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DVD Zatoichi 20 - Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
The collision of Japan's two most famous cinematic swordsmen--Shintarô Katsu's blind masseur, gambler, and rascally hero Ichi and Toshiro Mifune's unnamed wandering mercenary and scruffy antihero who goes by the appellation Yojimbo (which means, simply, bodyguard)--makes this one of the most riveting chapters in Zatoichi's long-running saga. Not quite friends and not really enemies, the rival swordsmen meet in a once-peaceful village caught between rival gangs, a swarm of government spies, and a fortune in stolen gold. Director Kihachi Okamoto gives Yojimbo a marvelous ambiguity that Mifune invests with a grubby sense of honor, whether growling and drinking and stirring things up or fearlessly strolling through the climactic gang war, dispatching attackers with a swipe and a grimace. But if the story belongs to Yojimbo, the film is Zatoichi's: his minor scams and clowning demeanor hide a reluctant warrior and a tragic hero. --Sean Axmaker
Review(s): DVD Zatoichi 20 - Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
Samurai movie fan must see.
If your a Toshiro Mifune fan or a Shintaro Katsu fan this movie will be entertaining. If you happen to be both, like myself, you'll find it fascinating.
Comparing this film to the likes of Yojimbo, Aka Hige, or The 7 Samurai isn't really appropriate. It would be like Classic American Western to Spaghetti Western, both are western genre but not really comparable.
Toshiro Mifune (the bodyguard) and Shintaro Katsu (the blind masseur Ichi) hook up as opportunists playing two yakusa syndicates against each other. Does this sound familiar?
The predictable theme and general story line lets the really subtle relationship build between Ichi and the Yojimbo. It evolves to be a bit more complex and fun than the typical Japanese morality play.
Excellent Movie
I loved this movie and found it very entertaining. I don't know what the other reviewer was griping about but Toshiro Mifune's character was very much like his hard drinking, money grubbing of a samurai in Yojimbo. The performance of both lead actors was enough to keep me watching the entire movie with total interest.
Great DVD of a fun movie!
This DVD is absolutely worth getting!
The picture quality is fantastic and the movie is fun too. Katsu Shintaro turns in his usualy good performance as Zatoichi, and Toshiro Mifune is always fun to watch, especially in roles similar to Yojimbo.
This DVD has some good extras, great video, and good audio. Add all that to a good film, and there's no reason not to buy this DVD!
Related DVD's Zatoichi 20 - Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
As the 26th installment in a popular film series that lasted 27 years, Zatoichi is essentially a "greatest hits" compendium of all the films that preceded it. That makes it essential viewing for Zatoichi fans and anyone interested in the voluminous "source code" for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. Known in Japan as Zatoichi 26 or Zatoichi '89, this lavish production was the last to star Shintaro Katsu, who originated the title role of "the Blind Swordsman" in 1962's The Tale of Zatoichi and served triple-duty as writer and director of this stylishly violent latter-day adventure. Now much older and still a wandering loner, the blind, peace-loving masseur Ichi (or, in Japanese, Zato Ichi) seeks a quiet life among the gentle people of Edo Period... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Shintarô Katsu DVD Release Date: Released the 24 February 2004 Usually ships within 24 hours
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J.H. Sweet's review applies to Zatoichi's Episode #13, not
this one. Please don't mislead customers. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Tokuzo Tanaka DVD Release Date: Released the 18 May 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Zatoichi films were produced by different directors and the results varied from one to another. Misumi Kenji, who also directed the very first one, seemed to always spend more film footage on character development, resulting in more matured story lines with better-defined personalities. This "Zatoichi Jigokutabi" ( Zatoichi, trip through hell ) was one of the best in the series. Narita Mikio, playing the character Jumonji, was one of the most interesting villains to show up in the episodes, and, Hayashi Chizuru, as the sister seeking vengence, was the most attractive actress to appear in the 1960's Zaitoichi episodes. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Kenji Misumi DVD Release Date: Released the 18 May 2004 Usually ships within 24 hours
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If you are a zatoichi fan you will love this one. We have all of the DVDs released to date and this one ranks up there with our favorite zatoichi movies. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Kenji Misumi DVD Release Date: Released the 06 April 2004 Usually ships within 24 hours
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The best entry I've seen so far in the Zatoichi series. The setting in these films seems so real and the stories touch the soul in a profound nature. I found myself tense throughout this entire movie, desperatley yearning for Zatoichi the blind masseur to distribute justice to those who wrong the innocent. The horrors that the villains commit become more and more unbearable and they really get under your skin. Zatoichi of course punishes the wrong doers in the end producing two very memorable fight scenes and leaving the viewer feeling completely fufilled. It should be noted that this episode contains a satisfying amount of blood and severed body parts, something the earlier entries in the series lacked. Great stuff. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Satsuo Yamamoto DVD Release Date: Released the 09 March 2004 Usually ships within 24 hours
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