Zatoichi /Sonatine Double Bill Reviews

• Fine reprise with great Taiko soundtrack bonus

  
  By A2EWC48FRNO3YP on 2005-05-26
  Kitano's remake of the popular 1960's "Zatoichi-the Blind Swordsman" series (there were probably over two dozen of the original series) takes big risks but largely succeeds. Kitano is a darker, more sinister Zatoichi, and the action is a lot more Tarantino-esque. The sword action is first class but extremely violent, unlike the original series which, like the vintage Westerns, were mostly bloodless affairs. Blood squirts everywhere on the scale of "Kill Bill."
  
  This is not the 1960s Zatoichi, who was a more light-hearted character who often avoided conflict and was even prepared to play a buffoon to avoid violence. Not so here - Kitano stalks his prey relentlessly, like the former Yakusa he was. There is a very adult story spliced in here about the two gisha runaways (one is not who s(he) appears to be) so forget about pre-teens watching this one. Unlike many Samurai period pieces, there is a plot here which is serious and sad.
  
  The unexpected bonus to this movie is the excellent musical soundtrack consisting of Taiko drumming and dancing, well worth cranking up on a home theater system. Peasants threshing rice beat out a syncopated background to a scene, and there is a big Taiko musical send up (not too different from some of the 1960s Zatochi musical numbers) at the end.
  
  

• Zatoichi Is Back!

  
  By A1JAJGQN61P941 on 2004-09-20
  I've been waiting for something like this to come along for a long time. Finally, a movie with cool swordfights and special effects to go along with it's great story and acting. A brief paraphrase of the story is a blind swordsman(Zatoichi) comes across a town which is run by cutthroat gangs and a master ronin. As he makes his living by giving massages and gambling, he ends up involved with two geishas who are trying to avenge the murder of their parents by one of the rival gangs. And let the blood fly!
  
  Loaded with lightening fast swordplay that is 100% free of wire tricks and with special effects nearly equal to that of any hollywood movie, the action is flawless. The blood flies off the screen and nearly hits you in the face. The skill of Zatoichi is amazing. He is truly a master of the sword. His blazing fast strokes strike down his opponents before they even see him draw his weapon. There is plenty violence and gore almost equal to that of Kill Bill aside from the over the top blood fountains. In this movie the blood flow is much more realistic and there is more fighting overall. The movie does slow down a couple of times in terms of killing but just to add to the depth of the story, then it is right back off with his head.
  
  Another area where the movie shines is the awesome sound quality and the way it's used to be able to hear as well as Zatoichi himself. With a good surround sound system it will be like you are right there among all the slicing and dicing. The audio is in japanese with optional subtitles(which I recommend)and in english. The subtitles are done very well and the dialogue is usually short so there is no extensive reading. There is also english dubbed audio that is not the greatest. Some of the voices are done in an extremely stereotypical way: "Would you rike some more sake?" (Would you like...") It really makes the acting cheesy. The added bonus to all of this is the acting(if you watch it in japanese). I am not talking Oscar performances but for what each role requires the actor performs perfectly. There is also some really good humor in the film coupled with some clever musical scenes, except for the ending riverdance/stomp broadway type dance session. What in the world was that all about? Just try to ignore it and think of all the glorious bloodshed you just witnessed.
  
  This movie has it all and is instantly one of my favorites. Everyone who is a fan of action, swordfighting, martial arts, or just good ol' hack and slash is sure to love this one. A must see and own!
  
  

• Blind Justice

  
  By A1V51M8M216Y69 on 2004-08-27
  Takeshi Kitano breathes life back into the samurai film genre with this masterpiece. Kitano plays the role of the unassuming blind masseur, Ichi. Ichi has a secret though. Despite being blind, he is a master swordsman. He has a blade concealed within his cane, and he uses his uncanny sense of hearing to guide him in his battles. The way he slices through his foes and then just shrugs it off with a laugh is pure cool. In this movie, Ichi enters a town in which several gangs are battling for power. One gang eventually gains the upper hand and makes life a living hell for the townsfolk. Ichi makes a few connections with the townsfolk, and uncovers a network of crime and corruption. Once equiped with this information, he sets out to deal justice with a quick flash of his sword.
  
  Kitano does a great job on this remake. This Zatoichi stands apart from the original. Both Zatoichis can be appreciated as masterpieces of Japanese cinema, and they act as mirrors of the times in which they were produced. One scene that sets Kitano's Zatoichi apart is the final scene. After the main plot has been resolved, the villagers celebrate with a festival. Kitano opts for something new by featuring tap dancers at the festival. It seems a little strange to hear it, but believe me, it works. This seemless blend of the modern with the timeless is what really breathes life into the samurai genre. Another Kitano masterpiece. Check it out.
  
