Release Year: 1969

Fine performances, good cinematography and a well-paced storyline – despite the difficulty on my part to pick out its failings – will offer most viewers a rewarding 100 minutes of entertainment.

With brains, brawn and cool, cruel style to spare, ‘Japan Organized Crime Boss’ is a fantastic entry point to Fukasaku’s earlier movies.

I really can’t find much to criticise in this movie. It’s a short, tight story that is well told, well acted, exciting and at times surprising. Good times.

‘Tora-San, Our Lovable Tramp’ is a fine introduction to a great cinematic series, one which should be appreciated worldwide.

Perhaps the greatest flaw found within this well-made, yet uninspiring swordplay film is its reliance on theatrical melodrama rather than tension or real emotion.