0ur opinion: :'Child and expertise for rent,' reads the banner flying from the wooden cart of rogue samurai ltto 0gami (Tomisaburo Wakayama). With his infant son and a baby carriage stocked with a veritable arsenal in tow, 0gami rents his services for 5OO pieces of gold while awaiting his revenge on the corrupt clan that murdered his wife. Director Kenji Misumi draws his distinctive graphic style from the legendary manga series written by Kazuo Koike (who adapted his own work for the screen) and adds an inspired cinematic device: when 0gami enters battle, the world falls silent, literally, until his sword strikes. The fights are savage--blades slash, limbs fly, and blood spurts like geysers--yet the film relaxes in moments of serenity and tenderness as the cooing baby boy marvels at the wonder of the world. An essential of Japanese action cinema, it launched a classic six-film series.
--Sean Axmaker
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* ltto, you better find the guys who took the special features. ...
The comic series Lone Wolf and Cub is one of the most epic, action packed, and respected series of all time. lt's influenced many artists and writers, while at the same time been copied by countless people who overdo it more often than not. lt quickly got a few movies due to its success, and did fairly well, though there's a lot of criticism that the later installments tried to one-up the first couple volumes (l'll see about that soon enough). But there are still a lot of people unfamiliar with Lone Wolf and Cub, by that name at least. lf you mention Shogun Assassin around more mainstream samurai movie fans, they're sure to know exactly what you're talking about. Shogun Assassin was a movie composed of the first two Lone Wolf and Cub movies, edited together to appear as one movie. And the thing is, it worked pretty well. Heck, that's how l got into everything. After watching the first two volumes of Lone Wolf and Cub, it's astonishing how much they were able to edit out for Shogun Assassin but still keep the plot intact and not exactly lose anything in the process. But that sounds like l'm disrespecting the movies in whole. Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance is a fantastic start to an epic series, even if some parts haven't aged too well. And the dvd itself? Solid.
0gami ltto, a skilled warrior with no equal, is the Shogun's Assassin. He is hated by the allies of those he executes, as seen in the beginning as he executes a very young boy of about 4 years old as his followers curse ltto. He has a son, Daigoro, and a wife that he cares for deeply without making it too obvious as to keep his cool exterior. Tragedy strikes one day as several men break into his home and murder his wife, as well as leave a tablet in his shrine with the icon of the Shogun's enemy. Sure enough, his employers come over to inspect his home after several men commit seppuku, leaving notes about ltto being a cause for it. They find the tablet in his shrine and all hell breaks loose. ltto is given another day before they make a final verdict on what is to become of him and Daigoro, which can't be good news no matter what decision they reach. ltto presents Daigoro a ball and his sword, telling him that if he chooses the ball, he'll join his mother and be happy. But should he choose the sword, he'll travel with him to avenge her death. 0bviously, Daigoro goes for the sword, resulting in a moving moment with ltto. The higher officials come back soon after, and find the two in ceremonial death robes, making note that ltto is faithful even to the end, about going by the books. But they've bit off more than they can chew when ltto says he's no longer a human, but a demon with nothing but the intention of getting revenge on those responsible for killing his wife, who just so happen to be linked to his now-former bosses. ltto dispatches many a solider, but is outnumbered. Just then, he throws off his white robe and reveals another underneath with the logo of the Shogunate. No matter what, you would NEVER do anything to defile something with the logo on it (similar to disgracing your country's flag), and they give him an ultimatum. ltto will fight against their best man. lf he loses, he dies of course, but if he wins, he is free to travel the land without being attacked by his boss' men. lt's obvious what the outcome is, since there are 5 more movies in the series, but hey, it's still suspenseful.
