The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail
1973, Japanese. Directed by Kōsaku Yamashita.
Part 5 in a long running (8+1 films) action/comedy/melodrama series about a pair of short tempered, amoral, but not evil chinpira (Bunta Sugawara and Tamio Kawachi) thinking too big of themselves. After serving four and a half years in prison, Masa and his brother Katsuji leave Kobe to go to Nagoya to help a hostess get her daughter back from her mother. As they arrive in Nagoya, they get into a scuffle with the local yakuza affiliate. Sugawara and Kawaji's chemistry is even more evident here than usual, the storyline is alright if melodramatic. Delightful start with Tatsuo Endo as a nice guy prison guard! How many times have you seen that? And we got Kyosuke Machida (henchman) with cool beard and the always good Tsunehiko Watase (young hood) on board as well. One of the best films in the series.
- Runtime
- 1h 30m
- Post-credits
- None listed
- Language
- Japanese
- Rated
- Check local
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Where to watch The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail
The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail isn’t streaming on any OTT platform in India yet; it released on 17 February 1973.
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The Viper Brothers Collection
Part of a series
The Viper Brothers: watch order
Cast & crew
Details
- Released
- 17 February 1973
- Original title
- まむしの兄弟 刑務所暮し四年半
- Country
- Japan
- Written by
- Tatsuo Nogami
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News & fan talk
Watch before The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail
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After The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail
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The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail: quick answers
What should I watch before The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail?
Watch The Viper Brothers (1971), The Viper Brothers Rage Again (1971), The Viper Brothers: Prison Gang 13 (1972), and The Viper Brothers: 18 Extortion Threats (1972) first.
What comes after The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail?
Next in the series: The Viper Brothers: The Blackmailers (1973), The Viper Brothers: Up on 30 Charges (1974), and The Viper Brothers and the Young General (1975).
Is The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail worth watching?
The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail doesn’t have enough ratings for a verdict yet.
How long is The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail?
The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail runs 90 minutes (1h 30m).
Does The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail have a post-credits scene?
None is listed for The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail. Viewers tag these on TMDB, so a brand-new film may not be tagged yet.
The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail parents guide: is it suitable for kids?
No age rating is listed for The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail yet.
Which OTT platform is The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail on?
The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail isn’t streaming on any OTT platform in India yet; it released on 17 February 1973. (Checked 14 November 2026.)
What movies are like The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail?
If you liked The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail, try The Paper Tigers, Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen, The Mole Song: Undercover Agent Reiji.
Who directed The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail?
The Viper Brothers: Four and a Half Years in Jail (1973) was directed by Kōsaku Yamashita and stars Bunta Sugawara, Tamio Kawachi, Kyōsuke Machida.