Matters aren't helped by the sappy national pride that's used to convince the villagers to fight the bad guys. I'm all in favor of being loyal to one's country, but they didn't have to make it this mushy.

As stated, the action scenes are not constructed like they're supposed to be. They're just individual stunt pieces that look unrealistically out of place with the movie. The players are great athletes, but more relevance to their scenes would have helped.
 

The movie makes great use of prosthetics and puppetry and is a real adventure!
 

The movie takes a familiar story of how a gangster's life can be glamorous at one point, and then get taken away for the slightest of reasons. It's a good reminder how such a lifestyle will make you think you have friends, but in the end they don't care about you.

The story was told in such a way that it felt brand new. Every actor did a great job and were able to convey such emotions without having to say a word. Even though there is plenty of talking in the movie, people speak the loudest with a simple facial expression.

The action is really the cherry on top of the ice cream, and it's well done. It's quality is accentuated by the drama that precedes it, and the charisma of the star.

This movie is a absolute must own.
 

I do kind of wish that some leniency was shown for certain characters like a pregnant woman and a prison guard (Ilsa Thorne! Combination of Dyanne Thorne and Ilsa from her infamous prison movies.) who for being a reference to the real Ms. Thorne turned out not to be evil, but just sexually frustrated.
 

My favorite movie. ("Kill Bill" as one big feature.)

I've been a fan of Tarantino for many years, and I was overjoyed when I found out he was making an Asian influenced action movie. The story is good, and the interaction between characters combined with Quentin's flawless direction was a total treat.

The Japanese version doesn't just feature the House of Blue Leaves scene in color. Somehow, the camera angles looked wider, and it was easier to SEE the action taking place which made the sequence all the more excellent.