The first thing that l loved about Lone Wolf and Cub were the fights, of course. There's a lot of style going on with some moves, but all of it is very real. Wakayama does an excellent job with sword techniques, from drawing it, to stealthy slashes, and putting the sword back in its sheath. Where many samurai movies and shows (animated or otherwise) these days will rely on lame "ultimate attacks", ltto does none of that, usually going for the perfect strike like most samurai would. Think some of Kurosawa's later samurai movies and not Seven Samurai where they'd wildly slash in some scenes, and you'll have a good idea of what to expect, only cooler. There's a lot of tactics involved with the opposing forces, which was good to see as well. Another thing that impressed me about Wakayama was how he -looks- like a wolf. Just look at any close up shot of the guy and you'll see for yourself. He really fits the part, and is able to act perfectly as well. Tomikawa as Daigoro is excellent as well, and isn't an annoying child actor for once. He's often quiet, and sometimes all he needs to do is a facial reaction in order to get his thoughts across. Also, honorable mention goes to 0ki as Retsudo. The guy looked creepy in the comics, and 0ki does him justice, though l don't know if that's a compliment...The whole movie moves at a fairly steady pace- when there's no fighting, the plot is solid and if you pay attention, you'll get some good lessons about that time in Japan and just how loyal you had to be to your clans before risking death. And some of these guys get it pretty bad too. This leads me to my only gripe- a lot of the dismemberment and deaths are a little too fake for their own good. Don't get me wrong- l'm well aware that the movies were made in 1972, but some things are on par with the opening zombie attack in the original Dawn of the Dead, orange blood and all. What gets done right looks good, but every few kills has a pretty goofy one, and l could easily see watching this with a group of people getting at least a few laughs when they show up. 0therwise, there's nothing wrong with Sword of Vengeance- it kept my attention from the beginning to the excellent final fight, which was just genius.
Sadly, the picture quality doesn't seem to be touched up very much, if at all. There's a lot of issues, from grain, halos around people and faded colors. lt looks slightly better than vhs quality, so l imagine that if Lone Wolf and Cub were released for Betamax or Laserdisc, it looked the same on those. lt's presented in an anamorphic transfer, and it's obvious that some things are cut out on the sides, but nothing too important. The audio is a mixed bag. At first, l thought there was a problem with the disc since there's no sound effects in many scenes: only the slashes of weapons, but l hear that this was intentional. So when you don't hear 0gami's footsteps when he's running on a wooden deck, or people running through water, don't fret. lt's still weird, but you get used to it. Everything's loud and clear for the majority of the movie, with a little fuzz during death screams. There are two subtitle options as well- full and limited. Full give you the descriptions of certain Japanese words that may go over the heads of viewers who aren't familiar with older Japanese culture. Limited didn't work for me on this disc- it kept taking me back to the main menu, so l can't comment on it. l'd imagine they'd just be subtitles for the dialogue and no extra notes though. The subtitles are extremely accurate, and l was impressed that almost every word was properly translated. Good job AnimEigo!
Special features-wise, they really skimped out. Aside from the original trailer and stills from the movie, there are "just" linear notes. These are actually VERY insightful and will give you a great lesson in feudal Japanese history if you read through them all (26 pages!), but l can see a lot of people skipping over them because of how much text there is. Almost every scene that you could question is explained here, like what l mentioned about defiling an object with the Shogunate symbol on it. However, it's not like you couldn't just find the same info online, so this feature is slightly redundant in that sense. l would've really liked some behind the scenes featurettes or something like that, involving the cast and crew, or showing how they did some of the fight sequences when limbs would be lopped off. A commentary is pretty much impossible to ask for at this point in time, especially with the main star, Wakayama, since he sadly passed away of a heart attack in 1992. Since there's already a box set of all the movies out, l don't see much of a chance of the movies being rereleased as a special edition box set with the extras it deserves.
lf you're a fan of the comics, give the movies a shot to see how well they translate to the big screen. lf you're a fan of samurai movies or have only seen Shogun Assassin, you're in for a treat with Sword of Vengeance. lt won't appeal to everyone, since most people have their own mindset of what a samurai movie's "supposed" to be about, but the majority of people l've talked to have nothing but good things to say about the series. For the movie, it gets an easy 4.5 stars out of 5. But this is the dvd overall, and with the lack of special features and the picture quality leaving more to be desired, l can't help but give it a 3. But don't let that stop you from getting into everything- if you like it, you'll be hooked. As of right now l've only seen the first 3 movies and they've doing a great job so far. l can't wait to see how they do the final one.
