RIKI-OH: THE STORY OF RIKI

Director: Kai, Lan Nai

Star: Oshima Yukari, Siu-Wang Fan, Chin, Frankie

Release Date: 1991


This movie is an excessively gory, over-the-top adaptation of the extreme manga "Riki Oh." Although I must say I have never seen the cartoon, it definetly seems like a real life like cartoon. When his drug-addled girlfriend commits suicide, the titular hero kills her dealer and finds himself locked up in a privatized prison where the accused have no rights. The other inmates torture Ricky with any available implement, but he fights back with a bloody vengeance. You know that head that gets smashed at the beginning of every episode of THE DAILY SHOW? That's from this movie.

First off, plot is not important, character is not important. All that matters is suffering, brutality and pain. Did I mention pain? Details like plot, character development and pacing are trifling details, luxuries almost. This is not a film to be watched in a critical context. Rather, it is best viewed as a series of bloody and violent scenes. Development and pacing in the film is geared towards devising new and painful predictaments for our Hero and his enemies. You just can't take the film seriously. For instance the corny flashback where Ricki is running around with is girlfriend. You see, Ricki's costume throughout the film, is a pair of black Liu Kang like pajama pants. In the flashbacks, he dressed like a prep-school boy with a cardigan and tie. Pretty funny. He's either depicted as a martial arts super-hero or a goofy catholic student.

Here is a small list of what you may see in this film:

1. Iron maiden with razor blades jammed in mouth.

2. Electrocution.

3. Being crushed by a hydraulics-powered compressing ceiling.

4. Being shot 5 times with a .44 magnum and still in his stomach to be kept as souveniers.

5. Having ground glass rubbed into eyes

6. Being gashed in arm with a knife (not remarkable in itself, but Ricki makes it interesting when he ties his tendons together with a granny knot so he can continue his battle.

7. In a battle, one of Ricki's foes cuts himelf open and tries to kill ricki by stangling him with his intestines. Yes, you read that correctly!

As my final point, I would like to mention the characters. All prominent figures in the film are caricatures of caricatures.

For example, the assistant warden: His office is filled with pornography, he has a glass eye that he stores mints in, and he has a claw hand. Hmmm......

Warden: Dresses like Louis Farrakhan or like Colonel Sanders. Carries a cane, which he jabs liberally in prisoners eyes. This dude scares me...

Warden's son: Fat teenager that dresses like a british schoolboy bitch, complete with beaney. Also, always carries a lollipop. Fruity....

I could go on, but I think you understand the films tone and nature. Now I sat here for about an hour thinking how do you rate this flick? Okay, put like this:

Martial Arts fighting is bad.

Plot is non-existent.

Acting is horrible.

Dialogue is laughable.

I rated this movie 10 out of 10!

You probably think I am crazy but this movie has so much gore and shock value that many friends cannot watch again! It's that awesome. Go buy it now!

Email: aziantre@aol.com