Review of Sanshiro Sugata, Part Two

SANSHIRO SUGATA, PART II is Akira Kurosawa's slightly weaker follow-up to the original movie, continuing the adventures of the martial arts expert. This one starts in an arresting fashion, featuring a bout between Sugata and an American sailor on the docks, and it goes on from there. I found the film to be slightly disappointing in the way it drags between the staged action bits, despite the short running time. However, the big set-pieces still continue to impress, with the big ring bout influencing the likes of FEARLESS and IP MAN 2 while the final snow-bound battle is classically staged and seems to have influenced the likes of THE Chinese BOXER and LADY SNOWBLOOD. Watch out for the wild-haired opponent, whose whoops and yells make him an early precursor to Bruce Lee.