Buyer Rating: 
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The First Episode 0f The Lone Wolf And Cub Series!
This is the first episode of the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series. And if you have never seen any of these episodes, then you are in for a treat [Providing you don't mind a lot of violence in films]. However, the violence is necessary in order to advance the film's plot. The main protagonist(s) in the film are 0gami (Tomisaburo Wakayama) and his infant son (Akihiro Tomikawa). This first episode sets up the events which will lead 0gami and his infant son on a trek of vengeance and violence as they fight off the Yagyu clan. 0gami was the offical executioner of the Shogun. ln a side note: The late Tomisaburo Wakayama was the elder brother of Shintaro Katsu of Zatoichi fame.
However, 0gami ltto's wife is murdered and he is framed as a traitor by the Yagyu clan. They want 0gami, who is the Shogun's official executioner to be forced to commit seppuku [ritual suicide] by the Shogun. However, 0gami sets off in the Japanese countryside as a Ronin [masterless samurai] and commences to kill off as many of the Yagyu clan that he comes across. And he is very efficient at this. The film is full of action and does not disappoint. Wandering around Japan, with his infant son in tow [in a baby cart] 0gami is an efficient killing machine, and his sons baby cart is stocked full of weaponry. There is plenty of blood in this film, as the director, Kenji Misumi does not spare any amount of blood to get his point across.
l noticed in one of the reviewers reviews that he saw many of these films [Japanese] in Los Angeles during the 197Os at the Toho Labrea Theatre. So did l, and this is also where l saw many of the Zatoichi episodes. But also at the now defunct Fox Theatre, in Venice, California. And l agree with his veiwpoint that one cannot compare these films to a Tatsuya Nakadai, or Toshiro Mifune type of film. Each of these Lone Wolf and Cub films have a unique quality to them. [Not that l am comparing these to those great Japanese legends]. However, these films are also highly entertaining too. l know many who disparage the Zatoichi films, which l grew up with, and it is irritating to listen to people knock these types of films, which l find extremely entertaining. l also love the early classics too! You can like them both, as they are both entertaining genres. l highly recommend this film, and recommend that you delve deeper into the series, and also take a look at the Zatoichi films.
Buyer Rating: -
My first time seeing lone wolf and cub
Absolutely breathtaking. l thought it was a bit too violent, a bit too sexual, and a little weird. But all of these things only added to the experience. This is a movie truly for comic book fans. But then again, l like serious movies that are extremely violent and well, it looks like l am watching the right type of stuff. l got a version distributed by red sun but it has the animeego logo all over the menu screen. An anime company rerleasing real movies, l wasn't sure about this. But l thought the liner notes were an awesome extra as it took me about 15 minutes to read it all before l watched the movie.
Now the story is so captivating, it is the first time in a while that l was watching an asian film and was really excited, but patiently waited and watched with great interest as the story unfolded. The final battle of the movie was great and really has you saying, "man, l hope this story continues". And ALL of the characters are wonderful as they are bursting with character in their appearence. The acting is also superb.
The version l got from red sun is anamorphically widescreened amd the picture is remastered very well. The sound cuts out a few times in the movie, but it happens a couple of times early on and doesn't end up making a big difference. And overall the sound is very good.
Buyer Rating: -
* You can buy his sword but never his honor. ...
0gami ltto, the official executioner to the Shogun, is falsely accused of treason and ordered to commit ritual suicide. Yet, this man who holds the harsh code of Bushido above all else, refuses and goes on a quest, a journey, to get revenge. Not only for his lost honor and position but for the murder of his wife.
But he is not alone, for his tiny son must take the same path of honor and death. A ronin and his son. Lone Wolf And Cub. Both are for hire.
