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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1976
Runtime1h 28m
LanguageJapanese
CertificationNR
GenresAction, Comedy
Votes1
DirectorAkira Shimizu
WritersMotohiro Torii, Shizuo Nonami
TypeFeature Film
Rating10.0 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsThe Rugby Star
About The Rugby Star
The success of Truck Yaro (1975-1979) initiated a whole load of movies that put "Yaro" in their title, including this semi-bonkers sports comedy/drama. Sonny Chiba's brother Jiro Chiba stars as a Rugby player whose team must find a way to beat the opponent. It's a standard storyline without any major surprises, but works surprisingly well. Training scenes are relatively nuts; much better than the actual matches actually, which tend to go on forever. There is no sex, nudity or graphic violence, making this a family friendly affair. Sonny Chiba appears for about 7 minutes during the last third as a truck driver who comes to Jiro's rescue.
Directed by Akira Shimizu, The Rugby Star leans on a strong ensemble — Jirô Chiba, Koji Nanjo, Kentaro Maki — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about action titles of 1976.
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