  

• of swords and guns

  
  By A2CRIEA7FXEFST on 2006-01-27
  For Zatoichi:
  
  I must admit that, although I live Takeshi Kitano and films, that I was a bit hesitant watching his version of the classic Shintaro Katsu series. I think the main thing that made me worry was Kitano's bleached blond hair, hehe. Well, I must say that Kitano definately does not disappoint with this film.
  
  As with the 25+ Zatoichi movies, the plot is quite simple. A town is over run by criminals some individual seeks revenge and Zatoichi, the wandering blind masseur/gambler comes to town and kills every evil individual with ease, but with flair, until he comes to his final battle gets a bit injured. Those who like tradition of the Zatoici films will definately not be disappointed with this film.
  
  The film begins simply enough with Zatoichi sitting on the side of the road enjoying the sunshine. A group of ronin disturb the peaceful massuer and wind up losing three or four of their comrades. Zatoichi eventually encounters Aunt Oume who informs him that the town in which she lives has gone to crap because the two head gangs, Ogi and Ginzo, have teamed up together, demanding protection money not only once a month, but everytime a gang member demands it. As usual, Zatoichi, does not come out and say that he will help, but of course he does.
  
  Combined with a taciturn blond Zatoichi, the audience is also treated to Hattori Gennosuke a ronin who acts as the bodyguard for the Ginzo boss. This character has noble deeds for his job, however. He does it to support his sick wife. Might I add this character is played by Asano Tadanobu.
  
  An interesting film with Kitano's trademark flair. The music is nice and fits the scenes well and the dance choreography by the dance group, The Stripes, is stunning. The set design is amazing, one almost feels as if one is in Tokugawa Japan.
  
  For Sonatine:
  
  I guess that I am like many other people interested in Japanese film,
  because it was the work of Kitano Takeshi that first sparked my
  interest in modern Japanese cinema. The first film I watched of
  Kitano's was the bittersweet comedy _Kikujiro_ and while I thought that
  it was a bit sappy, it opened the door for me to delve into Japanese
  Film. The thing that amazed me the most about Kitano's films are how
  un-formulaic they are and that they are also quite unique from each
  other, but one can see common Kitano elements.
  
  _Sonatine_ starts off simply enough. Murakawa is the head of a small
  group of yakuza who rules his district with an iron fist. He does not
  hesitate an iota before either having someone killed or beating someone
  into a bloody pulp. However, it seems that his presence makes some oh
  his higher ups a bit nervous because he is sent to Okinawa to aid the
  Nakamatsu gang against the Anan gang. Taking a group of colorful
  individuals with him, Murakawa joins up with a few local Yakuza.
  However, the Nakamatsu boss is quick to state that there is no real
  problem. However, trouble soon begins when members of Murakawa's gang
  are killed in a bomb explosion and later in a shoot out. Murakawa and
  the surviving members of the gang hide out in a beach side home.
  
  Instead of being terrified of being hunted down by the Anan gang. The
  yakuza group, including Murakawa, seem to really enjoy themselves at
  the beach. If you thought it was funny to see a couple of bikers play
  like children in _Kikujiro_, wait till you see yakuza shooting
  fireworks at each other and digging pits to catch their friends.
  
  However, the movie truly has a state of foreboding over it. One just
  can't help but wait for this ideal time to end for Murakawa and his
  fellow yakuza.
  
  I was urged by my Japanese film professor to watch _Sonatine_. He told
  me that he believed it was the perfect summation of Kitano's films.
  While I definitely would not call _Sonatine_ my favorite film by
  Kitano, it is quite good and it should be watched by Kitano fans
  
  
  
  

• zatoichi

  
  By APIW11UEPKIC2 on 2006-06-17
  So I have heard about this guy for a while and I am really pissed at myself for not watching any of his earlier movies. The lone wolf and cub and zatiochi series are certainly at the top of my list. Other reviewer is correct abiout the special effects and the sound effects. The blood is not all that real, but comes out like a comic book and yet does look somewhat real. The sound effects are another story and blew me away. I thought the music was way above average and warning to all kung fu fans who read my reviews(at least I wish), this one is not going to be for you if you need an iron monkey type of movie. I guarantee you will like it if you stick with it for like an hour. I don't want to talk about the story too much cause it is kind of slow, but I freaking love movies like this and hopefully the next person who reviews this can tell me what zatoichi movies they think I should check out????????
  
  I will talk about my 2 favorite parts of the movie, action scenes of course.
  The part where zatoichi and his friend got all of their money playing at the casino and all of the house money's being bet. You really get that feeling of how whoever loses will be screwed but when z notices that the dice have been switched, you know what's going down.
  And the part where the ronin thinks about what he is gonna do when him and zatiochi are actually trading blows, then it actually happens. Wow, that is movie making done very well.
  
  So the story is very good and funny, not a lot of comedy but I laughed out loud at least a few times. I had my jaw dropped down to the floor a bit more often though:>
  
  Sound quality and picture on the dvd are perfect.
  
