Review by Fat Jack
My Rating 5 stars out of 5
Now available on DVD
Not Rated
Directed by: Kenji Misumi
Starring: Tomisaburo Wakayama and Akihiro Tomikawa
Netflix: 3.3 stars out of 5
IMDb: 8.0 stars out of 10
SYNOPSIS
Revenge. Revenge is the classic Samurai plot line. No wire-fu here, no Hong Kong chop socky. No one jumps in the trees or walks on water. This is classic cinema, dramatic and beautiful. Ogami Itto is a high-ranking samurai working as the executioner for the Shogunate (the leader of a region, directly beneath the Emperor.)
As with any highly stratified political state, there are always conspiracies afoot. The shadow arm of the Yagyu clan set up Ogami, killing his wife and disgracing his position as executioner. This in turn leads the Emperor to call for the death of Ogami and his infant son – by seppuku. You probably know of it as hara-kiri: The ceremonial act of suicide. (Just as an aside, I will tell you that the person committing seppuku sits in seiza (sitting on the knees) inserts his own smaller blade into his left side gut, turns the blade, and then runs it across his own belly, dumping his entrails onto the floor. As he slumps over dying slowly, another samurai cuts his head off. Interestingly, if it is an honorable death, then the neck waddle is left intact.
Well Ogami refuses to commit seppuku. He, instead, decry’s this treachery, proclaims he and his son as demons, and swears vengeance on the Yugyu clan. So why don’t the Yuhyu clan just kill him? When it comes time for them to do that, he strips off his death robes and is wearing the sigil of the Shogunate (a crest worn on the clothes.) The Yugyo clan cannot bring their sword against the crest of the Shogun, so they challenge him to a one-on-one duel. If he wins, he and his son are given their life, but are banned from the region. The movie is only half-way done, so I give little away when I tell you that he wins.
Now a masterless samurai, this ronin leaves the land. The tales of this samurai and child are told in villages throughout the land and they become known as Lone Wolf and Cub, assassins for hire.
FACTS
This movie was made in Japan in 1972, the year before I was born, and it is 88 minutes long. You will notice that during many cinematic transitions you may see water falling or grass swaying, but do not hear the water falling, the wind blowing, nor music playing. I don’t know why, but I found it interesting. Maybe MC at Entertain Me will know and will leave comments. It’s a 70’s movie, so you will see a breast or two. There is a beautiful scene displaying a sexual encounter; it is so artfully done, masterfully obscuring the rawness of the act so the tenderness shows through.
As for blood and gore, there is some, but not as much as one might expect. The samurai sword, unlike many other swords, is not meant to be twirled. The fights last seconds. This is because of how the sword is designed. The iaito (sword) is folded and hammered over and over, making it very strong. The sword is designed to cleave a person right down the middle, leaving two halves. It is meant to lob of limbs. Long, drawn-out fight sequences are more about movie making than actual technique. Lone Wolf and Cub, unlike Kill Bill, portrays the quickness and power of the sword. For a traditionalist or practitioner the realism makes for a more convincing experience.
Comic geeks will know, and undoubted be upset that I have not yet mentioned the fact, that there is also a comic adaptation of this book by Dark Horse Comics. It is now being released in a 28-volume set with a total of 7,000 pages. Each edition costs $10 and is approximately 300 pages. I would have started collecting them back in the days when I was reading comics, but they are black and white and I usually prefer color to my comics, although I love black and white photos. Go figure that. For your information, Wikipedia has a listing on Lone Wolf and Cub.
THE MOVIE SERIES
DVD REVIEW
The DVD doesn’t have a lot of extras, but what it has are cool. Subtitles are offered in two versions. The full, enhanced subtitles offer information about Japanese culture, signs, and other information to help Americans understand what is happening in the movie. The subtitles change colors when multiple people are speaking, to help you discern between actors. I suggest using this feature. The other subtitle offered is just a basic subtitle. I like subtitles. You get a better translation, but they should have offered a dubbed version as well. The DVD also offered trailers to the other movies in the series.
MY THOUGHTS
Don’t watch this with your kids, until you see it yourself. For you who appreciate the story and the character more than just mindless action, then you will love this. It is unrated you know. Heads do roll, limbs are lobbed off, and blood gushes. Not quite by the gallons such as Tarantino is fond of, but it’s there. Oh yeah, baby, it is there. But the blood doesn’t get in the way.
(Sorry kids. There are not quotations for you. I can't seem to find any and I didn’t have the energy to go back and take notes. I can’t find any trailers.)
