James Clavell's Shogun

Amazon.com essential video

What better way to escape from the onslaught of so-called reality television than to sail away with Richard Chamberlain to "the Japans" for a little samurai action and some discreet "pillowing"? From the golden age of the miniseries comes this television benchmark, the 10-hour, Golden Globe-winning saga based on James Clavell's bestselling epic. In his award-winning performance, Chamberlain stars as John Blackthorne, the 17th-century English navigator on a Dutch trading ship. A storm runs the ship aground off the coast of Japan, a "torn and cruelly divided country" locked in a power struggle between Toranaga (the venerable Toshiro Mifune) and Ishido, two warlords who would be Shogun. Blackthorne gets over his initial culture shock ("I piss on you and your country," he defiantly proclaims to his samurai captors, which to his humiliation turns out to be an unfortunate choice of words) to become a trusted ally of Toranaga and the lover of the beautiful interpreter Lady Mariko (Yoko Shimada). Their forbidden, ill-fated romance--and Blackthorne's total assimilation into Japanese culture--is set against political intrigue as Toranaga prepares for the inevitable showdown with Ishido, and Blackthorne's growing influence threatens the local Jesuits who had built up a lucrative trade monopoly. Shogun was a production blessed with good karma, and it remains an awesome achievement from a bygone era when the miniseries was king. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews:

TAKUSAN DIJOBE DESU.......2007-08-29

Takusan dijobe desu or "this movie is very ok alot.

I had lived in Japan between Yokohama and Tokyo between 1962 and 1964 on the Tokaido Road, that great ancient highway between Tokyo (Edo) and Kyoto (Miyoko), so during the summer of 1975 as SHOGUN the book released I bought the book and was immediately carried back to the real Nippon or Japan. Admittedly it was medieval Japan, but it was in action and custom a Japan I could understand. In fact, at Odawara at the foot of Mount Fujiyama and the Hakone Mountains, I several times saw a remaining grey-stone medieval castle identical to the ones in SHOGUN.

For those of you who have never resided in Japan among the everday people, trust in the fact that this movie will bring you very close to the real thing, although several hundred years removed. The outlawed Samurai era did not completely leave Japan until almost 1900, and though it passed, most of the custom of the Japan I knew was yet controlled by that tradition. Anywhere one went on the island of Honshu, where SHOGUN has much of its action, Shinto or Buddhist all exhibited its worship of ancestor and military war lord past. Even the 'willow world' in Tokyo yet remained in spirit if not actual locations of Yoshiwara Yukwaku of the Ginza area.

If one has any interest in a very good story and a very good movie then one can do no better than view SHOGUN. The story and the action are both almost seemless. This epic movie truly captures the essence and spirit of medieval Japan as well as some of today.

Wakaru, "to understand", is what SHOGUN will aid you in doing.

Arigato gozaimasu, Sayonara. Thank you very much, and good-bye.

Semper Fi.

I love it.......2007-08-29

I love japanese history and culture, and this is one of my complete favorites. Im not expert on asian history, nor have i read the book this mini-series is based on, so i review it for what it is.

In brief, this is an great tale of an english man, captain John Blackthorne, who is shipwrecked on the island of japan in the early 17th century, and gets one hell of a culture shock if there ever was one. Eventually he finds himself in the middle of what seems to be a geo-political conflict, secrecy and war, as he trys to just stay sane and stay alive and cope with this ancient yet alltogether new world.

This is just as good as any film made for the theater, but very epic in length. And every hour is great classic entertainment. You'll meet many interesting characters from good,to bad, to the mysterious. A lot of the characters are likable and fasicinating.

The performances are charming and fun. Theres even a good dose of humor through out the parts of the film, which is welcome becouse theres plenty of serious stuff going.

The action is decent, from intense scuffles, assassins in the night, and various battles. Theres no all out massive wars, but theres still enuff sword weilding and explosive events that take place.

The music that accompanies this mini-series is well done, and memorable; the main theme in particular. That youll hear immediatly with the opening credits.

A story filled with adventure, intrique, laughs, and a little romance.
Its lots of fun and even educational, i learned some of my first words in japanese becouse of this film, since there are various scenes where John Blackthorne is given lessons the japanese language. As Blackthorne learned various things, from language to beliefs to way of life, i learned.

The depth of this feature mini-series is rich and just so interesting, nothing im typing does it proper justice. The things John Blackthorne experiences and all the happenings that take place are so indepth that it would take so much longer to type it all out. And im sure this series cant even compare to how wonderfull and utterly deep and vividly lavish and powerfull the book must be.

But,ill just say that its a captivating world that unfolds and its unforgettable.

James Clavell's Shogun: the TV film.......2007-08-11

Being chased by the Spaniards at the Magellan's straight on the high seas during the last days of the 16th century, the English pilot of the Dutch galleon the "Erasmus", John Blackthorne, sets sail altogether his crew for the "Japans" a legendary land beyond the unmeasurable Pacific Ocean, in a desperate attempt to scape from their pursuers and getting the mythical wealth of "Cathay". Blackthorne will find himself ashored on a totally strange land, where he will witness both the brutality and the utter nobleness of their inhabitants, in an era when Japan is going to change forever through the ferocious winds of civil war, brought by the feudal lords who will dispute through a time of bloodshed and turmoil, the highest rank of political and military leadership in Japan: Shogun. Surrounded by hazardous circumstances, political and religious enemies, John Blackthorne (Richard Chamberlain) will find the true love of his life in the person of beautiful and kind-hearted Lady Mariko-Buntaro (Yoko Shimada), his translator to powerful and impressive Lord Toranaga (Toshiro Mifune), ruler of the Kwanto (nowadays region of Tokyo and adjacent prefectures) and rival to Lord Ishido, ruler of Osaka Castle. In an expedition that changes his life forever, the foreigner "with the unpronounceable name" who is re-named by the Japanese as "Anjin-san" (honourable pilot), will climb from being regarded as a dangerous pirate, to "Hatamoto" and "Samurai" in a frantic chain of fateful events. A classic TV series of all times, with spectacular scenaries and splendid photography, packed in a beautiful deluxe case containing 5 DVD's, 4 of them the film, and the 5th of trivia, Japanese culture explanations, and cast comments. "Are wa anata no unmei desou, Anjin-san" = That's your destiny, honourable pilot. *****

Great Show - Lousy DVD Production.......2007-08-05

I simply cannot believe how absurd the production for this magnificent mini-series is. The 2-star rating is not for the mini-series, because that was one of the greatest shows ever produced for television.

