Shogun Assassin (Strong Uncut Version) (DVD)

This is a classic old school samurai film. This film was previously banned in this country for it's violent graphic nature, but nowadays I guess we are made of sterner stuff. If you are easily distressed then this moive is not for you. There are very explicit scenes of swords being buried into heads, heads splitting in half, and more blood gushing than you can shake a stick at.

The film centres around Ogami Itto, who is played by Tomisaburo ...
...come to be referred to has Lone wolf and Cub. Itto is the shoguns chief executioner and a powerful man. So much so that lord Retsudo soon wants him dead out of sheer fear. In the initial attack Itto's wife is slain, and Itto decides to dedicate his life to taking the life of lord Retsudo and all those close to him, {one way of getting rid of the existential angst i guess} In a scene at this point he places a ball on the floor and a sword and he makes ... more

This is a classic old school samurai film. This film was previously banned in this country for it's violent graphic nature, but nowadays I guess we are made of sterner stuff. If you are easily distressed then this moive is not for you. There are very explicit scenes of swords being buried into heads, heads splitting in half, and more blood gushing than you can shake a stick at.

The film centres around Ogami Itto, who is played by Tomisaburo Wakayama and his son. In the film these characters soon come to be referred to has Lone wolf and Cub. Itto is the shoguns chief executioner and a powerful man. So much so that lord Retsudo soon wants him dead out of sheer fear. In the initial attack Itto's wife is slain, and Itto decides to dedicate his life to taking the life of lord Retsudo and all those close to him, {one way of getting rid of the existential angst i guess} In a scene at this point he places a ball on the floor and a sword and he makes his son who is a toddler choose an item. If he chooses the ball Itto says "you will join your mother, choose the sword and you join me on the road to hell" what a joyous option for a child! inevitably the boy chooses the sword and now this film hots up.

This is where the transition is made and they should their old selves for becoming Lonewolf and Cub. Whilst on his mission to Deal with lord Retsudo Itto becomes an hired assassin, to eek out a living for him and his son, as well as keep his skills honed. In the film Itto faces Retsudo's son's, Ninjas, and whole armies of samurai, which all fall foul of Itto's array of weaponry. The pushchair used by Itto, would be most mum's dream come true when out shopping. For this buggy conceals conceals loads of nifty weapons and gadgets, like something out of a Bond movie.

The film is very well done, and is quite a must have for fans of the samurai genre. The period costumes are totally authentic, as is all the sword play. The downsides to the movie are the dubbing, yes typical cheese in abundance, and picture quality in one or two places since the conversion is not spectacular. The Soundtrack will hardly make you ecstatic and on occasion the sound quality is a little dubious. 

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