The Challenge

(1982)
Nowadays this film would be made for cable, or DVD-only release, and it likely wouldnt garner any more respect than it did when it was released thirty-one years ago. And Im not going to tell you its a lost classic, because its not; its a B movie with some shaky acting, some redeeming features, and, if Toshiro Mifune hadnt been involved, would deserve the obscurity it has accumulated. Scott Glenn stars as a down-on-his luck boxer named Rick who is hired by a wheelchair bound Toshio Yoshida (Sab Shimono) and his sister Akiko (Donna Kei Benz) to help them smuggle a sword back into Japan (this was apparently easier to do back in the eighties). Rick agrees, but of course theres a catch; the bad guy, Hideo Yoshida (Atsuo Nakamura), also wants the sword, and as hes a rich businessman, he can hire gangs of thugs to get it for him. They capture Rick and Toshio as soon as they land in Japan, killing Toshio and only allowing Rick to live because they believe he can lead them to the sword. Rick eventually finds his way to the manor of Toru Yoshida (Mifune), Hideos brother and the keeper of the sword. Toru lives life the old fashioned way; everyone runs around in Meiji garb, and they all train to be martial artists. Rick gets accepted as a student (natch), and trains, all the while plotting to steal the sword; but when his moment comes, he finds he cant go through with it. John Milius wrote it (fresh off the first great Conan movie), and it plays out similarly to The Last Samurai, which probably stole much of its concept from this movie. But what has always captured my imagination about this film is that on a certain level, its a giant homage to Star Wars. Glenn may act like Han Solo, but with his pageboy haircut and dojo duds, he looks uncannily like Luke Skywalker; bad guy Hideo is also steeped in the way of the samurai, only he has betrayed his teachings for selfish purposes (hmmm) and he lives in a huge corporate complex that is an easy stand-in for the Death Star, complete with scores of armored troopers who cant hit anything they aim at. And Mifune? Lucas has long said that he wanted the actor to portray Obi-Wan Kenobi, and here, he does. Mifune is every inch the aged Jedi, clinging to tradition and training others even while his enemy revels in technology. The final battle, where Rick and Toru must infiltrate the headquarters to engage in a sword-duel, plays like the Death Star sequence from the first movie (only here the princess is the generals daughter and a lot less annoying). Since I hadnt seen the movie in over twenty-five years, I thought I might have been imagining the parallels, but upon a fresh viewing, no, its not me reading into the movie, theyre there, plain to see. Which is a good thing, because without them its just another low-grade action-flick with a listless lead, the kind of movies Chuck Norris made again and again throughout the decade. Glenns grown to become a solid actor, but hes only mediocre here; the rest of the cast is serviceable. Mifune has also given better performances, but hes more than talented enough to uplift the scenes hes in, and its highly enjoyable to see him running around the Death Star killing Stormtroopers

with a bow and arrow. On its own devices, the movie doesnt offer much other than getting to spend some quality time with Mifune; but as a Star Wars homage its unequalled, and a great deal of fun. August 28, 2013