The 2-star rating is because there are no subtitles available for the Japanese speaking parts. If you set English subtitles to ON, the only time they work is with the English speaking parts!!! So, there is no way of knowing what is being said when the Japanese characters are speaking, except when they are being interpreted by the Jesuit priest. This is so utterly stupid!!! English subtitles that only work with the English speaking characters!!! How absurd can they get?

Japan's ShoGun days.......2007-07-29

This story tells some history of the samurai and is based on truth. It has excitement, human interest, and how, if we get to know people of other countries, faiths, etc., we can get along.

Average customer rating:

Assasin
Very cool!
For once, the American version is better
Probably the greatest samurai flick ever made.
best 15 bucks ive ever spent that i can remember

Shogun Assassin
Starring: Shogun Assassin , and Masahiro Tomikawa
Manufacturer: Animeigo
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ASIN: B000FDECGA
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Description

In a time of evil and tyranny, a stone-faced ronin wanders the countryside with his young son (and a weapon-filled baby cart), hunted by the merciless minions of an evil Shogun.

Once a noble samurai, he is now the most feared assassin in Japan, known only as Lone Wolf.

Starring the legendary Tomisaburo Wakayama, Shogun Assassin is perhaps the most famous samurai film in the Western world. Created by editing together the first two Kozure Ookami (Lone Wolf & Cub) films, Shogun Assassin has sliced through pop culture much like the Lone Wolf slices through evildoers, influencing everything from GZA's 1995 Liquid Swords album to Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Volume 2. A quarter-century after its initial release, it remains one of the most deliriously violent and action-packed films of all time!

Now available for the first time in North America, Academy Award-winnning director Robert Houston's legendary epic has been reconstructed for this official release from new digital transfers of the original Lone Wolf & Cub films.

DVD Features:
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen
Dubbed in English

Bonus Material Includes:
Original Theatrical Trailers
Daigoro's History Lesson
Restoration Gallery
Program Notes

Customer Reviews:

Assasin.......2007-05-18

Another example of a good Japanese samuri film. This film quietly rolls along picking up speed and delivers the goods. Makes you laugh and smile at times.

Very cool!.......2007-05-14

In the 19th century in Japan, a lone ronin warrior named LoneWolf and his son travel across the countryside to fight off deadly ninja assassins so he can avenge the death of his beloved wife. A powerful shogun sends out minions to kill Lonewolf but can the one-man army deal with all of them himself?

One of the most violent and goriest movies of all time! This Japanese-American production is actually three films from the Japanese series "LoneWolf and Cub" into one movie and dubbed into English. A definite favorite of Quentin Tarantino as he used this movie as an inspiration to his "Kill Bill" movies, it's an entertaining and gory-as-hell is a visual action feast with some laughable English dubbing but the action is non-stop with heads being split open, slicing and dicing etc. I can see why this has got a cult following, you gotta see it to believe it.

This DVD has excellent picture and sound with the movie shown in it's widescreen presentation for the first time in the U.S.! the extras are decent like the theatrical trailer, restoration gallery, program notes and Daigo's history lesson.

Also recommended: "Ninja Scroll", "The Toxic Avenger", "Kill Bill Vols 1 & 2", "Fist of the North Star (Anime)", "Battle Royale", "Versus", "The Last Samurai", "Seven Samurai", "Ran", "Princess Mononoke", "Big Trouble in Little China", "Running Scared", "Cannibal Ferox", "Sin City", "300", "Braveheart", "The Patriot (2000)", "Street Trash", "Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky", "Ichi The Killer", "Conan The Barbarian", "Hot Fuzz", "From Dusk Till Dawn", "Bad Boys 2", "Vampire Hunter D", "Commando", "The Punisher (1989 and 2004)", "Rashomon", "Crank", "Samurai Fiction" and "Troma's War".

For once, the American version is better.......2007-03-22

Yes, it's recut, rewritten, rescored, dubbed, and chopped down from two separate films. Yet even my Japanese friends agree: this version of "Lone Wolf and Cub" is better than the original Japanese films. Here's why:

1)That fantastic score by Marc Lindsay (of Paul Revere & the Raiders fame), which absolutely blows away the original.

2) The brilliantly-written and witty script ("Those swine will butcher anyone who walks in their way! It's just bad taste!"). The highlight is the narration of Daigoro, which is not found in the original.

3) A really first-rate dub. (Even Daigoro's pronunciation of "harakiri" is accurate.)

4) Wall to wall action! This is truly the "good parts" version of "Sword of Vengeance" and "Baby Cart on the River Styx."

5) Lone Wolf is actually a MUCH cooler customer in this version. The American editors have gone through and carefully removed all of actor Tomisaburo Wakayama's over-the-top emotional reactions, creating virtually a new performance in the editing room. This version of Lone Wolf is more self-possessed and calmly lethal than the original Japanese version.

