ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Michelle Ridley The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

Aleksandar Sarkic Sympathy For The Underdog was second movie i have watched from legendary director Kinji Fukasaku, first was Street Mobster, which is brilliant movie but this is a real masterpiece of yakuza cinema, everything is good from characters, plot, location, action. Koji Tsuruta is just amazing in a role of boss Masuo Ganji, one of the best acting i have seen in Japanese cinema, other actors are also great especially Tomisaburo Wakayama as a Okinawan boss, just his looks are enough to become your favorite character in the movie. This movie was definitely one of the biggest influences on Kitano's Sonatine, the story is very similliar, the location is similliar, Sonatine is excellent movie but i must admit this one is really a classic, the reason why i say in the summary " with the spirit of samurai cinema ", i saw some similarities with 7 samurais, the main boss Koji Tsuruta gathered different people around him in his gang, there were 7 of them like in a Kurosawa's classic, this was not a minus for me just plus, Fukasaku really goes deep to every character like Kurosawa in his movie. This movie is real gem and everyone who loves Yakuza movies and Japanese cinema in general must watch this.my grade: 8.5/10

MartinHafer A yakuza thug gets out of prison after ten years. It seems that while he was incarcerated his entire gang was broken up and a newer and tougher one has taken its place (Daitokai). As a result, they have no territory and decide to relocate to Okinawa where they think it will be a lot easier to establish a base of operations. All they need to do is defeat the much smaller and weaker gangs of this southernmost Japanese island. Well, it's no so simple--as the local gangs aren't about to just surrender to the new blood from the mainland. So an all-out war between the gangs develops--with LOTS of killing and posturing. But, when Daitokai now appears in Okinawa, what are they to do? There is no place else to go.The problem I had with this film is that I really had a hard time caring for who won--after all, they all were bad and you really didn't have a lot of connection to them. They all just seemed like nameless gangsters and nothing more. As a result, although the film is well made, it doesn't have a lot of depth or lasting value. The end, incidentally, is pretty ridiculous. Watchable but that's not enough.By the way, if you look carefully, at the 73 minute mark, you can see the OTHER arm belonging to the one-armed guy! yes, it's hiding under his coat and the editor must have missed this brief glimpse.

greenwolf777 I just watched this movie and have to agree with Frankie (another movie reviewer here), it more than anything inspired Tarantino. The pacing of the movie, the sense of "coolnes" that permeates the film, the genre, everything about this film influenced gangster films for decades to come. There is the argument however, that Tarantino is derivative and irrelevant, but people see his movies and enjoy them. Even without the knowledge of his inspiration, which is varied, you can't help but like his films. But about this movie:It's about a gangster who gets out of prison and strikes up a plan to take over a city in Okinawa with the remnants of his previous gang. Unfortunately, they've never been to Okinawa, and the natives are tougher than they look. Lots of quick edits, freeze frames and groovy hippie music (with a surf beat) provide the kitsch factor. Highly recommended!!!

Frankie need I say it?...Tarantino. Kinji Fukasaku in my opinion inspired Tarantino more than any other filmmaker; De Palma, Scorsese, Suzuki among them. The dialog beats, the action beats, even the music seems all vaguely familiar to Tarantino's filmography. Fukasaku is THE yakuza director. While I'm sure most yakuza fans will opt for Seijun Suzuki who came first and who, no doubt, inspired Fukasaku, I compare it to Ford vs. Kurosawa. Ford clearly inspired Kurosawa but Kurosawa took these inspirations and combined them with his own sensibilities to make something truly unique. The same goes for Suzuki and Fukasaku. Watch this and the Yakuza Papers films which are sold together in a great box set and tell me this guy isn't the best. The narrative of Sympathy is not particularly original, it's the age-old small gang vs. big gang which can be seen in this all the way to the recent Miike films. What makes this special is the feeling of the film. The dialog, acting, music, cinematography, style all combine for an unforgettable visceral experience. It's impossible to watch this film and not be drawn in by Koji Tsuruta's performance as the ultimate bad-ass. Fukasaka is also the same man that made the ridiculously entertaining and witty Battle Royale and who died in the middle of Battle Royale II in which his son took over. Home Vision Entertainment did a great job on this DVD and I recommend any yakuza or action fan pick this up immediately.