opening titles to the film
Original German theatrical trailer for Sister Street Fighter, plus original German opening titles to the film
Stills and poster gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Kungfubob O Brien
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated booklet featuring writing on the series by Patrick Macias and a new essay on the U.S. release of Toei s karate films by Chris Poggiali