That much said, there are two problems with Animeigo's presentation. The lesser is the idiotic unremovable "unrestored" notice plastered over the opening shot of Himeji Castle, which could have been handled much less intrusively by a title card before the start of the film.

Far worse, though, is the image quality. This version was constructed from Animeigo's transfers of the original films (also available on DVD), yet the picture quality is not nearly as sharp as the originals'. It actually appears to be a generation down in quality. After years of neglect and bootlegging, poor "Shogun Assassin" still can't get a break!

Probably the greatest samurai flick ever made........2007-03-13

See other reviews for plot(i don't write plots if they have been summed up well.Just buy this movie you need it for any collection,martial arts,foreign,etc...Themes for movie is that of retribution,distrust and corruption of government.Great action and cool story with minimal effects...flawless film!

best 15 bucks ive ever spent that i can remember.......2007-02-22

the reviewers above say it all.

Average customer rating:

Awesome Twist
Terrible and Silly
This is a pretty good movie!
Enchanting movie
Ninja GO

Shinobi - Heart Under Blade
Starring: Yukie Nakama , Jô Odagiri , Tomoka Kurotani , Erika Sawajiri , and Kippei Shiina
Director: Ten Shimoyama
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ASIN: B000HXDWOG
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Amazon.com

Equal parts Romeo and Juliet and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Shinobi offers breathtaking cinematography, appealing actors, and ninjas. What more could a movie fan ask for? Released in 2005, Shinobi is set in 17th century Japan, which is dominated by two powerful clans. Oboro is a member of the Iga clan, while her lover Gennosuke is the son of the leader of the Koga clan. Both groups are comprised of expert ninjas who have developed skills unknown to most mortals. When Oboro and Gennosuke meet, they are unaware that by their birthrights, they are mean to hate--not love--each other. When the nefarious Shogun--eager to increase his own power by doing away with both clans--announces that each faction will send in five ninjas to fight to the death, Oboro and Gennosuke are sent in to battle against each other for the honor of their clans. Filled with action (including some computer-generated images to enhance the actors' warrior-like qualities) and romance, Shinobi has the makings of a sweeping epic. Though based on an anime series, the film succeeds as a stand-alone piece of work. Beautifully filmed and well-acted, the film is exciting and heartbreaking, and the viewer senses both hope and doom all the way through the finale. --Jae-Ha Kim

Description

"Masterpiece" - Toronto After Dark Film Festival

The year is 1614, Japan has been united under the Tokugawa Shoguns and the land is beginning to feel at peace. Two remote ninja clans, the Koga and the Igo, are ancient enemies but have long been bound by a peace agreement forbidding them to fight. The heirs to the leadership of both clans have fallen in love, but a tragic fate awaits them. A cruel plot is set by the Shogun to wipe these two clans from existence by breaking the peace agreement and forcing the two clans to battle. Five Ninjas of each the Koga and the Iga clans will battle eagainst each other to the death. As a great war begins, it brings the two young heirs together again. But this time as enemies.

Bonus Disc includes:

Shinobi Action - Sumpu Castle Fight

Director Storyboard Collection

Original TV Spots and Trailers

Shinobi Art - Manjidani

VFX Behind the Scenes

Weapons Introduction

"...Romeo and Juliet meets special effects, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon... soaring through the air.." "It's gorgeous, absolutely heart-breakingly beautiful." - Seattle International Film Festival

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Twist.......2007-09-15

You cannot compare this with the western style of action... If you want a film which combines love and martial arts, then this film is for you. I've watched it twice and I'm still amazed by it.

Terrible and Silly.......2007-08-22

I just watched 300 and thought it was GREAT!!! I would give it 5 plus stars... and I watched Pathfinder, another 5 star film.. Still in the mood for some action, I purchased and watched, Shinobi... Wow, what a waste of time this movie was..... It took me two attempts to get through it. First, the movie is slow.. secondly, the costumes are just out right bad.. some are even silly. One fellow is wearing what looks like a left over Adidas striped jogging suit from 1971. The sleeves on this suit were super long and he had these spaghetti like threads that went out and grabbed all his enemies.... and another guy, well, for the first half hour I was not sure if he was a guy or a girl, his lip-stick was too thick. Still, another guy looked like a giant pea pod with a face and the lead guy had some silly punk rock hair-do and looked like he would be more comfortable in a skin tight, pink patten leather, sparkle covered suit. There was NO real martial arts technique in the movie and the actors did not come across very strong... except this one guy who threw darts... He, in my opinion, was the best actor in the whole movie.... other than his good acting, I think the movie was just boring and sad.... Hey!, if you want to see a bad Japanese rip off of X-Men, then this is your film, but if you are looking for a movie with good action or a movie about Shinobi, this is just not it, as far as I am concerned.

This is a pretty good movie!.......2007-07-07

This is a good movie. yes there are all the lame angles that we've seen in films a million times, like the star-crossed lovers and stuff like that, but the abilities of the fighters were shown pretty good, and there were some really amazing scenes. The female star's "terror gaze" or whatever it was called was something to behold. It started quickly and ended quickly but it was a fun action filled ride. Poison spitting, face stealing, head slicing fun! You should definitely pick it up!

Enchanting movie.......2007-06-20

The action is great, the characters interesting, and the visuals are stunning.

The story has been done before, but that can be forgiven. While not on par with the production values of The Hero, or House of Flying Daggers, it is a very good movie that lovers of the genre should not miss.

Ninja GO.......2007-06-02

I really loved this movie. If you like ninja movies this is one of the best. It gives a little history of Japan so if you know about history you know how it ends but getting to the end is all the fun with the shinobi many skills. I recommend this movie to anyone.

