Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Rage of Honor Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 11, 2025

Gordon Hessler's "Rage of Honor" (1987) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critics Mike Leeder and Ross Boyask; archival program with Sho Kosugi; archival program with composer Stelvio Cirpiani; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The Oriental

No other film sells Sho Kosugi and his brand of action as convincingly as Rage of Honor. There are segments with Kosugi in other films that look good, but the material they are inserted in is often very problematic. It is because this material relentlessly overlaps silly comedy and equally silly melodrama, or casually produces ridiculous drama that quickly devolves into intolerable kitsch. To be clear, Kosugi’s brand of action was never even remotely comparable to that of A-listers like Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, Chuck Norris, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Kosugi was always a threat to B-listers, like Miles O’Keeffe, Brent Huff, and David Bradley, and strictly because he transformed the ninja into a cool new action character. In other words, Kosugi played the same B-level action game but differently, which helped him stick out.

Rage of Honor is the only film in which Kosugi does rather nicely what the B-listers did and very well what they could not. His character is a conventional American action star with unconventional skills that make him different and attractive, and his playground is vast and diverse. So, Rage of Honor allows Kosugi to shine in contrasting ways while maintaining balance that does not exist in the other action films he made. (Black Eagle attempts to do the same, but its struggle to maintain this crucial balance nearly transforms it into a parody).

After his partner (Richard Wiley) is brutally murdered, DEA agent Shiro Tanaka (Kosugi) vows to track down the killer and send him to meet his creator in the most painful way possible. Escorted by his clueless girlfriend, Jennifer (Robin Evans), Tanaka then travels to Buenos Aires, where the killer, Havlock (Lewis Van Bergen), a drug lord with delusions of grandeur, has built a small empire. While working on a strategy to get his target, Tanaka loses his girlfriend and shortly after enters the jungle to free her from Havlock.

Before directing Rage of Honor, Gordon Hessler had worked with Kossugi on the TV show The Master and Pray for Death, so it is fair to conclude that he must have realized just how far he could push the Japanese actor in an American production. In Rage of Honor, Kosugi still visibly struggles with his English lines, but his character is not just an exotic action performer. If necessary, this character fits rather well in a casual environment and reveals conventional feelings and emotions that quickly humanize him. This makes a huge difference because it frees other characters to treat him differently and ultimately preserve the integrity of the narrative. Of course, it must be said that this was a type of integrity common only in the more serious films in the catalogs of independent companies like Trans World Entertainment, The Cannon Group, and Overseas Filmgroup, which specialized in producing and distributing distinctly unrealistic B-films.

Hessler and cinematographer Julio Bragado shot plenty of footage on location in Argentina and Arizona, so there isn’t a shortage of terrific visuals.

The great Italian maestro Stelvio Cipriani, whose name appears on such iconic cult films like Highway Racer and What Have They Done to Your Daughters?, was commissioned to create the soundtrack of Rage of Honor.

Rage of Honor Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Rage of Honor arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

It would have been nice to have Rage of Honor restored in 2K and made to look as good as the final Missing in Action film, but the master that was used to produce this release is not bad. In fact, even though it is easy to tell that it was prepared a while ago, it frequently produces visuals that look surprisingly good, even very good. The best of these visuals are close-ups, but there are plenty coming from panoramic footage as well. Also, plenty of indoor and darker footage reveals good nuances, so while shadow definition can be improved, there are no big and distracting anomalies that affect delineation and depth. Color balance is good. Select primaries and supporting nuances can be fresher and more attractive, but I did not see any major issues. There are no traces of problematic degraining corrections. However, a proper fresh new 2K or 4K master will deliver superior grain exposure. Image stability is good. I noticed a few nicks and blemishes, but there are no large cuts, marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Rage of Honor Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Rage of Honor has a lot of diverse and intense action material, so it is not surprising that the lossless track is quite exciting. On top of this, it is very healthy, too. However, in multiple areas -- like in the one where Sho Kosugi is chased by the indians -- some unevenness can be noticed. It is very difficult to tell if all of it is inherited. If there is any room for improvement, I think that it will be in such areas. All dialog is clear and stable. However, it is probably a good idea to turn up the volume a bit more than usual so that you can get absolutely everything Kosugi utters while trying to avenge the death of his partner.

Rage of Honor Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this audio commentary was recorded by critics Mike Leeder and Ross Boyask. It is in the familiar conversation format and produces a lot of information not only about Rage of Honor, but the careers of Sho Kosugi and other stars, the evolution of the action/ninja film, the '80s and particular trends in genre films, etc.

• Sho and Tell Part II: Interview with Sho Kosugi - in this archival program, Sho Kosugi again discusses his background, career, and work in the U.S. Part one of this program is included on the Pray for Death release. In English, not subtitled. (18 min).

• American Ninjas - archival video essay about the popularity of the ninja films in America during the 1980s, produced by critic Chris Poggiali. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Honorable Mentions - in this archival program, composer Stelvio Cirpiani recalls his involvement with Rage of Honor. In Italian, with English subtitles. (3 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered trailer for Rage of Honor. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Rage of Honor Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

No other film sells Sho Kosugi and his brand of action as convincingly as Rage of Honor. One can still dig up a gazillion issues in it that a proper big-budget action film will easily avoid, but Kosugi is no longer just an exotic action performer, and this new development changes plenty for the better. One more thing. There is adult meanness in it, similar to the one present in Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection, which very effectively counterbalances the '80s silliness that made a lot of these genre films look like parodies. RECOMMENDED.