Here from the fine folks at Eureka is a double Blu-ray release of two early ’70s action films featuring Shin'ichi Chiba, and as the film's titles suggest he plays a bodyguard. Each film is rapidly paced, with both impressive fights, neat setups, and of course Mr Chiba's impressive martial arts skills/ general charm. 

First up we have 1973’s Bodyguard Kiba (aka The Bodyguard Bodigâdo Kiba, Karate Kiba). It finds Shin'ichi Chiba playing Karate Master Naoto Kiba- who returns to Japan to set up a bodyguard company.  It was directed by Hamamatsu, Shizuoka born Ryûichi Takamori. he had thirty-six feature-length credits to his name. His career opened with high school drama Kimitachi Ga Ite Boku Ga Ita, and family comedy Let's Dance Bon-Odori in Hawaii (1964)- before going on to make a fair few crime action films with Chiba like Tale of Kawachi Chivalry (1967), The Assassin (1970),  and Yakuza Wolf (1972) which is a wonderful crossbred between Yakuza & spaghetti western- this appeared on the Yakuza Wolf 1 & 2 boxset on Eureka.

The whole thing kicks off with action- as we see a group of people gunned down by Tommy gun-carrying men- each has a red & black star design tattooed on their wrists. We then switch to an airline flight, and just as passengers settle down several gunmen step out people panic, aside from one figure sitting reading a newspaper. The terrorist pulls it away, and we see the suited & cigarillo smoking Naoto (Chiba)- and he starts kicking serouse arse, as the red credits play over the top.

Naoto lands in Japan, to a press conference regarding his heroism. He uses this as an advert for the new bodyguard company Gods Hands. He heads back to his converted church offices- and while he’s chatting with his sister there is a clacking of heels on the staircase, and in walks the rather mysterious Maki(Yayoi Watanabe) who is dressed up in high-class 70’s glamour. She wants to hire God Hands to bodyguard her for five days- she’s forgotten her chequebook, so Naoto’s karate-practising sister heads down to the car- she becomes surrounded by gangster goons- and when she doesn’t appear Naoto rushes down to see what has happened- finding her nude & knocked out beneath the shadow of the churches cross.

As things unfold we get a neat & fairly brutal Karate/gunfight in a nighttime apartment- with the bad guys hiding inside furniture to jump out. With shot-up doors, bloody beatings, and an arm literally twisted off. There’s a nightclub-based fight, and the whole thing resolves with a moody/ dramatic rocky seaside landscape.

Shin'ichi Chiba as always is spot on- mixing great, at points very brutal fighting with charm. The rest of the cast are fine. The film runs at one hour and twenty-four minutes. It does lull slightly in its third quarter, with at one point characters watching a clock count down. But it kicks back into high gear for the resolve, making Bodyguard Kiba  an enjoyable ride.

Extras wise on this first disc we have a commentary from action cinema experts Mike Leeder & Arne Venema. They begin by talking about how the opening few scenes differ in the American version of the film, and how the early aeroplane highjack may have been influenced by a real 1971 highjack of a Japanese plane. They discuss the original master Chiba trained with, who in his fighting career had fraught four bulls- killing two ripping their horns out. They talk about the style of martial arts Chiba used, and how he set up the Japan Actors Club- to train fighters & stunt men for films, as well as connect them with studios. They chat about the use of handheld camera, and how it gives a close-up/ voyeuristic feel. They point out notable actors as they appear- giving brief bios.  Later on they discuss how in Japan there are very small Bars, where there are just a few seats- and their experiences with visiting them.  They talk about the use of low shots in the film,  and compare Chiba with Bruce Lee.  It’s an interesting/ chatty, quite fast-moving track- which I can see myself revisiting again.
Otherwise, we get Talking Chiba (27.51) a new interview with action choreographer and director Kenji Tanigaki. The US version of the film, and an original trailer.

Appearing in the same year as the first film Bodyguard Kiba 2( aka Bodigâdo Kiba: Hissatsu Sankaku Tobi, Karate Killer). It was once again directed by Ryûichi Takamori, and I’d say it’s the lesser of the two films- as the editing is rather mixed/ jumpy, and the storyline is somewhat cliched/ a little muddled in places.

We open with a karate master reading from a scroll before the credits run. We then get a great nighttime fight scene- featuring subtle horror undertones. As we see Karate Master Naoto Kiba(Chiba) fighting a bunch of face-scared goons as the rain lashes down and thunder strikes. His sister appears to help him, getting her eyes clawed- next, we spinning headlines informing us that Kiba has been sent to prison for the flight.

As the film unfolds we see Kiba on prison work order stopping a fight & befriending Takeshi(Tsunehiko Watase)  by giving him half of his eel & rice!. Kiba gets out of the slammer shortly- he goes walking through the cites shadier streets getting pulled into a hostess bar. He notices Mari (Maki Mizuhara) playing folky guitar in the backroom, and when he nearly gets roughed up for not paying for his drink/ food she steps in, making out he’s dropped his wallet.

He next becomes a bodyguard for a moustached & glasses-wearing club owner. His buddy Takeshi is released from prison, and it seems as if the pair will have to fight.  We get lots of angry backroom banter, of course, a few fights,  his sister Mari reappears, and we get a moving through a carpark & up bridge showdown fight.

As with the first film, there are some great visual moments, and of course, Chiba is charming/ screen presence. The film runs at just under the hour-and-a-half mark- it moves by well enough, though its pace/ flow does get broken up by overly chatty bits, and the rather cliched plotting.

On the extras side for this disc, Leeder &  Venema return for a commentary track. They begin by talking about how this appeared exactly five months after the first film, and point out notable fighters in the opening fight. They discuss the more comedic/light-hearted tone of this film, compared to the more serious tone of the first film.  They Point out notable actors mentioning other films worth checking out they stared in. They talk about hostess bars, and their experiences with them- apparently there are different types of hostess bars- for example, there are muscle bars, where t women will squeeze your lime with their biceps!.  They touch on how Chiba sadly passed from Covid 19,  and how he had an impressive sixty year career. They talk about the musical genre City pop, an example of this appears in one of the film's club scenes. Later on, they discuss how Chiba’s style changed after the impact of Bruce Lee, and how good the new scan looks. The original video box art for the film, and when Leeder met Chiba on a night out drinking. Again, another worthy track- though maybe not as informative/interesting as the first.

Otherwise, we have Kiba or Chiba (35.18) a new interview with genre experts Tom Mes & Jasper Sharp- with them discussing where these films sit in Chiba's career, and a general great/in-depth look at both films. Lastly, we get an original trailer.
The finished release takes in an inlay booklet with new writing by Jasper Sharp, but I can’t comment on this- as I’m reviewing the set via screener discs.

It’s great Eureka reissuing yet more of Chiba’s 1970s output. Both films get new, bold & well-defined prints. With a good selection of extras too. If you enjoy 70’s action films- this is a no-brainer.