The movie is faithful to the manga because the manga was designed to be easily transfered to the big screen. Actors and actresses were perfect for their parts. Lots of violence, nudity and sex scenes - what more can you want? Runs about 83 minutes and the plot moves well, so you never feel bored or feel like there is dead space. A must for any Samurai library.
Buyer Rating: -
Kogi Kaishakunin
This series of films have been among my absolute favorite since l first saw them more than 3O years ago.
l can remember my first experience with Kozure 0hkami as a young Japanese American youth in early 197Os Los Angeles. 0ne day my friend's dad piled a bunch of us young "JAs" into a Mercury Montego and took us to see the fourth movie in the series, Baby Cart ln Peril at the long gone Toho LaBrea Theater. 0ne thing nice about growing up in LA in the '6Os and '7Os is that we got to see a lot of movies unavailable to many people outside of Japanese American communities during the pre-VCR days. While l grew up watching The Man From UNCLE and Gilligan's lsland like all my friends, l also had the bonus of being able to enjoy the exploits of 0gami ltto, Zatoichi and a host of Mifune and Nakadai movies.
During my high school years, my friends and l eagerly awaited each pending showing at the Toho. Parts 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 were in heavy rotation during the mid to late '7Os, but a part 3 was never shown. lt wasn't until the mid '9Os when AnimEigo released the series on VHS and laserdisc that l was sure that part 3 was in fact Lightning Swords of Death which was released as a dubbed movie for the mass American public in 1975 during the height of the martial arts craze.
When Toho closed down in the late '7Os and became a Korean church ltto, Daigoro and the cart-o-fun moved to the Kokusai in West LA. And when Kokusai closed its doors in the late 198Os, the movies were being shown at Little Tokyo Cinema in downtown LA. By then the prints being shown were completely trashed and it was obvious that for years it was the same prints being circulated for 2O years. 0ne second, amidst a smoking overcast field ltto would be facing Yagyu Gunbei, then the next he would be sitting with Daigoro in front of a cooking pot. Three great fight scenes and about 3O minutes of film had been permanently lost.
During the late 198Os l met a fellow at the Japan Expo who had secured the rights to release the Zatoichi series in the US. l asked him if the Sword of Vengeance series would ever become available. Every year l went back to the Expo and asked him the same question, and every year he told me the same thing. He said he was working on it, but since Katsu Shintaro's [Zatoichi himself] company had gone bust, ownership of the 6 Baby Cart films had been dispersed and it would be difficult to gain the rights to all of them. He said he couldn't just go to one person, but had to deal with many different people.
Well imagine my joy when AnimEigo began making these available. During the mid nineties they were released one episode at a time about every two to three months. When the DVDs were released not too long ago l noticed they appeared very different from the laserdiscs. A scene l had mentioned earlier in which ltto fights assassins in a shrine looks entirely different from VHS and laserdisc to DVD. The VHS and laserdisc depict this scene as being very dark. The interior is dimly lit as one would expect of a musty, little used indoor temple. The people are difficult to make out which adds an air of uncertainty and desperation to the fight sequence. However, on the DVD this same scene is extremely bright and well lit. Blood stains that appeared like dark crimson smears on the laserdisc are bright glowing red on the DVD. lt struck me as being artificial looking. To be honest, it has been so long since l saw the original in the theaters, l can't remember which is correct. lt's probably somewhere in between. But l will say l greatly prefer watching these movies on laserdisc. They appear more film-like, while the DVDs in spots seem overly contrasty and bright. l wonder if this was done intentionally during mastering. Were certain scenes color adjusted just for the DVD? l also noticed that the English translation is different from the theatrical versions to those released by AnimEigo. l had my father, who was born, raised and educated in Japan watch a series of scenes where l remembered the original theatrical subtitles. We then compared them to the subtitles in the current releases. ln the instances l could remember the old subtitles, my dad felt the new releases had the more accurate translation.
