Sonny Chiba is at the top of his game in THE POWER OF AIKIDO; his kicks and punches are sharper and faster here than in the vastly overrated STREETFIGHTER movies. As Notori, the leader of a gang of ne'er-do-wells, it's his actions that lead to Morihei Ueshiba eventually going through the rigors of learning the superior technique(s) of jiujitsu and aikido; said training results in Ueshiba eventually overcoming Notori's brother, a respected sensei, who then kills himself. This, of course, leads to the inevitable showdown between Ueshiba and Notori. It's a good one, and not as one-sided as these things usually are in these movies, with a bit of a twist at the end. The Chibas are both outstanding in this one, as is the direction. In fact, I'd say that the direction in this one ranks right up there with the direction of the very best the genre has to offer.
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