Shogun Assassin, Vol. 3: Slashing Blades of Carnage

Average customer rating:

Rivers of blood

Shogun Assassin, Vol. 3: Slashing Blades of Carnage
Starring: Shogun Assassin 3-Slashing Blades of Carnage
Manufacturer: ANIMEIGO
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ASIN: B000S2CCRY
Release Date: 2007-09-11

Description

The Lone Wolf is hired to kill a beautiful female assassin with a full-body tattoo, and finds himself in a situation where honor and justice are in conflict. Meanwhile, the evil Yagyu Retsudo continues to try to arrange his death. Can the Lone Wolf survive an assault by hundreds of the Yagyu's best warriors?

Customer Reviews:

Rivers of blood.......2007-09-02

Shogun Assissin flicks are not just your average samuria flicks, these movies are violent, gory, dark, sick and bloodier then 90% of the horror films out there.

The third in this series is just as good as the previous ones and I actually think I like it more then the second Lightning Swords of death. I think it reminds me more first one with the high action and high energy. In this one Lone Wolf is hired to kill a highly skilled female assassin, and like always roams around the Japanese country side with his son brutally killing anyone who stands in his way.

I also get my comic relief from watching the Shogun Assassin films, I can't help but laugh when I see five limbs go flying across the screen, heads rolling and ninja's that can jump 20 feet high.

These movies are also known for inspiring the Kill Bill movies from Quintin Tarintino so if your a fan you should check these out. They have lots of gore and are very violent. There are decapitations, dismemberment, torture, stabbings, slashings, and rivers of blood.

Shogun Assassin 2 - Lightning Swords of Death

Average customer rating:

Excellent
Lone Wolf And Cub Installment Number Three: A Definite Must Watch!
I have the "red sun" version of this which is basiaclly a replica of the animeego one
This blade for hire
an exotic, lush, exaggerated world of Japanese and Samurai absolutes

Shogun Assassin 2 - Lightning Swords of Death
Starring: Kayo Matsuo , Tomisaburo Wakayama , Go Kato , and Yuko Hama
Manufacturer: Animeigo
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ASIN: B000LC3IQ0
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Description

Wandering the countryside with death never far behind, Ogami rescues a prostitute and offers to be punished in her place (which means being beaten to within an inch of his life). Impressed by his fortitude, a Chamberlain hires Ogami to assassinate a ruthless Governor, only to find out that the same Governor wants Ogami for a mission of his own.

When Ogami refuses the Governor's offer, he must face a series of assassins, including a dangerous gunslinger, a master swordsman and an army of soldiers. And to make matters worse, a former samurai keeps politely asking if they can have a duel!

To ensure that not a single drop of blood was omitted, this special collector's edition was created using a new digital transfer of the original Japanese film.

DVD Features:
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen
Dubbed in English

Bonus Material Includes:
Original Theatrical Trailers
Image Gallery
Program Notes

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-05-07

Classic feudal japan and samurai flick blended with modern weapons of the time. Well made.

Lone Wolf And Cub Installment Number Three: A Definite Must Watch!.......2007-01-03

Yes, they do get more violent. In fact, they are all violent. Yet their fun as hell to watch. If you are not one of those who likes violence in a film, and think that these films will be your usual fare of samurai action films, then you will be in for quite a surprise. Tomisaburo Wakayama continues where he left off: A one man army of destruction. As the third episode opens up, we find Ogami (Tomisaburo Wakayama) and his son Diagoro headed for their usual mayhem: embroiled in a power struggle with a landlord and governor during the feudal era of Japan. And although Ogami is an assassin in the true sense of the word, remorseless in his killing, he is also a man driven by a warrior code which compels him to seek out a sense of justice: Albeit his sense of justice.

This is one of the better ones of the 6 episode series. And although I have not veiwed the final two episodes in the series recently [somewhere in my vast storage] when I viewed this episode a few nights ago, I couldn't help enjoying this particular film, and would have to say it was the best of the four episodes that I have viewed recently. I would highly recommend this film to all viewers, as I have always found the Lone Wolf and Cub series to be a truly fascinating look at Japanese cinema during the early 1970s. Also, I think this episode is probably one of the better ones, however, don't stop there. View them all, starting with the first to the last. They are all interesting and fun. [as long as you don't mind the violence]. But hey, that is the nature of the characters in the film. Highly recommended.

I have the "red sun" version of this which is basiaclly a replica of the animeego one.......2006-08-06

The picture quality is as good as it gets and is anamorphically widescreened. It also has liner notes like the others in the series and lets you in on semi-important things like the Blackened Teeth. Time to upgrade your video tape and get this in the new and used section for $5.99 like I did.

I have to say that this is by far the most graphic in violence of these movies I have seen. And while one scene I didn't think was needed, it was worth it to see the aftermath.

This movie I would say is overall the best of the 3 I have seen. When Ogami is being tortured, I think it is my favorite scene of Lone Wolf and Cub. How many dudes do you know of on screen that can be beaten down until unconscious and you still think they are tougher becuase of it? But then when he starts slicing people up again, you know why you felt that way about him. And when Ogami has to face an entire army, will he stand a chance?

I have to say that I wasn't expecting this to be a shoot-em-up, it still hasd plenty of action and holds the spot for my favorite of the series so far.

This blade for hire.......2006-06-19

Ogami Itto is an expert swordsman, a ronin, an outcast mercenary who once served as the official executioner of the shogunate. Then something happened - I believe his wife was murdered, although the movie doesn't give details - and Itto, the Lone Wolf, now travels the countryside with son Daigoro, the Cub, in a niftily tricked out baby cart, selling his services to the highest bidder.