  Making of is long but very good. Interviews are good as well.
  I bought this at a used store and didn't get the tarantino recomended movie:(
  
  
• Turns a blind eye to the charm of Zatoichi
  By A30RH4RQXKUGUY on 2005-04-27
  I've just spent several months watching the original Zatoichi cinematic series and as a finale, I took a look at this updated version by Takeshi Kitano. Unfortunately I found it a strangely cold and alienating effort.
  
  Many modern movie goers are unaware of the 26 original films from the 60's and 70's, so I assumed this film would reintroduce Zatoichi, giving us some of his background and history. Sadly this was not the case. We are simply dumped into Zatoichi's world knowing nothing of him. Eventually we learn he is a masseur and a gambler and a god-like swordsman, but that's all. Nothing of how he became blind, learned swordplay or ended up a wandering yakuza is presented here. That's a shame, for we learn nothing to really help us identify with him, and he is portrayed in such a distant and cold manner that we never really gain any affection toward the character. His loneliness and loss--his tragic side--are never seen, neither are his doubts and regrets. This leaves our main character a rather inhuman creature, possessed of super human abilities and few discernable endearing qualities.
  
  Structurally this is the old familiar Zatoichi story and all the hallmark themes are here: yakuza (gangsters) bullying farmers and townspeople, Zatoichi out-gamboling the villains, flashy swordplay, fallen samurai taking jobs as yojimbo (bodyguards) for sleazy gang bosses. But when it comes to the main character himself, Zatoichi is treated like a background character. He is silent through 90% of the film; the entire plot is driven by the actions of what should be secondary characters. More often than not, Zatoichi is seen in the background of the scene with his head bowed and his back towards the viewer. When he does come into play it is usually as a killing machine. He displays his amazing sense of smell and hearing, yet he is rarely seen interacting with other characters except when he's chopping them up into digital bits.
  
  Unlike the original films, Zatoichi displays no sense of humor, no scheming intelligence and little humility. He is a distant and unknowable character, like an angel of death, set apart from his world and the viewer alike. Unlike the original films, Zatoichi does not investigate the wrong-doings of the yakuza bosses in town, other characters do that on their own and report it to Zatoichi. And again, unlike the original character, he does not befriend or form emotional ties to the downtrodden in the story, he simply listens to them tell their tale. Ultimately he does take care of their problem, but when he does, it seems to be more a personal matter, not the act of an man righting the wrongs he finds around him.
  
  The special effects in this film are obviously digital, complete with 3-dimensional spouts of the old red-red kroovy, which rarely seem to stain anything, vanishing instead as a mist in the air. Gratuitous violence there is aplenty, often in much greater excess than in the original films--Zatoichi seems more a merciless and unstoppable killer than a man living within the confines of a strict, if harsh, code of ethics.
  
  The score is rather bizarre and distracting, often layering Asian-influenced synthesizer parts overtop traditional shamisen music without regard for whether the two are harmonically related. Natural sounds, such as farmers digging in the fields or carpenters building a house, are turned into the rhythm track for annoying little soundtrack pieces, and not for any apparent reason. It felt like the producers were teetering on the edge of turning this into a musical . . . when suddenly the finale of the film arrives and we're treated to an extended choreographed tap dance scene! Yes, tap dancing in feudal Japan.
  
  In all we end up with a film that is completely blind to what made the original films work so well: their ultimate humanism, which was derived from the stellar performance of Shintaro Katsu, who managed to portray the legendary blind swordsman as a compassionate, charming, empathetic, humble, humorous and highly ethical human being, not the distant and unknowable creature we have here.
  
  
• A two for one knock out combo
  By A2C6PRLH1891C1 on 2006-11-03
  I originally caught part of Zatoichi on tv late on night. After watching 20 min of the movie I was hooked. I loved everything from the comedic breaks with the gamblers to the beautifully choreographed fight scenes. It proves the point that sometimes less is really more. The movie also has a great sense of humor about it self, never taking things so seriously that it becomes terribly ridiculous. Capping it off with the dance at the end of the movie was just a nice bowtie on the whole package.
  
  As for the second movie sonatine I found it enjoyable, but I'm not sure it translates as well across cultures. At times if felt like things were being shown that the audience was expected to have an imediate knowledge of, which often left me somewhat mystified. Still an enjoyable over the top kill fest, with salient moments of introspection.
  
  These movies have convinced me to start digging for Takeshi Kitano movies when I can find them.
  
  
• great blent of classic and contempary film making
  By A1DGV5EH2DO0J1 on 2004-10-25
  This film was very well made. And I think one of the key aspects that made this film so great was the artistic blending of different elements. The pacing of the story is very nice. the blend of character developement and action is beautiful, as well as the blending of CGI into the action sequences. It's so smooth and elegant that it feels natural. Unlike many films which rely or over use this medium until it become an eyesore. I'm not really a fan of excessive blood or gore, but this film uses the blood and gore elements to where they are actually beautiful. I know that might sound strange, but this film, like kill bill, manages the diffucult task of creating art out of carnage. The music creation scenario's where a welcome suprise, although I have to say that while I found the end one intrestion I thought it was out of place and drew me away from the dramatic ending. I can understand some of the classic film fans being upset by some of the liberties Takeshi Kitano took with the story and character, but I personally feel that judged on it's own merit this film is well worth checking out. This is going in my collection once it's released. Plus I'm curious about the extra film included, which could turn out to be a nice bonus.
  
