The Princess Blade

Customer Reviews:

The Princess Blade.......2007-01-10

The plot was a little lacking , but made up for it with alot of sword playing action. After on a rollercoster of action the plot came into play now. At first , not much.. but towards the end..you'll never guess. If you like cute girl with sword and knows how to use it..get it. The action scenes are great.

BLAH BLAH BLAH.......2007-01-09

I was all geeked to watch this but was disapponted...I don't feel lke they picked the right person to direct this movie. It seemed very empty to me! The fighting scenes were blah and that was what really blew it for me...maybe if it was longer it would have been better? I don't know...and then there was a mini plot with a brother and sister that SEEMED OUT OF PLACE!! sigh...Azumi was a much better martial arts sword movie.

It's interesting but I won't watch it often.......2006-12-04

I didn't the story to be quite the way Amazon tells it. To me it seems the monarchy has been long overthrown, something about 500 years (even though the cars, clothing and so on are unchanged- you don't really see much of that world)and Japan is an isolated country with a repressive government that sounds to me something like what Cuba has these days. The assassins are out after the rebels (who seem to use a lot of violence although you won't see it)who oppose the government.

I found the movie to be very depressing, a couple of characters even saying, "Let's leave this country and find someplace to be happy". The action/violence comes in spurts- most of it suprisingly not very bloody. Yumiko Shaku (who in her interview says she had no experience and only a week or so of practice before filming to get it) seems to be the best of the actors and have the best scenes in my opinion, without her work I don't know that I'd even want to see this movie again.

When I played my copy I noticed that it seems to be set for English (the dubbing is very well done) but can be set for Japanese with English subtitles, there's no closed captioning but you can use the subtitle function with the English dubbing if you need it as a substitute. The extras include some bloopers and behind the scenes things and some cast/ crew interviews. Most of these are in Japanese with English subtitling although Donnie Yen (the action choreographer) does his bit in English with Japanese subtitling.

OH MAN WAS THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-06-17

500 years have passed. That is what is says at the start. Now maybe these movies are like really common, but I need a story that is at least explainable. But the good news is that the drama is great. The comedy is really funny even though sparingly used. The action is done in a very hong kong type of style. Not what I swas expecting, cuause that is like what I always watch, but good none the less. I could have used a lttle more action, btu man was it spectacular. The wire work is noticeable, but not to make that actors look better, rather to show what happens when you get REAL athletes on wires. The fighting is VERY real throughout the whole film, and even though I like really bloody stuff, I thought this just hit the spot, but went a tad too extreme midway through. Not complaining, just warnign people it is rated R for a reason. But seriosly this movie is a 5/5. The story just needed to be A LOT better. Great acting, just no story. But I remember one scene in particular where the princess is taking on like 7 people all by herself, and the action is just seriously second to none. Add in like 5 other scenes that almost, just almost match that one. Wow what a violently spectacular film. WHEW, now that I got that point across, I can discuss the actual movie. OH BTW, I did see AT LEAST one of donnie's kicks in here, so look closely:)

So the story is about a japanese girl who is part of a team of assasins. I guess that assasins rule the world by killing people who are uprising or something in this. But anyway, the girl in this movie is like the last of her blood line and once she rebels, the other assasins want to kill her. It talks briefly how she is descended form like LONG ago and this is of great importance. But the part that captured me was the dark mood of the movie. the story is not good, but the huuman conflict going on is a very good movie watchign experience for anyone. There is a subplot which turn even darker at teh end. But overall, a wonderful movie. Also the music is great and really helps to capture the mood.

Now I have the adv films dvd and have to disagree with the pervious reviewer and say that the english dub sucks. The japanese track is AWESOME and is full of all types of emotion. If he would haev said it was better than most, I would have agreed, cause it certainly was! Sound is wonderful when the music is playing but the volume is a bit slow when it is not. The picture quality is perfecto and is widescreened. Special features-nothing. Just some anime trailers.

This Lady Snowblood Doesn't Fly.......2005-12-29

The Princess Blade is a homage to an infinitely better movie, 1973's Lady Snowblood. It's not like they try to hide that fact - it's a homage, not a rip-off. The Japanese name of both films, Shurayuki-hime, is identical, and the two main characters even have the same name, Yuki. In Japanese, "Shura" is a Buddhist term very like "Hell" or "netherworld," a place of violence and carnage. "Yuki" mean "snow" and is a common girl's name. "Hime" means "princess" or "lady." "Shurayuki-hime" is also a play on "Shirayuki-hime," the Japanese name for Snow White. All this according to the movie notes on the Lady Snowblood DVD.

In Lady Snowblood, in Meiji Japan the titular character is the child of a woman whose husband and son are murdered by a band of thugs. After the murders, the wife is raped and tortured by the killers for three days. Surviving that ordeal, she dedicates herself to tracking and killing the people responsible. She offs the first one but is then captured and jailed. Dying in prison in childbirth, she charges - some would say curses - her infant daughter to finish the job when she's old enough. For what it is, this is an extraordinarily well done film. Even with all the extreme violence and second-rate actors overdoing their death throes as they spurt buckets of fake blood we'd expect from a Seventies Japanese samurai flick, there are also moments in Lady Snowblood that are eerily beautiful.

