STORY OF RICKY AKA RIKI-OH (1991)

This Manga adaptation concerns the titular young man whose revenge on the gangsters responsible for his girlfriends’ death lands him in a futuristic prison. Here he must contend with a sadistic, one-armed assistant warden with a glass eye, and the deadly group of prisoners known as the Gang of Four, who are set to rub Ricky out. But Ricky, trained in a particular martial arts that sees him having abnormal strength, proves an almost indestructible foe. Disembowelments, punches through skulls, and other disgustingly absurd (or absurdly disgusting) forms of violence ensue.
In case I haven’t already made it clear, this is one of the most violent films I have ever seen. It’s also one of the more entertainingly grotesque films I’ve seen in a while. So with due warning to the film’s graphic content, if you’re prepared to go to Hell for it, you might just find this one helluva fun, sicko 90 minute ride. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen, or will likely ever see again.

That’s not to say that the film is without flaw. For instance, with Ricky’s amazing amount of strength and tolerance for pain, why is he imprisoned? The guy can smash walls for crying out loud, ever heard of escaping, Ricky? I mean if Captain Hilts and the boys had you around, The Great Escape might’ve been even more successful! Also, as much as I got a kick out of the absurdly high level of violence (no pun intended), one scene of animal cruelty stepped way over the mark into bad taste. Or really, REALLY bad taste. That said, when one character attempted to strangle Ricky with his own exposed intestines, I had a huge smile on my face. So I’m a sick, sick, little man, but that’s OK, because you can’t very often take the ridiculous amount of violence too seriously. I mean, the film climaxes with a ridiculously gargantuan monster and an improbably large meat grinder (in a scene somewhat reminiscent of, but bloodier than Big Trouble in Little China), for crying out loud. And I’m betting I’m not the only one screaming for the Warden’s supremely obnoxious, little piggy son to get his just desserts (once again, no pun intended). Sure, it’s gross, but for people like me who are sick of watered down genre pics these days, this makes for one helluva panacea (Uh-Oh, he’s got the thesaurus out again!...)
Every brutal, dirty fighting trick that Van Damme and Stallone dare not use, one can probably find here. We’re talking wooden toys to the nose (dude, it was a present for his kid, that’s just cruel!), eyes coming out of their sockets, and one poor chap gets his head squashed. This ain’t Bambi, folks, it’s not even Godzilla Killed Bambi. Mind you, given that this is the director of Erotic Ghost Story, I have to admit to being disappointed that Gloria Yip (any relation to Amy?) never shows off any flesh, in her miniscule role. Actually, the film is more in tune with the director’s Seventh Curse.

Is this film sick and grotesque? Hell yes, but there’s a market for this sort of thing, and in this case, I’m somewhat in league with them (Dare I say a lunatic has taken over this Film Asylum review? No, I didn’t think it was a good joke, either). Just don’t say you weren’t duly warned.