  
• Re: Takeshi Kitano & Zatoichi
  By AVVHX5NHSMPTZ on 2004-12-31
  To the frustrated film critic wannabe who reviewed and critiqued Kitano's acting, Kitano does pretty damn well for a man who's face was 1/2 paralyzed in a motorcycle accident years ago. As a director, he has a unique vision - something the reviewer lacks. As for Katsu, having done in excess of 20 Zatoichi films (and LITTLE else), one would expect a well developed character. The writer might be interested to know Katsu was a serious alcoholic, abusive to his casts, crews and family and not a pleasant guy. He was a great actor and a good film maker but not in Takeshi Kitano's (or Takeshi Beat's ) league.
  
  For those of you who like samurai (Chambara), you will be thrilled. For those of you new to Zatoichi, you are in for a treat! (If you like it, you have Katsu's films to see!).
  
  For all... the last 5 minutes are pure genious and ground breaking from a Japanese point of view and will surprise the hell out of you.
  
  You will enjoy this film.
  
  
• A 'Will Buy' when it becomes available. Entertaining!
  By A1YJZKUDX37VKI on 2004-09-24
  I just watched this movie at a local filmfest. Excellent. Very entertaining. There are moments you are stiff in your seat anticapating what is coming next... and you know what is coming... but there you are at the edge of your seat anyway. There were moments when the entire audience broke out in laughter! A mysterious Masseuse. A Ronin. A murdering pair of Giesha. And none of them are (only) what they seem to be. And each has a story. It deserves a few more viewings. (There is some gore, not gratiutous, but its there.)
  
  
• In homage to Kurosawa
  By A1W195406EI237 on 2004-11-19
  This is the type of Beat Takeshi film I have been yearning to see for a decade. It is a Japanese period film stylistically similiar to Kurosawa's Yojimbo and Sanjuro. Takeshi however has modernized the genre with the utmost taste and care. The music, the acting, the swordfights, the tap dances, the camerawork, the plot, the computerwork... all utterly amazing. Takeshi set out to make a "Big Screen" work to entertain the masses and he has far surpassed any expectations.
  
  I cannot believe this hasn't exploded onto the big screen in America. This movie can be enjoyed on a number of different levels by an extremely wide audience.
  
  If you haven't seen this movie go out and rent it, you will not be disappointed.
  
  
  Godon Sensei would be Proud!
  
  
  
• One of the most famous characters in "Chambara" films.
  By A2W74MFIM2UO3T on 2004-12-07
  This is a modern Japanese rendition of the famous Zatoichi movies and series of 1962 and up. When you think of Samurai movies - you must not leave this one out. Zatoichi - the common man's Samurai - famous and beloved by generations of Japanese - has come to the big screen in a big way. Zatoichi is a highly moral and skilled swordsman who travels about olden days Japan. Two things set him apart from other Samuari movie characters - he uses the unorthadox upside down grip on his cane sword and he is blind. This doesn't stop him from defeating scores of his enemy. This movie is very well done and the acting and sword play is excellent. The lead actor was actually a comedian in Japan but who is obviously very skilled with the sword. His portrayal of Zatoichi is supurb. The underlying theme of all Zatoichi films is one of morals. Good over evil. There is humor intermixed with drama and the everflashing cane sword of justice. If you are at all familiar with the Japanese Samurai films of old - you must have this for your collection.
  
  
  
• An incredibly beautiful and brilliant movie.
  By A1VVXXP2OVFW82 on 2004-12-12
  This movie has everything that makes a movie great. My only wish is that it could be longer so I could experience more of Tikano's unprecedented performance as the blind swordsman Zatoichi. The negative reviews for this movie show the ignorance of most of the customers reviewing.
  This is a must see for martial arts fans and anyone who just wants to see a well made movie.
  
  
  
• Highly enjoyable
  By A348820ZNKKYPI on 2004-12-23
  I have never seen the series that this movie is based on. And I must say I'm grateful for that since it seems from the reviews posted here that few who are familiar with the series seem to be able to enjoy this movie. That is a shame and I hope it doesn't work the same in the other direction since I intend to look up the series and view it too.
  
  I thought the movie's mix of high drama, low comedy, poignant heartbreak, hyperviolent action and creative anachronism was well-nigh perfect. I was never bored, not for a second. And I was continually suprised by the creativity and freshness of the storytelling even as it treaded through well-worn cliches.
  
  I am now a little afraid to watch the second feature, Sonatine, or anything else the director, Kitano, has done. I fear it won't be as good as this and it couldn't possibly be better.
  
