Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (1991)

A hero with disregard for hierarchy

By: JWBM

This is the definition of perfectly-imperfect. It's the kind of film that is endlessly entertaining for all of its over-the-top and outlandishly excessive setups. It's like one of those friends that compulsively exaggerates everything they do enough that they grow a knack for it. You don't believe what you see or hear, but it fits the mood to be overlooked as another outlook. "Story of Ricky" knows no bounds, and has few limits to get a reaction and a rise from your senses. It's laughably cheesy and badly acted in every sense, but, man, is it inspiring in some far-out, demented kind of way. Some wish they could be him. Others wish they had him as a friend in grade school.

So who's Ricky? He's a buff, super-human, morally-steadfast guy in the near-future that gets locked up in a privately run prison for a crime he may have been justified for committing. Let's just say little is made in the way of looking like the future, but who's paying attention to intricate details here? He's surrounded by scum, and is incidentally a bully pulverizer with extraordinary strength they talked about in whispered legends to actually do something about it. I mean, going toe-to-toe with the Gang of Four—or Four Heavenly Kings in Chinese mythology—might be a statement in itself. He also cries for the lower man who can't help himself while throwing shadow punches at nothing in the rain. It's just the kinda complex being he is.

This has a simple set-up for any typical martial arts film to give an excuse to show off some fancy moves. Except this raises the bar not just a few notches, but makes a leap to the skies—which incidentally are pouring out red droplets in buckets. It's where Hong Kong kung-fu influence meets late '80s/early '90s Japanese levels of excess. Other manga source material has rivaled it in violence—think "Baoh," "Violence Jack," "Fist of the North Star"—though it's a one of a kind feature for being one of the goriest live action/martial arts movies out there. "The Street Fighter"—with Sonny Chiba, of course—gave it a push. "Story of Ricky" gives a shove down the most unforgiving of escalators and punches your head clean off for good measure.

Like an SNES or Genesis classic, such as "Final Fight" or "Streets of Rage," the film keeps you busy with an assortment of goons, gangs, and end-bosses. There's a hierarchy that should matter and is something you should be afraid of breaking. Though, this doesn't stop a guy who can literally punch holes in people and play tunes in key with nothing but a leaf. Instead of over-the-top Chuck Norris jokes, we should instead have them about Riki Oh: the man who's got the chiseled back muscles and high kicks to back it up.

The acting has that characteristic Hong Kong charm where we have to not only say what we're doing but over-gesture what we're doing as well. It's like they're trying to communicate with both the hearing and hearing impaired at the same time. Either purposely or by mistake, there's never a lulling point here. The filmmakers always seem to top themselves scene after scene. So much so, I haven't seen another film like it since. One could look at the story as one man's unconscious mission to clean up all the bad people in the world. They just happen to be locked up in one building trapped in there with him, not the other way around. Their do-anything-I-please egos—that got them in the slammer in the first place—are about to get checked in some of the most creatively violent ways. Break out the bleach and popcorn, because it's gonna be a messy, though entertaining ride.

Rating: 9/10

Director: Ngai Choi Lam
Actors: Siu-Wong Fan
Info: IMDB
Trailer: Youtube