In The Princess Blade, in that unspecified near-future time so beloved of low-budget sci-fi, Yuki's mother is the leader of a gang of assassins. Betrayed by one of her own, she's also tortured for three days, but in this case doesn't survive the experience. The daughter, unaware how her mother died - she's only two years old at the time - becomes a member of the gang herself. Not until she's almost 20 does she discover the gang leader is also her mother's murderer. After trying and failing to kill him, she runs for her life and the movie proceeds from there.

If I may be allowed to seemingly digress for a moment: I believe that most people - unless they absolutely hate a particular type of movie - will enjoy any film, of any genre, as long as it's well done. Look at all the people not previously fans of anime who loved Ghost In the Shell. The Princess Blade is low-budget, hyper-violent, Japanese chop-socky. It's well enough done that if you're already a fan of such movies, you'll probably enjoy it. However, unlike Lady Snowblood, The Princess Blade is not well enough done to have crossover appeal, i.e. it just won't do it for people not already predisposed to like this sort of film.

If you're a genre fan, I'd say of The Princess Blade, go for it. If not, and you just have an idle interest in watching a good low-budget Japanese flick with a sword-wielding female assassin as the main character, I suggest passing on The Princess Blade and watching Lady Snowblood instead (now available in an absolutely superb DVD transfer, by the way). You'll enjoy the experience immensely more.

Average customer rating:

Most Excellent Cinematography
Excellent movie.!! one of the best I've seen this year

Azumi Uncut 2 Disc Limited Edition
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Features:

Violence, Adult Situations
Uncut Version
Actors & Creators Featurettes
Stills Gallery, Music Video, Trailers

ASIN: B000EAGBJ0

Product Description

In 19th century war-torn feudal Japan, a master samurai takes on the task of raising ten orphans and training them to be assassins. Their ruthless purpose: to do the bloody work of the state by silencing rebellious warlords. After a decade of inconceivably harsh training and discipline, Azumi and her comrades are ordered to assassinate the powerful warlords Nagamasa Asano and Kiyomasa Kato. But burdened with a cruel assignment that means killing friends and enemies alike, Azumi begins to question herself, her master's, and her country's objectives. Still, Azumi remains determined to see her mission through to the bloody end.

Customer Reviews:

Most Excellent Cinematography.......2007-08-02

I picked this up on a whim yesterday for 18 bucks...Watched it last night and decided I would gladly have paid 2 or 3 times that. I have 1155 movies in my collection (excluding VHS) and AZUMI just moved to the top 20 favorites. I cannot wait for the sequal.

Excellent movie.!! one of the best I've seen this year.......2007-07-19

There were a few parts that didn't make sense, and i had to take a star off for the ridiculous boss guy that they needed to kill, but it was a good buildup to the incredible over the top 400 vs 1 battle at the end, and then the required 1 on 1 that followed with a great ending to the battle that rivals Equilibrium. Plus Azumi is a cutie. Grab this DVD, it's great, and i even watched the extras, and they were great as well. Azumi got the snot knocked out of her during the first day of shooting but she hung in there and kept doing the movie. All in all this is a great movie. Get this, Shinobi-Heart under Blade, and Kill Zone, and stay home all weekend.

Average customer rating:

The Princess Blade
BLAH BLAH BLAH
It's interesting but I won't watch it often
OH MAN WAS THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This Lady Snowblood Doesn't Fly

The Princess Blade (Special Edition)
Starring: Hideaki Ito , Yumiko Shaku , Shirô Sano , Yoichi Numata , and Kyusaku Shimada
Director: Shinsuke Sato
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002S65L8
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Description

Raised by assassins, Yuki is the last of the Takemikazuchi royal bloodline. A deadly weapon in her own right, she learns the gruesome truth about the death of her beloved mother. Turning her back on the assassins that betrayed her, she joins forces with a mysterious rebel leader and discovers compassion; still, she is driven only by revenge.

Customer Reviews:

The Princess Blade.......2007-01-10

BLAH BLAH BLAH.......2007-01-09

It's interesting but I won't watch it often.......2006-12-04

OH MAN WAS THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-06-17

This Lady Snowblood Doesn't Fly.......2005-12-29

Average customer rating:

Dark Water/Princess Blade
Starring: Dark Water , and Princess Blade
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Description

This two-pack from ADV Films brings together the best thrills and chills from today's Japanese cinema! DARK WATER is the basis for the Hollywood horror film starring Jennifer Connelly. PRINCESS BLADE is the story of a ruthless warrior princess on a path of revenge against the leader of her ninja clan.

Average customer rating:

The Princess Blade
BLAH BLAH BLAH
It's interesting but I won't watch it often
OH MAN WAS THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This Lady Snowblood Doesn't Fly

The Princess Blade
Starring: Hideaki Ito , Yumiko Shaku , Shirô Sano , Yoichi Numata , and Kyusaku Shimada
Director: Shinsuke Sato
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

ASIN: B00006G9XQ

Customer Reviews:

The Princess Blade.......2007-01-10

BLAH BLAH BLAH.......2007-01-09

It's interesting but I won't watch it often.......2006-12-04

OH MAN WAS THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-06-17

This Lady Snowblood Doesn't Fly.......2005-12-29

DVD:

DVD

DVD