  
• Too much filler, not a good move.
  By A1RI3XMZHQXPD2 on 2005-01-02
  And that is just what this new version of Zatoichi has, too much filler. The actual story could have been finished in a 40 minute film. Some of the filler was obvious, such as the sequances where the farmers were hoeing the ground to a rythm, were dancing in the field in the rain, were rebuilding the supporting characters burnt down home to a rythm, and that extended dance sequence at the end of the film where most of the surviving cast clog dances on a stage during yet another festival. Not so obvious were unecessarily long walks down the street, a longer than needed gambling sequence, and a sequence where the villians burn down the home of the supporting characters which could have been done in a minute rather than the minute of skulking around the house, another minute of setting fire to it, and yet another minute for the characters to run out after the alarm was raised. Also add to that some flashback scenes with the supporting characters that was not really relevant to the main story.
  
  The original Zatoichi films started in the early 1960's by actor and producer Shintaro Katsu and remained popular enough for him to make 25 of theme by 1974 [ at one time averaging 4 films a year ]. Moving to television as an hour show, there would be more than 100 episodes of Zatoichi made. [ there was also one final Katsu Ichi film made in 1989 ]. Through all of this, the character was always played by Shintaro Katsu, who died in 1997.
  
  No one else had ever played Zatoichi, although the character was adapted to other countries. [The American adaption was the movie "Blind Fury" with Rutger Hauer as Nick Parker, the blind Viat Nam vet with the kane sword and was a remake of "Zatoichi Challenged" ] The Zatoichi films centered on a blind masseur who at one point in his life lerned to use a sword to protect himself. His hearing gave him near supernatural fighting skills and he was soon working for gangsters as a sword for hire [ his sword hidden inside his kane ] but his good natured heart soon had him killing off the corrupt bosses he worked for to protect the towns people that were being abused. As the films progressed, he would give up the life of a gangster, only hiring himself out on rare occasions. But inevitably the town he would wander into was being taken over by yet another corrupt Yakuza boss who would have to be delt with by the final reel.
  
  It was a risk for someone else to step into this role, but inevitably, some on would have. Great screen characters never die, but are passed on to new actors when the originator either retires or passes on. Such was the way with Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, James Bond, Wong Fei-Hung, and a host of other screen characters. But it will always be a risk for the first actor to take over the role. No one wants to be the next George Lazenby. It usualy is not until the third actor takes over the role that audiences are willing to accept, while still agreeing that the first was the best.
  
  So why if you are going to take such a risk, would you make such a film? The thin plot is derivative of all the other Zatoichi films. A once happy village is taken over by a corrupt Yakuza gang that demands way too much protection money from the shop owners. Zatoichi does not want to get involved but winds up at the local gambling hall where he exposes them as cheaters, resulting in the death of all the Yakuza running the place. The head boss realizez that the blind man must be the famouse Zatoichi and resolves to have him killed before Ichi comes for him. There is the obligatory ronin with superior swordsmanship hired by the boss who decides that he will be the one who will finally kill Zatoichi, and the final scene where Ichi finally decides to go to the head bosses house and take out him and his army of henchmen. There is also a subplot thrown in where a cross dressing brother and sister are looking for the gang of ninja theves who killed their parents, but even this was not enough to pad out the film to feature legnth. While this plot was typical of the original Zatoichi films, they were at least written with enough characters who's subplots interconnected with the main plot to warrent a 90 minute film. There was just not enough plot for this film and it showed.
  
  
• The blind swordsman returns!
  By A1LVZOK9F7K4CN on 2005-03-14
  There's something disquieting about Zatoichi - you just don't know how to feel about an invincible swordsman who just happens to be blind. I love Japanese swordfighting movies so, of course, I've seen some of the old Zatoichi films (no, I haven't seen ALL of them).
  
  The original Zatoichi frequently acted the buffoon; this was partially to put his enemies off-guard and partially because he was just a happy-go-lucky guy. This new, updated Zatoichi is much more serious; he's leaner - and older. He also is a supporting player of this movie, staying on the fringes of the story and only intervening when he's needed. (The plot itself is similar to the movie Yojimbo.) He doesn't seem to have anything at stake except an abstract sense of Justice. He still holds his sword in his underhand style, however - it just wouldn't be Zatoichi without it.
  
  On the whole, I think that this is a good update of the film franchise, and I wouldn't mind seeing more of them. Swordfighting is more realistic in Japanese films - in that things happen with lightning quickness. The main thing I found annoying in the movie is crude, obvious computer-generated effects. After sword-strokes, animated blood is added so obviously, it looks as if it were hand-drawn. I guess that's just lack of funds - maybe next time they'll have more money.
  
