Female Prisoner #701 Scorpion: Grudge Song

What I’ve gathered during my time with these films is that the scariest thing in the world is a group of Japanese men in suits , you’re guaranteed to get molested and then some, it’s non stop! Dark spooky alley on one side, brightly lit street with a gaggle of Japanese businessmen standing around a bench, I am going through the dark spooky alley in this world. Scorpion had a good send off in the last one so this is just whatever but I’ll take more piercing death stares and floppy hats

The plot is potentially more interesting than before with some complexity to the characters. Tries to humanise the Scorpion a little bit but sacrifices the brash mythical aspects. More "tasteful" & conventional exploitation thriller that works but feels slightly awkward with the whole concept of these movies. Hasebe clearly attempts to emulate the style of the previous films but sorely lacks the surreal & radical flair Ito brought to the project. I'd watch anything with Meiko Kaji in it though.

With a new director this unfortunately is the least of the (original) series. Honestly this was an unnecessary sequel, since Sasori's arc was completed with the third entry. But judging on its own, this is still a surprisingly solid and enjoyable movie. It's especially in the second half, which takes place in a prison again, it comes closes to the level of the previous movies.

It's honestly baffling as to what they did with this movie. The previous three films increasingly see the Scorpion as an vengeful spirit of wronged women, but this film has her fall in love with a sad sack of a character and decide to steal money with him. Hasebe tries at moments to give the film a visual flourish, but it falls flat when the characters no longer have the same emotional build-up behind him. Kaji still has a distinctive look, peering out through her black curtains of hair, I guess

Decent, but not a worthy successor to the original trilogy. As user Magby said, there's a definite change in tone here and I much preferred the playful over-the-top stylishness that the first three scorpion three films had.

There's a new director at the helm for this one. I don't know how important Shunya Ito was for the style and feel of the three first Scorpion films, but considering there's a definite change in tone here, I'm guessing the answer is "quite important". This time around the violence is harsher, the politics are more pointed, the style is less expressionistic, and Scorpion's character is... different. Along with the over the top, comic-y style, some of the fun has also been taken out.

Just ignore that silly poetic quote at the ending.

Solid Scorpion sequel, Meiko Kaji is gorgeous and her all black "angel of vengeance" look is iconic.