My Rating 5 stars out of 5
Now available on DVD
Not Rated
Directed by: Kenji Misumi
Starring: Tomisaburo Wakayama and Akihiro Tomikawa
Netflix: 3.3 stars out of 5
IMDb: 8.0 stars out of 10
SYNOPSIS
Revenge. Revenge is the classic Samurai plot line. No wire-fu here, no Hong Kong chop socky. No one jumps in the trees or walks on water. This is classic cinema, dramatic and beautiful. Ogami Itto is a high-ranking samurai working as the executioner for the Shogunate (the leader of a region, directly beneath the Emperor.)
As with any highly stratified political state, there are always conspiracies afoot. The shadow arm of the Yagyu clan set up Ogami, killing his wife and disgracing his position as executioner. This in turn leads the Emperor to call for the death of Ogami and his infant son – by seppuku. You probably know of it as hara-kiri: The ceremonial act of suicide. (Just as an aside, I will tell you that the person committing seppuku sits in seiza (sitting on the knees) inserts his own smaller blade into his left side gut, turns the blade, and then runs it across his own belly, dumping his entrails onto the floor. As he slumps over dying slowly, another samurai cuts his head off. Interestingly, if it is an honorable death, then the neck waddle is left intact.
Well Ogami refuses to commit seppuku. He, instead, decry’s this treachery, proclaims he and his son as demons, and swears vengeance on the Yugyu clan. So why don’t the Yuhyu clan just kill him? When it comes time for them to do that, he strips off his death robes and is wearing the sigil of the Shogunate (a crest worn on the clothes.) The Yugyo clan cannot bring their sword against the crest of the Shogun, so they challenge him to a one-on-one duel. If he wins, he and his son are given their life, but are banned from the region. The movie is only half-way done, so I give little away when I tell you that he wins.
Now a masterless samurai, this ronin leaves the land. The tales of this samurai and child are told in villages throughout the land and they become known as Lone Wolf and Cub, assassins for hire.
FACTS
This movie was made in Japan in 1972, the year before I was born, and it is 88 minutes long. You will notice that during many cinematic transitions you may see water falling or grass swaying, but do not hear the water falling, the wind blowing, nor music playing. I don’t know why, but I found it interesting. Maybe MC at Entertain Me will know and will leave comments. It’s a 70’s movie, so you will see a breast or two. There is a beautiful scene displaying a sexual encounter; it is so artfully done, masterfully obscuring the rawness of the act so the tenderness shows through.
As for blood and gore, there is some, but not as much as one might expect. The samurai sword, unlike many other swords, is not meant to be twirled. The fights last seconds. This is because of how the sword is designed. The iaito (sword) is folded and hammered over and over, making it very strong. The sword is designed to cleave a person right down the middle, leaving two halves. It is meant to lob of limbs. Long, drawn-out fight sequences are more about movie making than actual technique. Lone Wolf and Cub, unlike Kill Bill, portrays the quickness and power of the sword. For a traditionalist or practitioner the realism makes for a more convincing experience.
Comic geeks will know, and undoubted be upset that I have not yet mentioned the fact, that there is also a comic adaptation of this book by Dark Horse Comics. It is now being released in a 28-volume set with a total of 7,000 pages. Each edition costs $10 and is approximately 300 pages. I would have started collecting them back in the days when I was reading comics, but they are black and white and I usually prefer color to my comics, although I love black and white photos. Go figure that. For your information, Wikipedia has a listing on Lone Wolf and Cub.
THE MOVIE SERIES
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Care at the River Styx
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons
- Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell
DVD REVIEW
The DVD doesn’t have a lot of extras, but what it has are cool. Subtitles are offered in two versions. The full, enhanced subtitles offer information about Japanese culture, signs, and other information to help Americans understand what is happening in the movie. The subtitles change colors when multiple people are speaking, to help you discern between actors. I suggest using this feature. The other subtitle offered is just a basic subtitle. I like subtitles. You get a better translation, but they should have offered a dubbed version as well. The DVD also offered trailers to the other movies in the series.
MY THOUGHTS
Don’t watch this with your kids, until you see it yourself. For you who appreciate the story and the character more than just mindless action, then you will love this. It is unrated you know. Heads do roll, limbs are lobbed off, and blood gushes. Not quite by the gallons such as Tarantino is fond of, but it’s there. Oh yeah, baby, it is there. But the blood doesn’t get in the way.
(Sorry kids. There are not quotations for you. I can't seem to find any and I didn’t have the energy to go back and take notes. I can’t find any trailers.)
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