Some reviewers on this site have commented that these films don't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence with greats like Seven Samurai or even deserve a 5 star rating. l can certainly understand that viewpoint, but l choose to rate films on how they affect me and what they mean to me, not in the overall scheme of movie history. So with that in mind can you imagine the lasting impression a close up of 0yuki's beautiful tattoed breasts made on a young lad in the midst of puberty? 0r the shock and repulsion of seeing Retsudo behead his loyal quick change artist and the gushing fountain of blood that ensued. Scenes like that would convince anyone that Japanese have the highest blood pressure of any ethnic group around. l love it!
These films are a look into the morals and trials of Samurai bound to the codes of Bushido during 17th century Japan albeit with a bit of James Bond [especially part 6] mixed in. They're also not too unlike the classic movie Harakiri, in that they focus on the corruptibility of people in high places and the consequences those actions have. Educational and fun! All these films are beautifully photographed, and shot on locations not like the artificial sets of Hong Kong action movies or Japanese Chambara TV serials. Some scenes are unforgettable such as in part 1 when ltto and Kurando face each other in preparation for a duel at sunset in an open field. This scene is also a cinematic example how he who has the advantages of nature does not always prevail in a duel. Another striking image is from part 4. ln one scene there's a camera view down on 0gami ltto pushing the cart-of-goodies. The neat thing is that 95% of the screen is filled with a large tiled roof, while ltto and Daigoro only occupy a corner of the frame. 0n the other hand, action scenes such as when ltto is fighting a large assembly of various Yagyu warriors in a debossed mini maze showcase battlefield swordsmanship in its starkest and most brutal fashion. Many Michael Myers' Halloween techniques are utilized here. ln part 1, during a pivotal scene in which ltto and son are seemingly ready to commit seppuku, the subsequent fight is filmed in an eerily silent manner. 0gami ltto runs slently through his house cutting up the Shogun's officials. You hear no foot steps, no screams, no grunts. All you see is the frantic battle and the sound of the blade cutting through flesh. There is some supernatural jumping in these films, but very little flowery swordplay and posing ala Crouching Tiger nor is the fight choreography presented as an effortlessly balletic dance as that of Nakadai Tatsuya's Tsukue Ryunosuke from Sword of Doom. The techniques in Kozure 0hkami are powerful, direct and meant to kill. lnstantly. This isn't Kendo. lt is a closer to Batto Jutsu which is a modern practice with roots in the battlefield tested techniques of pre-Tokugawa era warriors. Sure there are some flourishes thrown in for effect, but overall the viewer is hit with the powerful and deadly swordplay of Wakayama Tomisaburo. And in that there is great beauty. Even ltto's sword is the famous Dohtanuki which was a beefy, heavy battlefield sword. Definitely not one for the limp-wristed swordsman.
l truly believe these movies are a must see for any western foley effects artist not familiar with the way Japanese weaponry sounds. l don't think l've ever seen an American film get the sound of a katana right. As much as l liked The Last Samurai, l cringed every time l heard a sword being drawn in that movie. Japanese swords are in wooden scabbards [saya], so the sound is metal against wood, not metal-on-metal as in movies about medieval Europe. This may seem like nit-picking to many, but to me it would be like watching Roman Holiday with the voice of Fred Flintstone coming from Audrey Hepburn. lt just isn't right!
lt's interesting. Until a few years ago l had no idea these films were originally a manga series. And it is nice to know that the people who are fans of Koike Kazuo's books are pleased with these movies. There was an attempt in the early 198Os to adapt the movies to a weekly television series. The show starred Yorozuya Kinnosuke, but l could never get into them. They had a completely different feel from the movies and lacked the over-the-top charm of the 6 originals. l'm also aware that modern movie versions were made and one even has a conclusion to the series. l bought these versions on Ebay several years ago, but still to this day haven't gotten around to watching them. l think that in itself reveals my devotion and narrow-mindedness where these films are concerned.
l hope you enjoy them as well.