  
  
• Japan enlightens : Akira
  By ADV3ZP6DVOXAL on 2006-03-11
  I just don`t understand the people that refer to the obvious digital blood spill scenes as unrealistic, it is just meant to be like that to excaggarate the obvious, how realistic would it be if a blind swordsman kills all yakuza by the way? Japan is all about illustration, big and colorfull stuff, cool and tough guys, swift swords masters..We have to notice in Japanese cinema that Japan is not a materialist culture and things like justice, fun and friendship means something to them. This movie is very good, not as good as the good old Kurosawa movies may be, but it just makes its point. The music is great by the way, sometimes I found myself dancing with the crowds, it is so good. So enjoy the movie, but see also lighter Chinese movies too like "the house of flying daggers" and "Hero" just to keep it cool. Avoid Tarantino as much as you can,apparently he is loosing it.(Why I recall him, because he recommends Zatoichi, but may be only because it is bloody. After "the Hostel" what else could I think?). The original Zatoichi series is lovely too. By the way that was an era of extraordinary gentlemen, just about the same time a Turkish actor, Cuneyt Arkin released a series in which he acted a blind karate master who beats the hell out of criminals. Those days were really full of fun and creative ideas..We are still longing for the day his "The man who saved the world" to come with English subtitles to see what creativity is.
  
  
• Simply amazing!!
  By A2QLCK6OMAM6PH on 2004-09-03
  I found this film to be exceptional and worthy of the legacy of Zatoichi. Takeshi takes a well known character and without changing the feel of the character, he gives him a vivid personality that comes out well on the screen. I got the chance to see this film in a pre-screening and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The only part that I found to be strange was at the very end when the townspeople did a modern dance, but I understand this was artistic license. I hope this brings a revival into the character and we will see many more in the future.
  
  
• #1 of 2003
  By A23LYKW5MP72YP on 2004-09-05
  This is the #1 film in my list. One of the best of "2003". For those of you who own the japanese or other original version of dvd you know what I mean. Its a shame they're not showing it in theatres close to where I live. It must be quite incredible see this film on the big screen. I've watched it over 10 times now, I think and I don't get tired of it. If you're a big fan of martial arts, samurai movies, you won't be dissapointed with this one. I'm also planning to buy this version.
  
  
• Must see!
  By A3USP7JY7U3TW2 on 2004-10-20
  Takeshi Kitano's take on the legendary blind swordsman is a bento box full of surprises. From the electric blonde hair of the title character to the anachronistic yet humorous one-liners to the show-stopping dance number at the end, one is hardpressed to find a more offbeat and entertaining samurai movie. We start off with Zatoichi, travelling as a blind masseuse from town to town. In one particular stop, he gets to defend a lady vegetable vendor from extortionists, teach her ne'er do well nephew some gambling tricks, almost become a victim of two vengeful geishas, a truncated showdown with a ronin and ultimately, finding out who the real big boss of the gang that terrorizes the town. The main story is rich with subplots involving the other characters. The most interesting of which are that of the two geishas. The ronin Hattori's (Tadanabu Asano) tale is also tragic and even though the acting is understated, bordering on stoic, you can still emphatize with his dilemma. The pace is rather languid but never boring as it is peppered by suberb, if not brutal, fight scenes (anime style blood fountains are prevalent - seen also in Kill Bill), lines as sharp as a kitana and unpredictable scenes like a Dancer In A Dark-esque rice paddy musical and of course, the tapdancing finale. A definite must-see.
  
  
  
  
  
• Not worth the hype
  By A2Q5A0L5RVUJ17 on 2004-11-07
  Let's face it, Takeshi Kitano is well past his prime when it comes to film making (and acting for that matter.) The latest installment in the Zatoichi series is a bit of a disappointment considering the amount of hype surrounding it. I first heard about it on NPR by some guest movie critic ranting and raving about it like it was the greatest artistic film achievement to come about in the past 10 years. Maybe that should have been my first warning.
  
  What is supposed to be some sort of art house stand out is basically just a well funded main stream flick from Japan. The movie is filled to the brim with horrible CGI effects when sword play comes into the picture. A majority of the characters in the film seem pretty one dimensional. The only one who didn't feel like it was the Aunt but she basically gets pushed to the side after the first 15 minutes. The twist at the ending of this film fealt like something out of a bad hollywood suspense film starring Ahsley Judd. Too much hype for something that isn't there.
  
  Takeshi Kitano's sagging creativity is the last thing the Zatoichi series needs to "re-energinize" it. This just feels like the final nail in the coffin for this series. Sadly there will probably be another sequel by Kitano though.
  
  If you want a good modern Samurai film see Samurai Fiction.
  
  
• Amazing action scenes, though the middle drags.
  By A1XX5797TIZT5Q on 2004-11-12
  Takeshi Kitano's cinematic style answers to nobody. You either accept it or you don't, and if you're going to derive enjoyment out of his films, you have to understand and accept his quirky approach towards narrative -- such as never signalling a flashback, never introducing characters by name, and lurching expositions.
  