LONE WOLF AND CUB: BABY CART TO HADES is the second Lone Wolf & Cub movies I've seen and I've enjoyed both of them tremendously. Even the confusing stuff doesn't really get in the way of appreciating this great action movie. Not only aren't we told why Ogami (Tomisaburo Wakayama) is an outcast, the film also throws a lot of feudal Japanese history at you, not a whole lot of which sticks. Japan, as I gather from the story, is a political hodge-podge, with a distant shogun and a number of local feudal lords, one of whom Lone Wolf is engaged to assassinate - for his standard fee of 500 pieces of gold. There are other bad guys who carry repeating pistols, so I guess this takes places sometime during the mid-19th century. Ogami is a samurai, though, and the Code as developed through him in this movie disdains guns. The True Warrior doesn't use them. My favorite mystery, though, concerns the different techniques used by samurai. Ogami uses the Suiouryu Style, or the Horse-Slaying Technique. The identification of it is used by his enemies to tell when he was the one who made one of the numerous corpses that populate this film.

The plot is functionally unexceptional. Ogami travels with Daigoro. While at an inn Ogami defends a young woman who murdered a man who was going to sell her into prostitution. To save her, Ogami undergoes a ritual torture in her stead. His torturers want a local governor murdered. This blade for hire. The governor has resources of his own to call to his defense - sleek and silent ninjas, samurai, gunners, archers, and hordes of sword wielding foot soldiers. Can our baby-toting hero match an army sent to stop him?

LONE WOLF AND CUB: BABY CART TO HADES is pretty nonstop, exotic and engaging, with a charismatic star and son. In many ways it's similar to the proficient gunslinger coming into and cleaning up Dodge City, with the advantage of the expanded cinematic possibilities offered by sword fights. I can't wait to watch the rest of this series. Highest recommendation.

an exotic, lush, exaggerated world of Japanese and Samurai absolutes.......2005-07-06

In many ways, this is my favorite of the Lone Wolf & Cub movies. It was the first I ever saw, wherein I was trying to figure out the whole premise as it went along.

This one starts on a river trip, scenic, but I had no idea where it was going. I could not BELIEVE it when the hero cut down the first 3 assassins in the first 5 minutes... in an otherwise quiet forest, where he and his son were taking a "bathroom break". I replayed the scene twice, including slow-mo on the flourish with which he clears the blood from his sword and sheaths it.

I LOVE these movies and have watched them again and again. The photography is bright and lush when our heroes are traveling in the country. The spoken Japanese is abrupt and guttural (men) and pitched and inflected (women), and subtitles are placed well for non-distracting readability. I find myself grunting monosyllables (ooshh! yyoot!) in empathy. The costumes and side characters are bright, colorful, and medieval-Japanese folkloric (i.e., like watching "authentic" costume in a Shakespeare play).

It's an exotic, lush, exaggerated world of Japanese and Samurai absolutes that never really existed was but whose principles still appeal to some part of us. Lone Wolf & Cub are unique among Samurai movies for their exaggeration AND their not taking themselves TOO seriously.

I particularly like two things in this movie. The first is the touching interactions between father and son in simple settings like eating or washing. The second is the woman leader of the entertainment band which recruits the hero's help. She has got the best accent and attitude I have ever seen in a Japanese woman character! For that matter, NONE of the women leads in Lone Wolf & Cub movies are exactly shy, retiring types.

Be warned all the Lone Wolf & Cub movies have graphic gore (spraying blood, death throes, severed heads) and sex (rape scenes, bare bosoms).

I agree that internal and night scenes are darkly lit, but I found only a few hard to follow.

Samurai X - The Motion Picture (Rurouni Kenshin)

Average customer rating:

Samurai X - The Motion Picture way too boring
Not all that great to me. Nothing new at all.
should have been ruroni kenshin: the movie
A fitting continuation of the epic saga
Oh my

Samurai X - The Motion Picture (Rurouni Kenshin)
Director: Hatsuki Tsuji
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000056HOW
Release Date: 2001-03-27

Amazon.com

Although it boasts plenty of sword fights, martial arts combat, and odd, orange blood, Samurai X offers deeper and more sensitive characterizations than typical anime samurai epics. Based on the manga by Noboru Watsuki, the film centers on questions about the nature of Japanese society during the years following the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century. Kenshin Himura and his friends Kaoru, Sanosuke, and Yahiko seem like an ordinary, slightly goofy quartet. But red-haired Kenshin is an expert swordsman; tall, lanky Sanosuke, a martial arts master; adolescent Yahiko, a samurai-in-training. Kaoru fills the role of outspoken anime heroine. An ugly encounter with some drunken British sailors introduces Kenshin and his friends to the noble Takimi Shigure and lovely Toki Takatsuki. Shigure leads a group opposed to the Meiji government, which they believe is corrupting Japanese culture, and his ill-conceived attempt at rebellion brings him into conflict with Kenshin. A key fighter in the Restoration, Kenshin received scars on his soul that mark him more decisively than the X on his cheek; he weeps for the needless bloodshed he helped to unleash. Director Hatsuki Tsuji builds subtle visual patterns of downward motions--falling tears, fluttering bamboo leaves, the deadly stroke of a sword, Kenshin's spectacular leaps--to create a film with an unusually satisfying resolution. Not rated; suitable for ages 14 and up for violence. --Charles Solomon

Description

The war against the Tokugawa Shogunate ended years ago. But there are some who are not happy with the outcome. Shigure Takimi watched his friends and family get slashed down in the name of freedom and prosperity. Now he and a band of desparate rebels have sworn to settle one final score. Only one man stands in their way: Rurouni Kenshin. Will the former assassin take up his sword to fight again? When Shigure discovers Kenshin's true identity and his fight becomes a personal vendetta, the young hero will have no choice.

