One of many columns I’ve at all times loved writing right here at JoBlo is The Finest Film You By no means Noticed. In it, I’ve at all times tried to show our viewers on to kick-ass motion pictures they won’t have seen, with titles starting from movies that flopped to motion pictures that unfairly grew to become obscure. Of all the flicks I’ve coated, I don’t suppose I’ve ever written a couple of movie as obscure as 1982’s The Problem, an ideal film that carried out so badly in theaters it was later repackaged as a TV film below one other title. Ouch. However severely—how cool does this sound: Scott Glenn trains as a ninja, groups up with Toshiro Mifune, and seeks vengeance. And it’s directed by John Frankenheimer. Hardly anybody has seen this film, however that’s precisely why it deserves consideration.
The Problem stars Scott Glenn as Rick, a down-on-his-luck boxer employed to move a worthwhile katana to Japan. It’s instantly stolen—though it seems to be a pretend, with Rick used as a decoy. The sword is a part of a priceless pair known as The Equals, heirlooms of the warring Yoshida clan. The 2 surviving members, every of whom has a declare on The Equals, each need the sword. Toshiro Mifune performs Toru Yoshida, the rightful proprietor and head of a martial arts college. His brother Hideo, a Yakuza member, additionally needs the blade and blackmails Rick into infiltrating Toru’s college to steal it. Rick initially goes together with the plan, however ultimately finds goal within the bushido code taught by Toru—to not point out falling for Toru’s daughter, Akiko. He switches sides, begins martial arts coaching, and that coaching is useful when Hideo and his thugs come calling.
The movie arrived throughout a transitional second for each its star and director. Scott Glenn was coming off a breakout in City Cowboy and was being positioned as a brand new main man. A Japan-set martial arts movie possible appeared like a wise profession transfer, however the motion style hadn’t but developed into the mainstream martial arts increase of the mid-’80s. John Frankenheimer, in the meantime, had made a few of the best movies of the Nineteen Sixties—Birdman of Alcatraz, Seconds, Seven Days in Could, The Manchurian Candidate, The Practice. However his profession stumbled within the ’70s. Black Sunday underperformed after political controversy, and Prophecy failed to interrupt via. To many, The Problem seemed like one other misfire.
The Problem flopped arduous, incomes solely $3.6 million. Then the ninja craze hit—sarcastically simply after the film’s failure. Hoping to money in, the studio retitled it Sword of the Ninja, reduce ten minutes out, and bought it to TV, the place it continuously aired on TBS. This edited model grew to become the one most individuals noticed, though the unique movie options no ninjas in any way. For many years, the uncut model was almost inconceivable to seek out besides on VHS. Many followers (together with myself) first noticed it via fuzzy VHS rips.
Kino Lorber has now reissued The Problem with a beautiful restoration (BUY IT HERE), lastly permitting its strengths to shine. Frankenheimer shoots the movie like a noir, leaning into Glenn’s weary boxer persona. His capacity to immerse audiences in overseas cultures is on full show, and Rick’s transformation feels earned. One sensible artistic alternative: Toru Yoshida has no English dialogue. Mifune struggled with English and was typically dubbed in American movies; avoiding that stops the film from feeling low cost. Akiko’s presence as interpreter—and Glenn’s love curiosity—feels pure. The movie additionally boasts an ideal Jerry Goldsmith rating and a memorable henchman flip from Calvin Jung, who later appeared in The Day After and RoboCop.
What actually elevates The Problem is its phenomenal last act. A younger Steven Seagal helped choreograph the motion alongside Mifune’s longtime collaborator Ryû Kuze. The climax blends gunplay, swordplay, and improvisational combating that feels forward of its time. When Akiko is kidnapped by Hideo, Glenn and Mifune infiltrate his stronghold. Their unlikely pairing works regardless of the language barrier—Toru fights with swords and archery, whereas Rick brings fists and firearms. Glenn racks up sixteen kills; Mifune will get seventeen. The ultimate duel is the actual spotlight: Glenn’s novice swordsman faces the masterful Hideo and fights soiled, utilizing workplace provides, improvised weapons, and something he can get his fingers on. It’s a transparent precursor to the prop-driven combating Jackie Chan would later change into well-known for.
The Problem is a singular, trendy, and underrated piece of early ’80s motion filmmaking that lastly has an opportunity to be rediscovered. With the Kino Lorber version now obtainable, motion followers can expertise one of many decade’s most missed gems the best way it was meant to be seen. When you’re into ’80s motion, martial-arts-infused thrillers, or forgotten Scott Glenn deep cuts, this one’s a no brainer.
