{"id":33961,"date":"2020-11-02T00:43:54","date_gmt":"2020-11-02T05:43:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=33961"},"modified":"2020-11-02T14:26:45","modified_gmt":"2020-11-02T19:26:45","slug":"sonny-chibas-dragon-princess-1976","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2020\/11\/02\/sonny-chibas-dragon-princess-1976\/","title":{"rendered":"Sonny Chiba’s Dragon Princess (1976)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Yutaka Kohira\u2019s \u201cSonny Chiba’s Dragon Princess\u201d (Or \u201cDragon Princess,\u201d or \u201cLady Karate,\u201d or \u201cAssassin Woman\u2019s Fist\u201d) is a misleading title often being boasted as a Sonny Chiba film, even though he has nothing more than a glorified cameo. The actual star, Etsuko Shiomi headlines as a girl whose father Agaki (Chiba) is confronted by two martial arts masters who challenge him to a fight, intent on taking his position as top karate master.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Angered, he obliges the one on one fight and is cowardly ambushed by a small group of masters who tear his eye out and disable his arm. Wounded and bruised, he trains his daughter in the same martial arts, and she grows into a skilled warrior to avenge her father and the death of her best friend. She enters into a fighting tournament and now must take on a corrupt businessman and his colorful minions all the while the businessman begins assassinating competitors to ensure victory, all the while Shiomi keeps focused on avenging her father\u2019s legacy and avoiding all attempts on her life.<\/p>\n

Chiba plays a key role on moving the narrative forward; not only does he create Shiomi as a vengeful fighter, but he\u2019s also the primary motivation for this revenge tale. \u201cDragon Princess\u201d is revenge laden fun with the direction alone presenting an entertaining journey. Heroine Etsuko Shiomi goes from a pigtailed little girl to a pig tailed woman in seconds flat as her strict dad acts as her sensei. Goofy dubbing aside, \u201cDragon Princess\u201d is actually a tight great little action thriller with some fantastic fight scenes.The battle on the roof between Shiomi and Agaki is just eye catching in its simplicity. Sadly, the film dissolves into a rather tedious affair mid-way.<\/p>\n

The writer introduces under developed characters like a bodily function, and tragically taking the focus away from Shiomi and her character\u2019s quest. As explained, the corrupt boss enlists the help of his minions including the men who assaulted her dad (and mysteriously haven\u2019t aged a day), and she\u2019s forced to wade through street toughs to get to them by the time the hasty climax is introduced. Etsuko Shiomi has a lot of appeal with beauty and surefire charisma, and fierceness taking the reins as the lead. \u201cDragon Princess\u201d is a mixed bag of filler, and junky characters, but when it\u2019s focused, it\u2019s pretty damn good and will very much hold value for fans of revenge cinema.<\/p>\n