Karate Killer

James Ryan portrays Steve Hunt, a karate expert caught up in a grudge match between two WWII war criminals, Baron von Rudloff (Norman Coombes) and Miyagi (!) (Raymond Ho-Tong). The two men are going to have their teams of martial artists square off in a tournament, with the first team to garner 20 points declared the winner. Steve and his girlfriend Olga (Charlotte Michelle) try a few times to escape, but to no avail. There's no way Steve isn't going to end up participating. Fortunately for the two of them, they have a helping hand in the form of Chico (Daniel DuPlessis), a put-upon little person who is the Barons' associate.

Filmed in South Africa in 1976, but not released in North America until 1980, when martial arts mania was then in full swing, "Kill or Be Killed" is on the low-budget and crude side. The 1981 sequel, "Kill and Kill Again", is a little more polished. While the sequel blatantly goes for tongue-in-cheek, this is played somewhat straighter - still, there's plenty of time for some humour, which helps to make the movie very enjoyable. There's lots of fights, lots of action - and lots of fun. Some of the acting is pretty cheesy, especially from hammy villain Coombes. The most appealing performer is diminutive, likeable chap DuPlessis, who figures in one extended, amusing montage where he's recruiting fighters for the Barons' team. The leading lady Michelle is quite gorgeous, the scenery is very striking, and it would be hard not to get into the spirit of "Kill or Be Killed" thanks to that rousing music score (which one has to assume is stock music, given that there's no composer credited).

Highly enjoyable for any fan of karate cinema, with engaging heroes and wonderfully despicable antagonists, including one fighter (who kind of resembles Jeff Conaway) constantly making trouble for Steve and Chico.

The ultimate resolution, however, falls short of being really satisfying.

Eight out of 10.

I first saw this in the late 80s on a vhs n liked it a lot.

Revisited it recently.

This movie is a self proclaimed greatest martial arts movie but if u sit down to watch it, u will be disappointed cos none of the fight sequence is noteworthy, of course it is laughable.

It is nothing but a rip off of Enter the Dragon minus the star cast n fight sequences.

The film has lots of action but it is not at all violent like Sonny Chiba's movies. What they stole from Chiba are his whistles.

Our main guy in this movie keeps on making whistling faces.

Our main guy while fighting a muscular hulky fella, keeps on jumping on and off a mountain without even touching his opponent.

Do watch out for the desert vehicle n how our main guy fights off dogs.

i liked this movie,mainly just because of its entertainment value.there are some pretty funny moments,most of them unintentional,i imagine.it is also not very politically correct compared to most of todays movies.if you go into this movie expecting good acting,i think you will be disappointed.but,the movie does have some pretty good martial arts fighting scenes,though at times they are ridiculously absurd and unrealistic.i did like the different fighting styles shown in the movie.the sound effects are horrible,yet are great for their comedic value.the movie is very low budget and the plot is almost non existent.but for action and comedy,you can't go wrong with this movie.it is a classic and very hard to find,but if you come across it, you will likely be very amused,at the least.based on the fight scenes and the comedic value,i give "Kill or be Killed" 8/10*

This movie along with Deathwish 3, Hell train, Commando Amazons and a few other gems are on my unintentionally funny top 10. Some highlights include the incredible plot. The story is of a former SS officer battling his WW2 Japanese equivalent to get revenge for a competition that was held before the war. In that competition the Japanese mastermind Miyagi bribed members of the German team to lose with Diamonds because, as Baron Von Rudolph says "THEY ALWAYS HAVE DIAMONDS!!". Poor Von Rudolph is disgraced and dishonourably discharged by the Fuhrer. 40 years later he is thirsty for revenge. As he recounts the story Von Rudolph quakes with emotion, German war music fills the air and there is not a dry eye in the house. Such is the premise of the competition. Some other highlights include a Dwarf and his doll and action star James Ryan IV dismantling a car with his bare hands to turn it into a sail car for the desert!! Oh yea the martial arts action isnt too bad either. A must rent for the b-movie enthusiast.

I was expecting another Kill And Kill Again. What I got was a slower and much less punchy vehicle. At times, there seems to be hardly any activity at all. The story too, goes off the beaten track a little like when Ryan and his love take off through the desert on their wind sailor, singing jubilantly, eating up too much screen time. The opening music theme, which I absolutely loved, and it's locale scene, a long exterior shot of a big fortress in the desert, as I frankly recall, is the first thing that clicks in my mind when I think about Kill Or Be Killed. With this film I was short changed afraid. There's much less action where you're kept waiting, especially from the start, where it came between long intervals. A slightly younger looking Ryan, with shorter, neater hair, who was in fact only 18 when he made this, plays another Steve character, who's drawn back into a fight in another big arena, where participants fight with weapons of choice. Ryan, a Chard Hayward sounding actor, does have a certain charisma, but not good acting status, where he's surrounded by a few antic characters, that midget guy a hoot. These characters at least add something to this disappointing actioner. After seeing Ryan's other flick, this had me on quite a come down, it had me moping. If you've seen this, and wasn't satisfied, and you've haven't seen the other kill movie, it's vitally imperative you do, as it may just bring your spirits up, for this 'Kill is so over ridden by, it's follow up.