Gang vs Gang (1962) User Reviews

When a yakuza gangster goes bad

[Angel_Peter · 8/10 · 6 April 2017]

Gang tai Gang/Gyangu 3 is opening with a guy released from jail that visits his employer after taking 5 years in prison for doing a hit he was promised promotion for doing. But unfortunately his employer have forgotten all about that. With a mind for vengeance he finds some friends that have a plan. And then a lot of stuff happens.....

Characters/Acting: The acting is fine but but not extraordinaire. The characters are maybe not paper thin but you just know what you need to know to make the story move along.

Story: The story is fine for what it is. It is meant to entertain you. It is not meant to be a deep thinking mans movie. It moves along quite well following their plan.

Verdict: First I will say it is not an easy movie to find but I enjoyed seeing it. It is above average for the time it is made I would say if you like black and white crime movies or old Japanese stuff then go for it if you see it. If you want action like in John Wick then pass it but the end does give some for the time good action.

This is from a director I will try to find more from.

A gloomy and terrific crime drama from Japan

[searchanddestroy-1 · 8 May 2016]

I am not surprised by this pure Yakuza film programmer. Koji Tsuruta plays here an ex con who, of course, gets back to business with his former associates just after being discharged. No real surprise but that's good enough for me, especially when I saw this in a superb copy. And you also have a terrific jazzy score that follows you all long the movie. Tsuruta is as awesome as ever, as the disillusioned gangster involved in drug traffic. And, as usual in film noirs, even from Japan, you can enjoy some cabaret atmosphere sequences. That's the perfect example of what the US film noir influence may have on the other countries. This feature actually doesn't focus on Yakuzas but instead on some ordinary folks who use heroin. Don't miss the exciting terrific car chase at the end.

A pure gem.

How Not to Tell a Gangster His Services Are No Longer Required

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 16 July 2022]

This film begins with a man by the name of "Mizuhara" (Koji Tsurita) being released from prison after serving five years for a crime he committed while being a member of a Yakuza clan known as the Komori. Unfortunately, rather than being warmly welcomed by his former clan, he is targeted for assassination instead. To that effect, although he is slightly wounded in the attempt, his curiosity compels him to visit his former boss and inquire about this sudden turn of events when he had previously been promised a promotion by him upon his release. What he soon discovers, however, is that things have changed while he was away and that an ambitious lieutenant by the name of "Namikawa" (Tetsuro Tanba) has restructured the Komori clan--to the point that they have now become heavily involved in illegal drugs and no longer need his services. It's during this meeting that tempers flare and Mizuhara deliberately shoots his former boss in the arm prior to escaping from the room. Recognizing an opportunity when he sees one, Namikawa then takes over the leadership of the clan by shooting two more bullets into the chest of his boss and then subsequently telling the newspapers that Mizuhara was responsible for all three gunshots. Meanwhile, Mizuhara soon discovers that another gang has a plan to bring down the Komori clan and that his services are now in great demand. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this crime-drama started out pretty well but the general lack of character development became quite noticeable along the way and impacted this film to some degree. Likewise, although the ending was quite surprising, I didn't quite care for it all that much and I have rated this movie accordingly. Average.