(1981)
1
Donald Guarisco
Outside of the Sister Streetfighter series, this is probably Etsuko Shihomi's most popular film amongst Western fans. LikeSister Streetfighter, Dragon Princess features a Sonny Chiba cameo (here, he plays her vengeful teacher/father) and casts Shihomi as a squeaky-clean martial artist who is up against a criminal conspiracy that employs a number of colorful enemies for her to fight. For variety, it adds Yasuaki Kurata, who delivers a quietly charismatic turn as a mysterious new karate school recruit who seems to be sympathetic to Shihomi's cause even while working for her enemy. The story never gets deeper than a comic-book level in its plotting and characterizations but that's no problem because director gives it the pulpy treatment it requires, delivering a steady stream of colorful fights and pumping up the melodrama between brawls. The end result isn't perfect -- the finale is a bit too quick and perfunctory to truly satisfy -- but its fast pace and likeable cast will ensure that Dragon Princess keeps martial arts film fans entertained.
Dragon Princess on AllMovie
Dragon Princess (1981)
