Hiroyuki Sanada Movies
- 1985
In this ninja cartoon a young ninja is up against a wicked sorcerer ~ All Movie Guide
As might be gathered from its title, The Legend of the Eight Samurai is set in feudal Japan. Princess Hiroku Yokoshimaru's family is wiped out, along with her bodyguards. All that stands between the princess and certain death is an inexperienced young samurai played by martial-arts expert Sonny Chiba. Armed with little more than determination, Chiba must battle an octet of phantom warriors, a witch, and a killer centipede! The Legend of the Eight Samurai is as good as anything else of its type, sometimes a little better. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sonny Chiba, Hiroku Yokoshimaru, (more)
Shogun's Ninja revolves around two rival ninja clans whose constant battle for superiority has spanned decades and cost countless lives. During a critical point in their war with one another, one of the rival kings sends his commander on a mission to retrieve two mystical daggers. With these legendary knives, the clan hopes to learn the "secrets of the ninja," which are rumored to come with them. The film features Hiroyuki Sanada, Sue Shiomi, Sonny Chiba, and Noribumi Suzuki. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Jo (Hiroyuki Sanada) has just come back to Japan for the funeral of his parents, who were killed in tribal warfare in Africa where the family had been living throughout most of Jo's life. Once the funeral was over, he missed the boat that was going to take him back home, and, because of an altered itinerary, he ends up stopping in a town for awhile -- striking up an acquaintance with a teenager and her grandfather when he captures their runaway horse. He would have been glad to leave after the proper amenities were completed, but the girl's journalist brother is murdered -- he was getting too close to wrapping a major news story. At that point, Jo and a friend cannot easily drop the matter as though nothing had occurred, and the two start to track down the source of the trouble -- a factory that makes poison gas for Third World buyers. Now their task is to dismantle the operation, prevent one train shipment from arriving at a transfer point, and find the journalist's killer. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hiroyuki Sanada
- 1982
The world of drugs, mobsters, fascists, and assorted other criminal types is taken on single-handedly (almost) by the hero (Hiroyuki Sanada) as he fights for justice. His chief enemy is a man dedicated to Hitler, with a sadistic female sidekick thrown in for good measure. Other foes keep the hero and his few friends (a secret agent and the owner of a bar) busy fighting off the forces of evil right through to the end. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hiroyuki Sanada, Sonny Chiba, (more)
- 1982
Yuen Kwei directed this hard-hitting Hong Kong action film under the pseudonym "Corey Yuen." Genre veteran Hiroyuki Sanada stars in a rare heroic performance, battling a fascist religious cult with the aide of sidekick Conan Lee. The most unusual aspect of this well-done martial arts entry is its uncommonly charitable portrayal of Japanese characters, who are normally presented in such films as either villains or buffoons. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conan Lee, Hiroyuki Sanada, (more)
- 1982
Starring in his third release in 1982 (the others were Moeru Yuja and Hoeru Tekken,) Hiroyuki Sanada plays a fighting hero one more time. In this story, he is Aki Hoshino, a pre-med student at Tozai University who becomes inspired to rip off millions (in yen) that the school collected as "special fees" from parents wanting to assure their offsprings' acceptance into the hallowed institution. Unfortunately, a current ex-employee of Tozai (and ex-Olympic gymnast) has the same idea, as does one of the region's crime bosses -- who makes off with the booty leaving Aki and the ex-employee (Shinichi Chiba -- appropriately named Daisuke Kamikaze), to form an unbeatable alliance. As they set out to retrieve the ill-gotten money from the "wrong" hands, the action lunges into fist and feet fights, rope-swinging attacks, hang-gliding, and any number of innovative challenges. The heroes are not alone in their quest; fate delivers them an ally and a love interest in the form of a female jockey, Kei Kinjo (Kumiko Akiyoshi). In this unique approach to robbery, viewers are given the chance to root for whichever thief they prefer. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sonny Chiba, Hiroyuki Sanada, (more)
Transported 400 years into the past after falling into a mysterious time slip, a squadron of contemporary Japanese soldiers becomes caught between two warring samurai clans fighting to determine who will be the supreme Shogun. As the fighting between the rival samurai clans intensifies, squadron leader Lt. Iba (Sonny Chiba) makes his bid to become the ultimate ruler of Japan by teaming with the samurai leader Kagatori. Kagatori realizes that he can win the war by using the weaponry of the time traveling soldiers to his advantage. Should he succeed, Kagatori and Lt. Iba will together shape the future of an entire nation. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sonny Chiba, Isao Natsuki, (more)
In this Japanese fantasy, the wrathful ghost of a shogunate warrior emerges from a thunderstorm to exact revenge on those behind the terrible 1638 Shimbara Revolt in which 18,000 rioters were slaughtered. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
A has-been samurai movie star takes unfair advantage of the loyalty of one of his devoted fans in this Japanese comedy-drama. The star uses the fan's help to escape a number of sticky situations and eventually hatches a plan to use them as a double during a dangerous stunt. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Morio Kazama, Keizo Kanie, (more)
- 1981
Sci-fi meets martial arts in this lively chronicle of a warrior pilot who returns to his native planet to find it controlled by a wicked tyrant Captain Kogar. He also finds his family has been slaughtered and so now it is up to him and his pals to kick the heck out of Kogar and return the planet to its rightful rulers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1978
- PG
Message from Space, a bargain-rack Japanese Star Wars clone, stars Vic Morrow as the token American. Responding to a plea for help from a faraway planet, A young, idealistic four-person crew hurtles to the rescue. Along for the ride are two funny robots. As could expected from the Toei Studios, Message from Space is a clearing house of good, bad, and "aw come on!" special effects. Vic Morrow followed this film triumph with the equally unforgettable The Evictors (79) and Humanoids from the Deep (80). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vic Morrow, Sonny Chiba, (more)
- 1978
- Add Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy to QueueAdd Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy to top of Queue
You've seen him as the bone-cracking anti-hero of the Street Fighter films, now watch Sonny Chiba team with Japanese screen legend Toshiro Mifune and some of the biggest names in Asian cinema in an all-out martial arts melee that's guaranteed to please. Yagyu Jubei (Chiba) is the son of a shogun's instructor and the most powerful swordsman in Japan. When Yagyu's father selects Yagyu to be their heir to his throne, a bitter rivalry is sparked between Yagyu and his powerful brother. It doesn't take long for the brothers to discover that they have been manipulated against one another by a group of imperial nobles who seek to disband the shogunate so that power may be restored to the emperor, and when the secret is discovered, a battle erupts that would strike fear into the heart of even the most fearsome warrior. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sonny Chiba
