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A different take on the Zatoichi film. The interaction between Zatoichi and the One Armed Swordsman were excellent--neither could understand the other and it leads to misunderstanding and violence. The One Armed Swordsman was a little under used but this is a Zatoichi film and if they focused more on the One Armed Swordsman I would have complained they didn't focus enough on Zatoichi. Basically if you like Zatoichi movies like I do, then this is another excellent entry in the venerable series. | | LOG IN TO COMMENT ON THIS REVIEW! |
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| Every culture has its own fictional world that some obsess and linger in. America has James Bond, a film series spanning over 20 films and 6 actors! Japan has Zatoichi! But, the difference is that only one actor is synonymous with Zatoichi, and that's Shintarô Katsu. And even though the series has its share of clichés (as do all long-running movie series) that are even present in this film, Zatoichi has a message that resonates through all his films, and that is one of how to treat people. In this outing he is paired with The One-Armed Swordsman (Jimmy Wang Yu), another famous Asian Swordsman who hails from Shaw Bros. of China.
This film which features amazing and thrilling action sequences and also has a thoughtful side as frustrating scenes between Zatoichi and The One-Armed Swordsman take place, as neither can understand or interpret each other's speech, which leads to misunderstandings and eventual tragedy. Zatoichi encounters The One-Armed Swordsman with a child in hand that he has rescued from a band of samurai. But Zatoichi follows and helps the two until he returns from getting food only to find them gone. They are wanted, and Zatoichi is forced to fight to save the lives of those affected. With this film you do not leave with a fully mesmerized Summer Blockbuster mood, but it makes you go away with a sad and epic feeling that is induced by the film's exciting and symbolic ending that proves the depth of this series' theme: "Treat others as you want to be treated." |
| | AGREE? | READER COMMENTS | AUTHOR | | Y | This was a solid film and I found it very interesting how the two (Zatoichi and the one armed swordsman) were trying to communicate. | William Giordanella |
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All I can say is I have never seen a Zatoichi film I did not like or enjoy, and this is no exception. It's great to see two top swordsmen, one Japanese and one Chinese, go head to head. Great film. | | LOG IN TO COMMENT ON THIS REVIEW! |
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Not the best of the Zatoichi films that I've seen, which is probably due to the presence of Jimmy Wang Yu. I've never seen the appeal he had in his Shaws days (Temple of the Red Lotus is one the worst HK films I've ever seen that's not a Wong Jing film), and here he again fails to impress. His Windmill Fist swordplay looks awful compared to Shintaro Katsu's work, and he can't act. | | LOG IN TO COMMENT ON THIS REVIEW! |
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