1991 ‘力王’ Directed by Lam Nai-Choi
Hard man Ricky is incarcerated in a futuristic prison where ultra-violence is his only means of survival in the corrupt, sadistic system. He must battle his way quite literally 'through' the feared 'gang of four', and undergo multiple tortures before facing the governor in one of the goriest climaxes ever seen.
Louis Fan Siu-Wong Gloria Yip Wan-Yee Yukari Ôshima Frankie Chin Chi-Leung Kôichi Sugisaki Wong Kwai-Hung Tetsurō Tamba Chang Gan-Wing Fan Mei-Sheng Wong Kwok-Leung Power Chan Kwok-Pong Wong Chi-Keung Phillip Chung-Fung Kwok Lam Kai-Wing Chan Ging Bill Lung Biu Lam Suet Kong Long Chiu Chi-Shing William Ho Ka-Kui Yuen Wah Devin Schumacher
Riki-oh, The Story of Ricky, Riki-oh: Story of Ricky, Historia de Ricky, Li wang, Story of Ricky, Lik wong, 역왕 : 리키오, Η Ιστορία του Ricky, Lì wáng, Lìwáng, Likwong, A História de Ricky, Riki-Oh - Story of Ricky, Riki-oh the story of Ricky, Ricky'nin Hikayesi, 力王 RIKI-OH STORY OF RICKY, 신북두신권, Lik Wong, История о Рикки, Story of Ricky aka Riki-Oh
Japan
Hong Kong
Germany18
Spain18
Germany
Hong Kong
Japan
Spain
2019 has been an incredible year for me when it comes to first time watches of classic genre and exploitation films. This might be the highlight of the year for me. From all that I read over the years, I knew I was going to dig it but I didn't know this would become a favorite of mine. By the time we get to the flashback of Riki and his master vandalizing and desecrating a cemetery for Kung Fu practice... I was in love.
There's a real Troma vibe with its over-the-top violence and foul humor. But it's also very accomplished in its craft. Very competent in its insanity.
Watched the Tokyo Shock Blu-ray. Could use a new deluxe version with more extras. I would love to know about the making of this absolute must-see.
It was rage that kept him alive.
It was courage that set him free.
How isn’t every single review starting off with HOLY FUCKING SHIT in bold, italics, and capital letters just for the fuck of it? This is like watching all your favorite genre elements exploding in front of your eyes, melting into your palms and seeping through your fingers.
the gore? Dead Alive levels.
the brutality? unmatched.
the body count? plenty.
Fan Siu-wong? sexy + shirtless.
PURE UTTER FUCKING MADNESS.
all the hyper-violent slow motion fight scenes, superhuman strength, fists of fury, and knuckles made of stone to get the blood pumping and serotonin in heaps. it’s vicious for vicious sake. It’s Riki-Oh vs. corrupt guards in a ultra-violent futuristic…
The story of Ricky, one badass mother fucker. Fuckin' prison. 5 shots couldn't drop Ricky. Suet Lam has 155 acting credits on IMDB. A clumsy fuck. Fuckin' nails. Holy fat-fuck. Punch of Total Destruction. Badass tattoos. Kung-fu mind-tricks. Yummy steak! Ricky plays the flute. Fake eyes are the shit. Captain Hook's nephew. Superman ain't got shit on Ricky. Toy helicopters are fuckin' awesome. Piss-in-pants. Family rules. Delicious mints! Water cures blindness. Bye-bye eye. X-ray punch. The Gang of Four. Nice tounge. Fuckin' poppy leaves. A tragic death. The Zero Alarm. The Big Boss. A red carpet welcome. Tasty candles! Open coconut. Uppercut and the disappearing fist. Dirty work. A Jamie Walters moment. Revenge punch. Ricky likes to sleep. The Unisex…
Film #97 of Make me watch your favourite.
Recommended by Howard Beale.
I love......
the ridiculous amount of ridiculous gore.
the fact that every time you think it can't get any sillier it does in the most brilliant way.
the fact that Ricky heals like Wolverine.
the fact that it's all so very very serious.
the fact that Ricky has two facial expressions of which he uses only one.
the gore. Did I mention the gore?
that this is most likely one of the most hilarious films ever made.
the fact that Ricky is sweating most of the time, even when he isn't doing anything.
each and every performer that lent his voice for my brilliantly funny dubbed version.
the fact that all voices were probably done by one guy.
that final fight with the warden. It's the most insanely beautiful thing ever.
that I live in a universe where this film actually exists.
Absurdly brutal, brutally absurd. This Stephen Chow-esque's splatter martial arts flick is like a less cosplayed version of Mortal Kombat directed by Stephen Chow. The intestines burst out and do acts of witnessing as much as in a Final Destination movie. The practical effects are belly-achingly hilarious. Several deaths are humorous, notably one having someone racing to their death by jumping from a building to the ground, and the response in the following scene is even funnier.
If the objective was to make a comedy, then all of the performers are amazing comedians, as I was rolling on the floor laughing. Despite their absurdity, the battle scenes are skillfully executed and have nothing to envy of other martial arts flicks.…
HOLY motherfucking, cocksucking, gut-exploding, amputating, eye-popping, knife-slinging, pistol-whipping, wall-destroying, super-punching, bullet-ignoring, dog-obliterating, hyper-brutalizing
SHIT.
WHAT A FLICK!
I am happy to say that Riki-Oh hasn't lost any of its magic on rewatch. It remains one of the most amazing Hong Kong movies of all time. It's impossible not to be wowed by all the marvelous insanity that unfolds on screen. Just fuckin' awesome!
I watched this with first time viewer Michelle and it was a riot. She bought the blu-ray as soon as the movie was over. She loved it that much.
I can’t even think of a witty opening line, Riki-Oh has completely melted my brain with its testosterone-fueled carnage!
Gore is nothing new to movies, especially action films, but rarely is it this much of a spectacle. I’m talking jaw-dropping acts of brutality that defy all common sense. It’s more than apparent this was based of a manga heavily inspired by the absurd violence of Fist of the North Star.
Eyes are slapped out, limbs and heads are severed with extreme prejudice, a dog is kicked in half, intestines are used as a strangulation device, Riki is forced to chew razor blades, a poor soul is uppercutted through his throat and out his mouth! It’s utter insanity and something you’d…
OK. So there is a fight scene where a guy gets stabbed in the stomach. He proceeds to reach into the wound, pull out his intestines and use them to try to strangle Riki-oh. I love how over the top it all is, the walls breaking before they get hit, the obvious CPR dummies and a dog getting its head kicked off.
I also love the fact that Ricky could have left the prison at any point by punching a giant hole in the wall.
For the love of god, watch this fucking movie with the english dub.
AKA: Kung Fu Dead Alive.
Obviously the gore is the star here, but the bizarre tone is probably 50% of the enjoyment. The movie feels like it takes itself seriously, but literally everything, other than the prison setting, is totally wacky. For me, this is the best example of a film that seems authentically terrible, but in reality the filmmakers were in on the joke.
Absolute classic!!!
I'm not up to writing a long review at the moment, but I just wanted to say that I'm ashamed of the fact that I'm only just getting around to this one. It's been on my radar for a while now, and I knew, going in, that I'd probably love it, but I kept prioritizing other films when picking something to watch. That was dumb. I should have watched this ages ago. For those of you that don't know already, this feels like a combination of Shaw Brothers, John Carpenter, and early Peter Jackson. It's a Hong Kong adaptation of a Japanese manga that feels similar to Hokuto no Ken (aka Fist of the North Star). It's also full of…
