Zatoichi 22 - Zatoichi Meets the One Armed Swordsman

Customer Reviews:

"If only we could have understood each other" .......2007-03-28

This is your average tale from the Zatoichi series, except that Zatoichi befriends a Chinese man. After 2 highly successful movies with Jimmy Wang Yu playing the One-Armed Swordsman, he dares to take on this role in a Japanese movie with the one and only Zatoichi.

Wang Yu tries to protect a couple he has just met, and they end up dying at the hands of samurai upholding one of the Shogunate's stupid laws. He gets framed for all the killings the samurai did because he is Chinese. Talk about wrong place at the wrong time. Now he is on the run and has to keep on hiding with the couple's child while eliminating anyone who comes after him. Zatoichi looks to help the one-armed man in his crisis, but language barriers pose a big problem for the 2.

The action is good, just like all Zatoichi movies. This is only the 5th Zatoichi movie I have seen, 6 including Beat Takeshi's, and the action is BY FAR the best, at least from what I have seen. Part 6 is how far I had gotten in the series so far, and I was expecting the action to have at least minor improvements since I am jumping from part 6 to part 22, but I did not expect the action to be this good. The undercranking is used effectively, and Katsu Shintaro looks more deadly than ever. Jimmy Wang Yu is also very good, but this movie really shows how awesome Shintaro looks in comparison. Definitely one of Wang Yu's best fighting performances, but Shintaro's movements are truly lightning fast. Acting is the only area where they could be compared, and both are magnificent.

This is a Zatoichi movie, not a Jimmy Wang Yu movie. It seems like an average entry into the series, but Wang Yu is brilliant in his role, and may be the best character Zatoichi ever encountered. The cast includes a few other intriguing characters. A Yakuza boss that causes trouble, a prostitute, all of that stuff, but one guy to look out for is another blind gambler named Henoichi.

Expect great storytelling and acting, intense and graphic violence, some emotional and comedic moments, and a thrilling final battle. A masterpiece in every way.

5/5

The DVD from Animego has superb picture quality presented in widescreen. The picture is a tad grainy at times, but cleaned up remarkably. Like many DVD's from Animego, the notes provided give tons of information relating to Japanese myths and other things that come up in the film. I have heard there is a Chinese and a Japanese ending, but sadly the other ending is not included on the DVD. I can guess how the other version ends, but I still have to see it some day.

#22: A SUPERB AND WONDERFUL ZATOICHI FILM.......2006-08-31

I highly recommend this Zatoichi film. It is another in a long line of great Zatoichi films. In this wonderful episode we find Zatoichi [Shintaro Katsu] meeting a man named Wang,[Jimmy Wang] from China. Wang is a good and decent man, not unlike Zatoichi. He is also very skilled with a sword. The problem is that Ichi does not speak Chinese, and Wang does not speak Japanese. The man also has one arm. But like Ichi who is blind, this is not a handicap: Wang is as lethal as Ichi with the sword.

And although they both ally themselves against the evil they encounter, it is the continual misunderstanding between Zatoichi and Wang that lead to their parting of ways. Both of the characters are decent men. They both have a high standard of decency in terms of their fellow man: especially in defending the weak and defensless. However, it is their language barrier that prohibits these two protagonists from finding a common ground: And in turn leads to an unnecessary confrontation between the two.

The ending I do not wish to spoil for you. It occurs with a confrontation between these two protagonists. Will there be a duel? Or will they part ways amicably? I will let you watch the episode for yourself, as I do not wish to spoil the ending of this delightful Zatoichi outing for you. I highly recommend this episode to all viewers, and of course, to all Zatoichi fans everywhere. Highly recommended.

Katsu's Masterpiece.......2006-06-11

I couldn't DISAGREE with Mr. Felder more. I suggest you see all the Zatoichi movies because NONE of them disappoint. Within all the series there is an analysis of each character that encompasses a strong emotional theme. In here you have a Chinese Character/Master-Swords-Man Wang Kong, who has come hundreds of miles to find peace, only to find the blood trail left in China has followed him to Japan. There paths cross as both try to save the life of an innocent (a child of a slain family), but corruption, deceit, and betrayal, with a lack of communication cloud there paths, only to lose themselves and face each other in the end. Subjectively this is one of the best endings and fight scenes within the Zatoichi series-if not the best. In addition the musical theme, particularly the fight scene between Ichi & Wang Kong is energetic and masterful. Highly Recommended.

One of the WORST of the series........2005-06-09

Felt compelled to write, reading the other reviews here. The last Zatoichi Katsu made before his death, and this one, are the WORST of the series. Do yourself a favor and get any of the ones 1-19. The first few are good films, but the ones in the mid-60s are great Zatoichi films where the character comes into his own and the fan of the series is rewarded with subtle variations on the formula and beautiful cinematography. Any Katsu Zatoichi is worth a look, but that last one and One-Armed are really mediocre and should not be considered representative of the series. To the reviewer "afraid" of getting other ones, get over it and get the better ones in the series!

A great classic.......2005-06-02

This is also my second Zatoichi movie, my first was the last movie he made before his death. I have to say that I didn't know what to expect even though I really liked his last movie as Zatoichi. Fortunatly this movie is great and something I enjoyed from begining to end. In a way I'm a bit concerned that this may be his best movie so I'm a bit reluctant to buy more of his films. If you're a first timer to Zatoichi then buy this movie because it's a good one.

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