• Wide Release
• Director: Ngai Kai Lam
• Written by: Tetsuya Saruwatari, Ngai Kai Lam
• Running Time: 91 minutes
• Language: Cantonese
• MPAA Rating:
• Cast: Siu-Wong Fan, Mei Sheng Fan, Ka-Kui Ho, Yukari Ôshima, Frankie Chin, Tetsurô Tanba, Gloria Yip, Philip Kwok

Often I'm asked what the coolest movie I ever saw was. There is no easy answer to this, but nine times out of ten I'll just say RIKI-OH: THE STORY OF RICKY.

And I likely won't be lying either. This is a MUST-SEE, the coolest of the cool, best of the best, goriest of the goriest, Kung-Fu flick to ever come out of Asia. I had a VHS copy way back when. It was a 5th generation dub with not English dubbing and no a stitch of subtitling and I absolutely loved it. Then about a year later, and prolly due to the cult statis this movie had earned itself, the excellent folks at Media Blasters as part of their Tokyo Shock Collection came out with a English dubbed (and the dubbing was just so cool) VHS version and of course I had to have it to actually understand the story. And now you can get this movie on DVD.

The plot, as if it needs one, is simple. Rikki kills some murdering dope dealing low-lifes and is sent to a privatized prison system of the future. The warden and the guards and some prisoners are up to no good growing dope themselves, and of course Rikki has to kick some ass. And Rikki is the coolest, you can shoot 'em, stab 'em, throw shit in his eyes, beat 'em, cut the tendons in his arm (he'll just tie them back together, no shit!!), even try to strangle him with your own guts; Rikki will prevail and kick serious ass. He'll punch you so hard your eye'll pop out and the birds'll eat it; he'll put his fist right into your guts, he'll chop your leg off with his bare hand. But he's up against some real goons with super powers of their own. Will Ricky prevail? Of course he will, but it's a blood drenched gory battle every step of the way.

There is serious action, gore and some campy humor (particularly in the English dubbed version). I watch this flick on a regular rotation and it's one of those movies I stick on when company comes over. It has the distinction of being the first movie from Hong Kong to get a Category III (equal to our 'R') rating for violence rather than sex! The movie is based on a Japanese Manga (comic book) and the violence and action truly capture the spirit it.

If you are a Kung Fu fan, a fan of ultra-violence, a gore hound, or a hardcore action fan, then you absolutely must see this movie. Check out the trailer: