If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

A Masterpiece!

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

A down-and-out American boxer (Scott Glenn) becomes involved in a feud between two Japanese brothers.This is one of those hidden gems you never hear about. A great blend of American and Japanese cinema, some action and some grit. The film really ought to be a cult classic, and yet I feel like very few people have ever heard of it. Most surprising to me is how the film did not seem to get a bump after the Netflix series "Daredevil" took off. In some ways, Scott Glenn's character on that show is very much a continuation of his character here.Thanks to Kino, the film is available on Blu-ray though it does not seem to have any features. That is too bad. I am always ready for an audio commentary.

This film is a Martial-Arts classic!It has all the ingredients of a good martial arts movie in it... yet they turn them into something else. I cannot fathom the reason why it only received 5.5/10. It's outrageous!--==## SPOILERS ##==-- Let's have a look at the film. A low life boxing sparring partner of a champion is frustrated. His technique is a lot better than the skill of the champ, yet he needs to be the mere sparring partner, reasons enough to cut the crap at one time and to beat the champ up and resign.Het gets sucked into the quarrel of two Japanese brothers, one modern, the other traditional Japanese. Here he learns traditional aiki-style martial arts.Yeah... you think you see it coming! The American learns Japanese MA in a three weeks intensive course and beats every Japanese up without effort! And... NOPE he doesn't! He gets beaten up until the very end of the movie! He needs to get himself a gun in order to survive and win... and even then he gets beaten up.Furthermore the movie is especially about the culture shock between Americans and Japanese. You can see clearly how the Japanese know the American ways a LOT better than vice versa. --==## SPOILER END##==--In short: this is one of my all time favorite MA movies and it will always be, no matter what flashy MA movies are released nowadays. I prefer The Challenge above Crouching Pussycat, Hidden Lizard ANYTIME!

Though the title tends to sound like a hoaky chop sockie movie, and the movie itself has nothing to do with ninjas (only samurai and the samurai code); this is a top notch story and character study. Not to mention some pretty decent action. One only has to overlook the fact that Scott Glen seems to acquire a level of skill with the sword in a matter of weeks that take the Japanese who devote their lives to the sword years to attain. None the less, it was a great character study, as I said, and touts the qualities of honor and self-respect in contrast with a mercenary attitude and a lack of respect for anything or anyone (including ones self), and no sense of a loyalty to something higher than ones self and ones own shortsighted desires.

There are certain movies on IMDB that are enigmas. The ratings are low, but the reviews are GOOD. Such is The Challenge. Frankenheimer, who had a string of masterworks in the early 60s with Seconds, Manchurian Candidate, The Train, and at least the race parts of Gran Prix stumbled badly on several films thereafter. This, and French Connection II, helped get him back on his feet. So which is right, the low ratings or the high comments! Duh. Always go with the latter in this case. The Challenge will make you feel like you were in Scott Glen's shoes, immersed in an alien culture that you come to respect and even fight for. And any film with a Goldsmith action score is already a plus.