Customer Reviews:

Samurai X - The Motion Picture way too boring.......2007-08-31

I thought all the Samurai X Anime were slow and tiresome, I dont think they are worth paying over 20 dollars for. Fight scenes were few.... dialog was plentiful.

Not all that great to me. Nothing new at all........2007-07-23

First of all if your new to Kenshin skip this movie and get the TV series Rouroni Kenshin. It contains all the character development and a detailed history of Kenshin and everyones origin. You are not going to find that here. Also pick up the Samurai X ova's which is a prequel to the series.

Now on to the review. This movie has a pretty decent plot to it. But its been done to death by now if you saw the TV series. A group of samurai's is unhappy with the new government and the only way to change it is to kill and destroy. The animation to me is on par with the TV series. Its pretty good, fluid and great character designs. The fights are ok at best. After watching the TV series, especially the battle with Saiyto, then later Shishio. There really isn't anything too special to see anymore. They already used their best to make the series a classic milestone.

The bad with this movie definitely has to be the new voice actors. I wasn't pleased with any of the cast at all. Still at least they managed to keep their original personalities. I feel the characterization was off alot concerning Yahiko. At one point in the movie it seemed as though he has no respect for Kenshin at all. And by the 4th or 5th episode I'm guessing in the series, he was already idolizing Kenshin. So for him to idolize that captain was off to me. To include when he joined the resistance for revenge, this was totally out of character for him.

I'm guessing this movie takes place at somepoint before the Shishio arc. That would probably explain the reason why Saiyto is still "alive" and interacting with Kenshin. And it also explains Kenshin's overall weakness to include his lack of control for the manslayer lurking within him.

Well I took this movie for what it is. This is the 3rd time I watched and it has grown on me. Had I reviewed this when I first saw it I would've shot this with 2 stars at the most. Simply because it lacked originality and I got tired of seeing the same flashback like for the 5th time.

Bottomline if your fan of Kenshin and haven't seen this. Its worth a watch. But don't expect anything to surpass or even get as deep as the Shishio arc. They couldn't even do that in the series, so there was no way it could've been done with this.

should have been ruroni kenshin: the movie.......2007-07-05

this movie takes place midway between the series, before the shishio saga, after sanno meets his artist friend. its a stand alone story and is quite like an extended 4 episode part of the series itself.

there is some getting used to the voice actors as only a few of the voices returned for it.

if you have the series, its wrtht getting

the animation is not like the samurai x movies, it is like the series.

its worth seeing at least once... i would however reccomend having seen the series first to help in the points of reference

A fitting continuation of the epic saga.......2007-03-20

The motion picture set a few years after the end of the series is a nice look into the continuing saga of Kenshin and his gang. This anima is always at it's best when they bring in people from Kenshin's past and the era of the Meiji Restoration.

My one gripe about the anime, in general. After learning the Amakakeru Ryu No Hirameki (the Hiten Ryu's final attack) it's suddenly become the only way Kenshin can defeat enemies. I can see that being the case against Makoto Shisio, but against everybody? C'mon.

Otherwise a wonderful anime.

Oh my.......2006-09-29

I like kenshin i really do but this movie just...upset me. I like the funny cracks and jokes but it just kept on with the flashbacks. Alot more gore...if I wanted to see that I would have watched the OVA version. I don't like the way it jumped around...sigh.

A Film By Hiroyuki Nakano: Samurai Fiction

Average customer rating:

Not cool.
Awesome!!! A real samurai story
Modern Classic
Cowboy Samurai?!
This is one Creative Movie....

A Film By Hiroyuki Nakano: Samurai Fiction
Starring: Morio Kazama , Mitsuru Fukikoshi , Tomoyasu Hotei , Tamaki Ogawa , and Mari Natsuki
Director: Hiroyuki Nakano
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009V7OB
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Description

Heishiro, a noble Samurai, sets out in search of the renegade who stole his clan's treasure and killed his best friend. Heishiro should be able to hold his own against the villain Rannosuke, who has only killed hundreds of men and fought entire armies while simultaneously defending himself against dozens of deadly ninja assassins. This is Samurai Fiction. Don't believe everything you see in Chambara movies!

Customer Reviews:

Not cool........2007-08-10

Not cool at all. I've seen most of the early Samurai movies and if you are a true fan you will not like this. Everything about this movie- from the fake B&W to the stupid jump cuts is just bad and silly. No drama, just parody of convention. It's like a 6th grader watched too much Quentin Tarrantino and Kurosawa, (both of whom I love), and tried to make a movie. The music choices are dumb- the camera angels are ridiculous. Not good-bad. Bad-bad.

Awesome!!! A real samurai story.......2007-06-18

If you like people flying around and play fighting then don't get this!! This is how the samurai fought, thought, and lived. Great cinematography, music and storyline!! I never get enough of this one!

Modern Classic.......2006-08-04

Do you like anime? You'll love Samurai Fiction. This movie is a wonderful movie inspired by anime creativity, classic themes, but with modern humor and action.

Cowboy Samurai?!.......2006-07-13

I love this move because it is unique. Somehow, this sentence says it all. This is a unique movie and very original, even it is somehow a parody but also a serious one about Samurai movies. The whole movie is B&W and the actors are sometimes playing like in a 'silent movie' with strong, overdone expressions esp. Tamaki Ogawa. However this is not overdone and the movie itself is IMO far away from being too serious. In fact it is hilarious and fun to watch. I have to admit that for people who do not know very much about Japanese culture, this movie might be boring and senseless. This is not a martial arts movie even there are some fighting scenes in this movie. They story is told using a valuable sword stolen by the incredible Tomoyasu Hotei, who acts in this movie as the villan and wrote most of the music for this movie too. He also wrote the IMO unforgettable music for the big battle in 'Kill Bill 1'.
If you can lower your expectations and let yourself dive into the story, watched some Kurosawa Samurai movies before and share a general addiction to Asian culture, you should give this movie a try and I believe, you will be positively surprised. For the real lover of Japanese movies this DVD comes in the only way, it is suitable for the fan: Original Japanese language with English subtitles. If this annoys you, put it back on the shelf.
For all others, highly recommended. It features a wonderful love story, some criminal story and how the underdog Samurai can beat the master Samurai in the best sense of a drama.
For me, this is an absolute gem and stands for it's own. As I wrote at the beginning: Unique.

