The plot is nothing new – driven by revenge, a former cop decides to go undercover and gradually climbs up the ranks of the Yakuza.

What really makes this movie entertaining, is not the story, but the action scenes. They are bloody, violent and well choreographed.

This movie has its problems, especially with the pacing. There are some dialogue-heavy scenes, rapid changes of the locations and new characters introduced every five minutes, especially in the first half of the movie. It might not be easy for the viewers to keep the track of what's happening, and the over two-hour runtime doesn't help. Halfway through the movie, I started wondering if it would work better as a short tv-series.

From such a stellar cast, I was expecting at least good acting, and I was not disappointed.
Okada Junichi once again shows off his top-notch fighting skills, so if you're a fan of his, or if you simply enjoy yakuza movies, I think this movie is a must-watch.