The Challenge

1982
R
1h 48m

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

2.7K

YOUR RATING

A down-and-out American boxer becomes involved in a feud between two Japanese brothers.

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Action Drama

A down-and-out American boxer becomes involved in a feud between two Japanese brothers.A down-and-out American boxer becomes involved in a feud between two Japanese brothers.A down-and-out American boxer becomes involved in a feud between two Japanese brothers.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

2.7K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
According to Scott Glenn, the original script was about a ruthless club fighter from California with no family and no real background who gets involved in bringing a sword to Japan, and through a lot of crazy adventures he winds up with a martial arts sensei. The core of the movie would have been about father and son finding each other from completely different cultures. After shooting started, Glenn became aware very quickly that all those character-driven scenes were either being cut or shortened to almost non-existence, and that he was doing a martial arts movie. Toshirô Mifune came to him and told him: "Look, this is what's happening. I'm disappointed, and I know you are, but this is what it is. So you can either have your heart broken every day, or you can use this experience as an opportunity to be spending an interesting time in Japan with me as your tour guide." Glenn accepted Mifune's offer.

Goofs
After Akiko disappears at the street festival, Rick runs into a guy with a walkie-talkie. As they're talking, people passing in the background look at the camera, duck, and run out of frame.

Quotes
Rick: Any rules?
Yoshida: One fights to survive.

Alternate versions
The movie was renamed "Sword of the Ninja" for the U.S. Television version shown and was drastically reedited by about ten minutes due to it's graphic violence (decapitations, gun play, etc.) It also features commercial interludes that go into a silver portrait that would stop the film where the commercial break would begin and then return to the film after the commercial with the same interlude fading back into the film. This version of the film has rarely been seen since the late 90's and has been shown it's original 108 min. uncut version on cable networks since then.

Connections
Featured in Sneak Previews: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Sisters, Barbarosa, The Road Warrior (1982)

User reviews41

Review

Featured review

7/10

Keeps coming to mind.

This isn't an award winning film. This isn't a well known film. But it has a good premise and is one of my secret pleasures. Two Brothers in a long standing feud over an ancient family sword and an American "dupe" that's been thrown into the fray. We watch his journey and education in a different culture with different values (yet oddly similar to ours, and riddled with similar weaknesses.)

The reason I know I like this one (even with all the flaws) is that it keeps coming to mind from time to time. And after some thought, I think it boils down to basic examinations of how to live one's life. How important is Honor? Is it better to take the quick and easy $ or to work for it? How important are family bonds? Are the modern ways of life any better than the traditional ones? Is it ever too late to turn your life around? And so forth. These are why I like this movie. Sure it can come off as a bit preachy about duty, honor, loyalty and traditional ways, but it has always made me think about what is the best way to live one's life.