  I had expected that his remake of Zatoichi would become the most accessible of his films, but despite the samurai-film milieu, Kitano's style remains as difficult to grasp as ever. And the middle of the film lags quite a bit, when the back story of the two geishas and the gambling nephew's subplot take over and Zatoichi disappears for 20, 30 minutes straight.
  
  But I'd seen enough Kitano films to be prepared for this. And the reward lies in stunning action choreography, beautiful cinematography, a terrific acting turn from Kitano himself, and some of the best sight gags in the Kitano catalogue. Comedy has always been the backbone of his films, and in Zatoichi he crafts some of his funniest situations and characters. Kitano himself is perfect for this role, with his immense physical presence, yet he constantly expresses that little odd sliver of tenderness and humour that has always made his characters so watchable.
  
  What truly amazes are the action scenes. Characters move with grace and power, and the sound effects are realistic and pack a wallop -- no comic-book whooshes and noises here. Fight choreographer Tatsumi Nikamoto, in a short interview on this DVD, hits the nail on the head: Kitano uses his entire body to drive blows and directs his actors to do the same, making for kinetic swordplay scenes that rank with some of the best martial-arts scenes ever filmed. The choreography, shooting and editing here are leagues above Kill Bill Vol. 1's blood-spraying, overly edited scenes and won't even pale alongside some of Lau Chia-liang and Tang Chia's best work with Chang Cheh.
  
  There are traces of Kurosawa's Yojimbo and Sanjuro in this film, in terms of the dark humour, the warring gangs, and the one-swift-blow approach towards duelling rather than clashing, extended swordfights, and watching Zatoichi cut a swath through the hordes, you might think Toshiro Mifune were still alive -- and that's a mighty feat.
  
  The long period of waiting for plot progressions in the middle does cut into the enjoyment, and overall the pacing of this film is less accessible than Brother, but the best parts of Zatoichi are thrilling beyond words. A must-watch, though newcomers to Kitano are advised to check out Brother first.
  
  One more word about this DVD: The strange cover and the "double bill" moniker may suggest this is a pirated copy, like one of those "10 Jackie Chan movies on one disc" releases by no-name companies, but looking at the disc, I think it's authentic. Miramax simply made a weird choice by including Sonatine in the package and making the package look inexplicably like those pulpier releases. Why Sonatine? I have no idea, since it has nothing to do with Zatoichi, despite being a pretty good film in itself. But the picture transfer on both films is good, the supplemental materials well put together, and everything suggests that this disc is indeed an official release. So don't be fooled by the packaging.
  
  
• Sonatine
  By A1CZ2JCL532T5D on 2004-11-16
  ok, to be honest, i have not yet watched Zatoichi. i'm not here to review that. judging by the reviews of the others on here, you can see that you either love it or hate it. i'm here to recommend SONATINE.
  
  people seem to overlook Sonatine. to be honest, that was the reason i bought this DVD. Sonatine was previously not available on DVD, and you could only get it in a full screen VHS. now it's here in all it's glory. don't expect a crazy action movie like Zatoichi, Sonatine is more akin to Hana-Bi (aka Fireworks). very slow paced, but still very good. this double feature is worth it just for Sonatine.
  
  
• Just Ok.
  By A1NCPV3125R5JG on 2004-12-13
  I would like to point out the positives first. First the action sequences are well done. The moves were quick and decisive and I wasn't disturbed about the fake splashes of blood. The storyline is actually quite interesting as you find him coming into town to battle some gangsters. The actors did an alright job in comparison with what they had to work with.
  
  However, the quality of the film does not seem up to par though it was released in 2003 or 2204. You don't really connect strongly with any of the characters including the blind swordsman. The last tap dance sequence was really unecessary and seemed out of place. It looks like they cut a scene from a completely different movie and just pasted it in there. One poster said one scene doesn't take away form the quality of the film but it does. One scene can ruin a movie - Notice the poster didn't state the scene wasn't bad or didn't belong there.
  
  This movie is not as bad as some people are saying but truthfully it's not as good as some people are saying. It is an ok movie. It had good potential and didn't live up to it.
  
  
• This review is for Zatoichi, I haven't seen Sonatine.
  By APCHVFMSQZVY4 on 2005-09-18
  Takeshi Kitano does another take from the Zatoichi series and adds alot of humor into the mix along with the drama and action. A retelling of the Zatoichi samurai epic, the blind master swordsman and masseur Zatoichi played by Takeshi Kitano finds himself in a town in fear of a gang that is in control of everything, he gets to defeat the gang and has a final confrontation with the final tough bad guy.
  
  Zatoichi also befriends a local old woman and her nephew who seems somewhat like a coward and fumbling idiot but is a nice guy, there is also a subplot involving two orphaned geishas who had a hard time growing up as one of them had to be a prostitute to survive they want revenge for the death of their parents.
  
