The Blazing Valiant (1981): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1981, The Blazing Valiant is an action and drama film directed by Toru Dobashi, running about 90 minutes.

What it’s about. Jo has just come back to Japan for the funeral of his parents, who were killed in tribal warfare in Africa where the family had been living throughout most of Jo's life. Once the funeral was over, he missed the boat that was going to take him back home, and, because of an altered itinerary, he ends up stopping in a town for awhile -- striking up an acquaintance with a teenager and her grandfather when he captures their runaway horse. He would have been glad to leave after the proper amenities were completed, but the girl's journalist brother is murdered -- he was getting too close to wrapping a major news story. At that point, Jo and a friend cannot easily drop the matter as though nothing had occurred, and the two start to track down the source of the trouble -- a factory that makes poison gas for Third World buyers. Now their task is to dismantle the operation, prevent one train shipment from arriving at a transfer point, and find the journalist's killer.

Who’s in it. The Blazing Valiant stars Hiroyuki Sanada as Joe, Kazue Itô as Kazuyo Sakamoto, Hikaru Kurosaki as Masaru Miura and Yoshinori Monta as Hiroshi Tachibana, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.0/10, The Blazing Valiant has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Blazing Valiant page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Blazing Valiant tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.