I am writing this here, because you can't buy this movie in Germany but I can order it in the US and I highly appreciate that I can do this and Amazon is just a very reliable company. I am not paid to write this, it reflects my true opinion :-)

This is one Creative Movie...........2005-11-29

I have watched many samurai movies and I am a huge fan of the genre. This movie uses many different styles to tell it's very simple story.
The music ranges widely. The film, though set in the past, has a modern feel to it. It's also very funny (the guy who keeps appearing/ dropping from the cealing and nearly falling over). The actors do a good job and are believable. Overall, a very fun, watchable movie. If you are into the genre, you'll like it even more.

Average customer rating:

Good starter set for collectors
Two GREAT Movies... and two other movies
Very Pleased! No Need to Worry
beware, it's from Brentwood/BCI

The Shogun Collection
Starring: Shogun Collection
Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000H5U67A
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Customer Reviews:

Good starter set for collectors.......2007-06-25

I'm a new Chiba fan and I only want to buy box sets since it's cheaper and easier that way. I'm happy with this set even though Chiba's not the star. As others have said the picture and sound are very good. Heck the box itself is better than I thought it would be. This is a solid buy for your collection and it couldn't hurt to add Chiba's Samurai collection too.

Two GREAT Movies... and two other movies.......2007-05-27

The Shogun Collection is a bit schizophrenic.

Two of the movies are great historical epic Samurai films from one of Japan's all-time great directors, Kinji Fukasaku. These movies are Shogun's Samurai, and Swords of Vengeance. Expertly directed, very well written, and brought to life by some fantastic actors, both of these movies belong in every Samurai movie fan's collection.

The other two movies are cheesy (by design) 80's action flicks where Samurais and Ninjas can perform superhuman acts (leap tall buildings in a single bound type stuff). They're passable as entertainment as long as you turn your brain off (although Shogun's Shadow does have it's moments - there is the basis of a good script, it just gets overpowered by too much cheese).

The only thing that all four of the movies have in common are supporting roles for Sonny Chiba - who is particularly good in Shogun's Samurai!

The transfers for ALL FOUR of these movies are brilliant! Beautiful anamorphic widescreen, original Japanese language soundtrack with English subtitles - these are some great DVD's! BCI Eclipse has been licensing many different movies and TV series recently, and paying attention to quality. Their licensing deal here with Adness continues that trend. They've come a long way from the "Public Domain" specialists that they used to be (although they still do that as well).

In the end, this set is worth buying for the two Kinji Fukasaku films alone - you can watch the others or, as some have done, sell them on ebay.

Very Pleased! No Need to Worry.......2006-11-19

After reading the negative review by "The Truth Hurts", I was initially reluctant to make this purchase. Having said that, I went ahead and took a chance, and I'm glad I did. This is an excellent collection of films at a very low price. There are a few things you should be aware of before making the purchase, though.

The films are not all of the same genre. Of the four films, two of them (Shogun's Ninja and Shogun's Shadow) fall under the matial arts category, and are reminiscent of "Lone Wolf and Cub" and "Shadow Hunters". The other two, "Shogun's Samurai" and "Sword of Vengence" are historical dramas more in the vein of "The Seven Samurai" and "Chusingura". In fact, "Sword of Vengence" is a variation of the same story as "Chusingura", another retelling of the 47 ronin. The latter two fims are more plot driven and feature far less action. This is just fine by me, as I enjoy both types of samurai film.

Another thing you should know is that Sonny Chiba is not actually the star of any of these films. He plays a supporting role in all of them. So die hard Sonny Chiba fans may be disappointed.

All and all, this is an excellent purchase for fans of Japanese cinema, especially considering the price. Most Japanese films cost a premium (check out the price being asked for any Kurosawa or Lone Wolf and Cub film), so to get four excellent films for the price of one is a steal.

I don't know anything about the distribution company that sells this, and frankly I don't care. I can tell you that the sound and picture quality of all of these films is excellent. There are absolutely no issues there at all. There is an issue with the misleading marketing of these as "Sonny Chiba films" which I've already discussed, and for that this collection should be deducted one, maybe even two stars, but I'm going to go ahead and award it five to offset the unjustified one-star review.

Highly recommended!

beware, it's from Brentwood/BCI.......2006-09-19

the movies get 5-stars but the company 1-star.
no matter how they try to justify their poor quality releases, the buying public are finally catching on that anything released by Brentwood, BCI Eclipse, Deimos (etc.) is going to be a poor effort. they lie about the version(s) on the DVD(s) -- substitute "TV" version(s) instead of the "Theatrical" version(s), call something "Widescreen" when it's a hack-job cutting off foreign subtitles on an English dub print, or just horrible DVD transfers and/or encoding errors. (yet always blames it on "the source material" which is just a weak cop-out)
so, what are they doing over there at BCI to better their image? well, how about taking movies already released, movies with excellent quality, encoded perfectly, and re-packaging them as THEIRS!? well, that's what you are getting with this box set. these movies were already released by ADNESS. a company who i am guessing is now out-of-business, whose owner decided to become part of the (new?) management at BCI.
this 'budget' re-pack includes the following titles:

- Shogun's Samurai (Yagyû ichizoku no inbô/The Yagyu Conspiracy) (1978)
- Shogun's Shadow (Shôgun Iemitsu no ranshin - Gekitotsu/Geki Totsu: The Insanity of Emperor Iemitsu Gekitosu) (1989)
- Swords of Vengeance (Ako-jo danzetsu/The Fall of Ako Castle) (1978)
- Shogun's Ninja (Ninja bugeicho momochi Sandayu) (1982)

for those of you who didn't buy the Adness versions, this is a good buy for you. just know you are supporting a company who doesn't care about these movies, or you the customer.

