Summary:
Matsu the Scorpion is sheltered by a woman whom is being abused, while an old prison mate, the police, and a cop whose arm she hacked off hunt her.
My Thoughts:
I thought “Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion” was an awesome exploitative adventure filled with over-the-top violence and a revenge story that made me want to cheer. “Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41” continued Matsu the Scorpion’s (Meiko Kaji, “Lady Snowblood”) journey in a way that artistically expanded the world established in the first film while still giving us a compelling story that furthered the legend of our titular character. This third entry is the last of the FPS series directed by Shun’ya Ito, and while I can’t say that it’s as much fun as the previous entries in the series, I can say that fans of the first two films will probably still find a lot to enjoy in this movie: there are plenty of sleazy and exploitative scenes that justify the sequences of over-the-top graphic violence, and the way the film approaches that violence is still pretty artistic, and, of course, Matsu still has her sting.
When we left Matsu at the end of “Jailhouse 41” she had just led a troupe of convicts to freedom, and they now roamed throughout a city. This entry starts with Matsu on the run, and after hacking off the arm of a cop she quickly comes in contact with a prostitute (Reisen Ri, “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters”) whom is in an abusive incestuous relationship with her brother. The prostitute shelters Matsu from those who are hunting her, and Matsu returns the favor.
(SPOILERS FOLLOW)
For those who liked the first films in this series, there’s still a lot to grab onto, but the middle portion of this film is a bit slower, and though this series has always been about exploitation, some of the themes in this film, particularly those that revolve around the incestuous relationship, are a bit more difficult to swallow. One of the reasons the incest plotline is so disturbing is because the prostitute more or less accepts what’s going on, and after she finds out she’s pregnant, she wants to keep the child, and others seem intent on taking it away from her through a forced abortion. There have been a few scenes of rape in the other entries, but those scenes were often stylized to the point where we the viewers know what’s going on, but there isn’t anything overly graphic being shown to us. In this film, the forced abortion scene made me actually say out loud, “What the f*ck…” It’s pretty grotesque, but it also sets Matsu in motion once more.
I enjoyed Yuki’s (Yayoi Watanabe, “Female Prisoner Scorpion: 701’s Grudge Song”) reappearance. I thought her showing up to threaten Matsu was an interesting twist and it also helps to keep the series grounded in it’s roots. I also liked the addition of the detective whose arm she hacks off; his character provides a bit of humor and he’s also pretty memorable as an antagonist.
Verdict:
This entry in the “Female Prisoner Scorpion” series isn’t as good as the first two, but it is worth watching if you are a fan of the series as a whole.
Review Written By: