Ambition without Honor

One of Mike's lesser projects. He made a slew of similar Yakuza flicks during the mid-90s, most of them simple straight-to-DVD projects that can be a little tricky to keep apart from each other. Ambition Without Honor is part of a duology, but it could've been a part of any of these franchises just as easily. No surprise then this isn't one of his most memorable films.

The plot follows a young Yakuza member who wants to prove his worth and is very eager to quickly rise up in the ranks. He agrees to kill a rival boss and take the legal hit. He spends seven years in prison, but when he finally gets out almost nobody of his old gang remembers him. Cast aside by his family, all he can think of is revenge.

This is by far one of Miike's plainest Yakuza films. It's decent enough filler for people who gobble up these types of films by the dozens, but without an enigmatic lead, visual polish or a few surprises tucked away in the overly predictable plot, it's hard to recommend to anyone else. Unless you're a big crime fan or a Miike completist, there's no point in tracking this one down.