Chiba is credited with over 200 roles, predominantly in Japanese martial arts films, however he’s appeared in a few Hollywood projects. While he’s known in the west for his martial arts performances, he’s delivered a wide range of characters, mostly leaning towards grindhouse cinema. Since 1959, Chiba has delivered several projects almost every year. The bulk of his work over the last two decades were direct-to-video projects. His final film Bond of Justice: Kizuna, a Yakuza revenge tale, is in post-production and is slated to be released later this year. 

In honor of Sonny Chiba’s illustrious career, Den of Geek has cherry-picked several of his best and most interesting films. 

Invasion of the Neptune Men

Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961)

Since Chiba got his start in tokusatsu, we had to include at least one title from this uniquely Japanese genre, and this one is truly vintage, shot in black and white. Chiba plays an astronomer with a secret superhero identity. He transforms into Space Chief, a caped crusader clad in a metal helmet and sunglasses who is a friend to little children. Meanwhile, the titular Neptune Men are dressed in classic 1950s-style alien costumes, all silvery with ridiculous bucket-like helmets. Yes, this is one of those films that’s so incredibly bad that it’s good, so much so that it caught the attention of Mystery Science Theater 3000, which is the best way to watch it. 

The Street Fighter

The Street Fighter (1974)

The Street Fighter was a game changer, one of the very first modern Japanese martial arts films to get international distribution. Riding on the wake of one of the first globally distributed Chinese martial arts films, Five Fingers of Death (1972), The Street Fighter established Chiba as a martial arts star in the eyes of the world. If you’re only going to watch one Sonny Chiba movie ever, this is the one. It was the defining role of his career.

Chiba plays the antihero Teri Tsurugi, whose nickname is “Real mean bastard.” It’s a gratuitously violent film for the time, unapologetically so with Tsurugi ripping out throats, breaking necks with wild abandon, and selling women as sex slaves, often while shirtless to show off his macho barrel chest. When The Street Fighter was released in the U.S., it was the first film to get an X rating for violence.

Chiba reprised the role twice in 1974 with Return of the Street Fighter and The Street Fighter’s Last Revenge. The franchise also spawned a spin off trilogy, Sister Street Fighter, starring another genuine martial artist and actress, Etsuko Shihomi. Shihomi frequently starred alongside Chiba. She appeared in Karate Kiba and its sequel, as well as in the original Street Fighter films. Chiba appears in Sister Street Fighter, but as a completely different character than Tsurugi.

Source: Den of Geek

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