Shogun's Samurai - The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy

Average customer rating:

the yagyu guy is the worst kind of human being
Add this to your collection
Not Bad
NOT FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT ENJOY HIGH DRAMA AND GOOD MOVIES IN GENERAL
An actually intersting film.

Shogun's Samurai - The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy
Starring: Kinnosuke Nakamura , Sonny Chiba , Hiroki Matsukata , Teruhiko Saigo , and Reiko Ohara
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Manufacturer: Adness
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001XAKC4
Release Date: 2004-08-17

Customer Reviews:

the yagyu guy is the worst kind of human being.......2007-06-04

what a vicious, heartless, cold-blood murderer, conspirator, puppet master and manipulator in japanese shogun era. this yagyu guy was actually the guy who controlled every thing behind the scene. we've seen lot of this kind worst person in human history.
this is a very good japanese political saga, telling a story of a man who would sell his own soul and family to achieve something he was not born to have, but by manipulating and conspiring, he had changed a lot of peoples' fates. we are also seeing a lot of this kind manipulators and conspirators in our present administration.

Add this to your collection.......2007-03-10

Sony Chiba was cool as always.This is a must for any martial art fan(especially of the japanese arts),you wont be disappointed.See above review for plot.Good action,good dialouge,interesting plot.Medieval setting.Just buy it.

Not Bad.......2007-01-11

Story's pretty good. I like the structure of the plot with all the twists and turns, although I wished the fight scenes were more intense and dramatic. Alot of the fight scenes were super short with one hit kills. I expected more especially towards the end. The characters for my taste were a little funky, but the film was made awhile back so I guess I can't expect too much. Overall it's not bad.

NOT FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT ENJOY HIGH DRAMA AND GOOD MOVIES IN GENERAL.......2006-03-16

I think that I had every shogun movie but this.

Now this was certainly not what I expected. They don't just give you a simple story, they explore this story in every possible way. I wish that I could give a better review, but I wouldn't give a good one with how good the story is with this. Also if I reviewed it I would give it away, and that would be a real shame.

So don't expect a sonny chiba cause this movie is certainly an epic that doesn't highlight just one actor like the last samurai did.

The dvd itself has a VERY good picture and good 2-channel audio, but don't really expect any serious bass. The subtitles are good and I can only remember one line where I did't get a translation, but I can guess whta he said so it didn't matter. It also has nice notes inside the dvd case.

So go out and get this and do not wait around like my stupid-ass did.

"Cut down Buddha himself if he stands in your way". Yeah, it's pretty good!

An actually intersting film........2006-01-23

This is one of those Sonny Chiba films that I actually thought were intersting and not cheesy funny. It makes you think and it makes you question on what really happened to the prince. WATCH THIS FILM!

The Sonny Chiba Collection: Shogun's Ninja

Average customer rating:

A classic, finally on DVD
Really good flick 1 of his best movies
worth watching

The Sonny Chiba Collection: Shogun's Ninja
Starring: Sonny Chiba , Henry Sanada , Sue Shiomi , Noribumi Suzuki , and Hiroyuki Sanada
Director: Noribumi Suzuki
Manufacturer: Adness
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009IW8BW
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Description

Hideyoshi (Asao Koike - G.I. Samurai), a power hungry warlord, sends his war commander, Shiranui (Sonny Chiba) to the Momochi fort to destroy the Momochi Clan, the Iga ninja group and to obtain it's hidden gold. Two daggers tell where the hidden gold is located. One is in the possession of Sandayu Momochi, head of the Momochi family…but who has the other. Midst the fierce war with the Koga force, another ninja faction, all of the Momochi clan is killed except for Takamaru (Hiroyuki Sanada - Ninja Wars) who escape overseas. Ten years later, he returns for revenge.

Customer Reviews:

A classic, finally on DVD.......2007-02-27

I first rented this from Blockbuster on VHS in the early 90's when I became interested in Japanese cinema, martial arts and history. I immediately fell in love with this flick, which takes incredible liberties with historical figures, but delivers some very memorable showdowns. Sometimes funny, sometimes brutal, sometimes bizarre, sometimes educational, always entertaining!

Really good flick 1 of his best movies.......2006-05-04

A ruthless warlord bent on gaining control of Japan. At the behest of the Emperor, he kills the head of the Mimoshi clan and then comes after his family. And then comes the REVENGE what kind of plots would there be if it wasn't for revenge. "Vengenace is mind saith the Lord" This movie spun anime flick ninja scroll which is really good check that out too! Holla dubose123@verizon.net

worth watching.......2006-03-06

Not you average movie, unless you have seen all of chibas samurai movies. I found it very enjoyable. I don't have this version, but I did get 9 movies for $6, so for the price, this movie rates more like a 5/5, but just reviewing it as a movie, it was pretty good. Sonny chiba's fav apprentice is back for this one and shows a lot of the stuff that he did in Ninja in the Dragon's den. His dad was kille dand now hes like that last of his line and he needs to defeat chiba's evil ninja character. Some very good exhibitions and good hand to hand. All the action is VERY good, but there is not enough, all in all final fight was good, very good parts in the movie all the way through. Much better than ninja wars-a similiar movie that came with this collection.

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