1. Sister Steet Fighter
   One of the great femme fight flicks and as deliriosly over-the-top filmmaking as you're likely to see. Rating: 4 stars.

2. Hanging By A Thread
   This is arguably the best of the four. The action and sleeze quota are through the roof this time and the choreography is improved. Etsuko Shihomi's perfrmance is more assured and and it allows for a great performance from Yasuaki Kurata. Similar to the first film but not too repetitous. Rating: 4 stars.

3. Return Of Sister Street Fighter
   By this film, the repitition becomes obvious. The formula is identical and even Kurata plays virtually the same role as in the previous effort. The gore and sleeze content have been considerably toned down for this one as well. Still, Shihomi continues to improve and the fight choreography is at an all-time high. Rating: 3 1/2 stars.

4. Fifth Level Fist
   A bizzare film, this has nothing to do with the previous titles. It's marred by some embarrasingly sappy melodrama in the first half. It improves in the second half, and the story is unique, but this is easily the weakest of the four. Even the fight choreography is a bit sloppy (though entertaining). It DOES feature Shihomi in hippy gear and that's gotta be worth something! Rating: 2 1/2 stars.

This set is great! I've been hoping for a restored release of the Sister Street Fighter films ever since Optimum released Sonny Chiba's Street Fighter trilogy in the UK. Sadly no UK release has been forthcoming, but this Brentwood set's very reasonably priced and well-restored.

Chiba himself makes an appearance in the first film, although not as Takuma Tsurugi (from his Street Fighter films). The action choreography's similar, as are several cast members (Masashi Ishibashi, from the first two Street Fighter films, appears in at least the first two Sister films, if not the third as well), but the first three Sister films are a hell of a lot more wild and wacky.

The villains are pretty much all dressed in bizarre costumes, and carry traditional weapons at all times. Never ask why no-one carries a gun - it's like asking why Bond villains don't just shoot Bond in the head when they capture him. I can only imagine the glee the costume department took when they set to work.

The great Yasuaki Kurata co-stars in the second and third films (as different characters), which is reason enough to watch them anyway. I've a feeling Japanese action cinema at the time had an even smaller talent pool to play with than Hong Kong, given you see several actors appear in more than one film, yet playing someone else each time.

The first three films follow fairly similar stories, but all are fun, if a little sadistic at times. The fourth film, Fifth Level Fist, is a bit different however.

Fifth Level Fist is a sequel in name only, with Etsuko Shihomi playing a completely different character here. There's a disappointing lack of crazy villains here, but there's a few Western actors involved, who appear to be speaking Japanese, rather than being dubbed, like they would have been in Hong Kong. I was rather impressed with the rather open treatment the film-makers gave the racist abuse two of the characters suffered in their youth. It's not something you expect in a Martial Arts film, and was handled very well.

I doubt I've covered why I actually recommend these films with the above meandering waffle. Basically, you get a very pretty leading lady who kicks major-league ass, crazy henchmen, a few naked ladies, Sonny Chiba, and Yasuaki Kurata. You also get Etsuko Shihomi displaying some rather fine nunchaku technique as well.