Battle Girls vs Yakuza Review


Movie: Battle Girls vs Yakuza
By: Maniac E
Date: February 4, 2012

Sukeban Hunters – Yakuza Busting Girls!

Sukeban Hunters is actually a pair of films alternately titled Yakuza Busting Girls. They emerged out of a series of short films called Sukeban Hunters. Both feature flicks got distro deals in Japan, but as of yet, neither film has made it across the Pacific to land on sunny US shores, but here in Holland we finally get them. After all, they’re releasing a great deal of other modern low budget splatter flicks, and this one features adult video actress Asami, who has played a major role in Machine Girl, as well as parts in Helldriver and Robo Geisha. For the sake of trivia, this AV starlet of Japan also took the lead in Female Prisoner Ayaka: Tormenting and Breaking in a Bitch. Sure, Asami might be no Meiko Kaji, but hey – I bet that film was something to behold. Effects are by Tokyo Gore Police director Yoshihiro Nishimura, so I’d think that has to count for something.

Sukeban Hunters or Yakuza Busting Girls: Yakuza Death Ride Battle is actually part two in the Sukeban Hunters series. It picks up after Yakuza Busting Girls: Duel in Hell, which is far more graphically violent than this second entry. This one, Duel in Hell pays heavy tribute to the old Nikkatsu Stray Cat Rock series of films, as well as Toei’s Delinquent Girl Boss series of films. If you’re not familiar with either of those series please get acquainted. They’re both very good, though I am partial to the Delinquent Girl Boss series. Each of these series typically features girl gangs taking down yakuza or battling other criminal enterprises.

Yakuza hunters 1

Duel in Hell sees Asami as the lead heroine of this film, rising from the ashes of an assassination attempt, thought to be dead. She’s shown dragging her burial cross naked through a barren wilderness like a Japanese Django. Her face breeds nothing but contempt and the need for bloody revenge. It takes no time at all before Asami gets her first shot at vengeance and that only leads to the next, and the next. One of the better scenes in the film comes early when Asami enters into a nasty showdown with her rivals. You’ll notice her bullet belt isn’t exactly filled with bullets. Rather she collects the fingers she’s removed from her enemies and uses them as weapons against future foes. One word: Awesome.

Yakuza hunters 2

Asami eventually meets up with her old gang and together they launch a vengeance filled campaign of bloodletting against Junko (Rena Komine), a former gang member now turned against Asami. Worse than just turning against Asami, Junko has been brutally ensnaring and killing off old gang members. Asami will have none of that! No question about it, Sukeban Hunters is a low-budget film of the trashiest proportions. It’s filled with an annoying level of narrative exposition and features a minimal amount of actual acting. The “acting” is mostly comprised of fast-paced action sequences, though I will say that some of these scenes appear to only be loosely choreographed and don’t come off as tightly directed as other more notable splatter films. When it comes to the key actors it’s the old Roger Corman school of filmmaking where you keep the actors mouths closed and their bodies moving, lest you reveal to the audience that the actors truly can’t act.

Yakuza hunters 3

One final gripe is unfortunately directed at Mr. Nishimura. Given his name is attached to the project I was really hoping for more off the wall gonzo than what we got here. Nonetheless, I can’t complain too much. The final sequence featured a near epic length samurai sword brandishing fight sequence. And what’s not to love about that? You’ve got a bikini clad all girl gang taking down tough guy yakuza gangsters in rather inventive ways, which includes the first time I’ve seen cleavage suffocation as a fighting technique. I’m not going to lie – it doesn’t seem like a bad way to go. Another notable scene includes a brutal whipping with roses, highly reminiscent of School of the Holy Beast. Oh, and make keep your eye out for the mariachi death squad. Yeah, even the Japanese can’t leave those damn mariachi alone!

Just a side note: "The movie is known under different names like: Gyakushû! Sukeban hantâzu: Jigoku no kettô, Yakuza-Busting Girls: Duel in Hell, Battle Girls versus Yakuza 2: Duel in Hell. Just to sort out the name confussion."


3/5




DVD REVIEW

Image quality

Blend color mixing and mostly not so sharp images make this movie one to forget on this front.


Sound

5.1 dolby digital which helps out with all the flying around stuff you will hear when watching. Bad mixing of music and dialog don't help the movie either.


Extras

none


Overall

The image and sound quality of the disc are ok but they are never going to be topscoring with this release. I guess this fits the low budget Gonzo feeling they want to serve up.


Filmfreak

Movie

Battle Girls vs Yakuza

Title

Battle Girls vs Yakuza

Director

Shin'ichi Okuda

Country

Japan

Year

2010

Cast

Asami, Naoki Kawano and Hitomi Miwa