  The film definently has bizzare scenes as some farmers seem to dance for no reason and make music that has a rythem to it like with their farming equipment and that weird ending, the blood and violence was similar to Kill Bill but it seems like they used computer fx or cgi I have no idea why they did this but it doesn't matter, it all seems like Kitano wanted to do this with his own style and sense of humor I guess. Takeshi Kitano definently did a great job with this film I thought it was fantastic, if your a fan of Japenese cinema than I highly recomend that you watch this.
  
  
• Twisted Zatoichi
  By A32Z0PMCKUBKJQ on 2006-05-13
  This Zatoichi movie is a twist on a long line of Japanese movies about a classic hero, a blind Samuri. Everything gets a bit twisted, from the heros blond hair to the cross dressing geisha. It is every bit as bloody as noted in other reviews, however the fight scenes are wonderfully choreographed and the CG slow motion blood droplets are really actually pretty in a strange way. There are no long drawn out fight scenes,the action is abrupt and certian.
  
  There is a special feature on the making of the movie and Kitano explains some of his ideas for the movie. My absolute favorite scene in this movie has become one of my favorite scenes in any movie, it is the showdown near the end of the movie where Zatoichi faces another skilled Samurai the other Samurai visualizes how he will defeat Zatoichi because the grip Zatoichi is using will allow him to be a fraction of a second faster, after visualizing this he looks up at Zatoichi and smiles. Zatoichi quickly changes his grip, momentarily throwing his opponent off guard, then attacks at once. He of course wins instantly.
  
  
• THE HORROR! THE HORROR!
  By A33LRA2ZN651W5 on 2006-07-03
  As far as Zatoichi movies go, this one is an unparalleled abomination. Despite the fact that the cinematography, acting, and sets were great, this movie was more of a showcase for Zatoichi's killing sprees and the subsequent CG blood 'n' gore. (Not that I have a problem with blood 'n' gore; it just doesn't belong in a Zatoichi movie.)
  
  The plot is the typical Zatoichi: he travels to small town where he helps out the oppressed by fighting off wicked gangsters. However, in this version, Zatoichi barely has any lines and is almost a supporting character overshadowed by side characters and their convoluted background stories. There are many scenes that add nothing to the movie's plot and its creators could have pared a half-hour out of it and no one would have even noticed.
  
  The failings of the movie, however, are minor when compared to how the character of Zatoichi is portrayed. In this movie, Zatoichi is a two-dimensional killing machine of wrong-doers. Missing is the subtle morality of Ichi and his unwillingness to get involved unless it is absolutely necessary. This is illustrated in a gambling scene where Ichi discovers that the dice have been switched with loaded ones. Ichi then says to gambling house proprietors that they are cheating then draws his sword and kills all the six or so men in the room. This scene is similar ones in the older Zatoichi movies. But in the old movies Ichi always played the humble fool and then did something like hack the loaded dice in half, warning everone that they better not mess with him. He did not simply murder them all!
  
  Two other things about this movie that makes it an abomination. Firstly, it is revealed that Ichi is not really blind: he just acts like he is. Stooopid!
  
  Secondly - and I stared at the screen in slack-jawed amazement when it happened - at the end of the movie the whole town comes out and does a choreographed jazz-tap routine like out of a Hollywood musical! What! Is there some joke that I missed? If so, I didn't think it was funny or was even something that belonged in a Zatoichi movie.
  
  If your curious of this pathetic farce, just wait to catch it on TV: do not spend money on this. Keep in mind, however, if you have seen other Zatoichi movies, be prepared to be disappointed.
  
  
  
• Put it to you straight.
  By A25DCPG2RCVL1T on 2004-09-12
  This is an excellent movie. It is by far one of the best films to come out of Japan since Kurosawa. Reading other's reviews, I found it hard to get a feel for this movie. Here is how I would describe it: It's like Kurosawa's Yojimbo, but with a blind guy, two geishas (who have their own little quirks), a bunch of small musical sessions which seem to be like Riverdance, Stomp!, and Kodo drums all put together, and blood spurts almost equal to that of Kill Bill.
  
  
• Wow!
  By A1WJR16CL55TQU on 2004-09-18
  Excellent excellent movie. Beautiful fighting, some comedy, a lil drama, dancing with beats. Expect some music that goes with the movie. The movie is not all action because its got a story to tell of course. Zatoichi just has that kool factor. The fights seens arent all crazy with all that wire work n stuff, they look more realistic. It uses CG (computer generated) effects to help its realism with the blood, swords being thrown into a person and appendages making it awesome! Kool japanese movie. No corny fighting in this one, its jus kool. Its got to be good, the director is in the movie! This is now one of my favorite movies.
  
  
• great film
  By A3O0GPMLJGEA3M on 2004-09-20
  I was never a fan of this kind of movies until i saw the zatoichi on tv a while ago. Zaoichi is one of the best movies of 2003 in my opion. This movie has great acting and fight scenes. This movie is defendly a must own for fan of this type of films.
  
  

• Brother
• Fireworks
• Dolls
• Oldboy
• Seven Samurai - 3 Disc Remastered Edition (Criterion Collection Spine # 2)