View Larger Image |
Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman, Vol. 3 - New Tale of Zatoichi Director: Tokuzo Tanaka Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Letterbox Format: Color, Widescreen Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Running Time: 91 minutes Studio: Home Vision Entertainment Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2002-10-22 Buy from Amazon |
|
From Amazon.com Masseur Ichi, the blind master swordsman who became a cultural phenomenon under the gentle touch of Shintaro Katsu, finds you can't go home again in the first color film of the long-running adventure series. Redemption waits just out of reach when his old master's sister offers herself to the humble hero, but his corrupt master (who has thrown his lot in with a local gang of bandits) will have none of it. The hearty reunion turns sour and a showdown is inevitable. Quieter and calmer than the previous films, this entry emphasizes the metamorphosis of Ichi from jovial scoundrel to tragic hero while still delivering the short, swift swordfights that highlight the series. Ichi's reluctance to enter battle is matched only by his fierce, fatal attack: a fight with Ichi rarely lasts more than a single searing stroke. The fold-out insert features trivia and a recap of previous films. --Sean Axmaker From Description With more killer swordsmanship, romance and action packed drama, the Blind Swordsman is back in the first color episode of the Zatoichi series. Masseur Ichi returns to his home village to discover that the teacher who trained him has been hiring out his skills with the sword to a ruthless gang of kidnappers. Meanwhile the mentor’s sister offers herself in marriage to our hero who must decline on account of his many enemies and the danger that would bring to any woman Ichi was known to love. |
 "Another good zatoichi film"Man what can I say. This is the fourth Zatoichi film I have ordered and it was just as good as the others. In this one he meets his old fencing teacher, but hey I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone. Suffice it to say these are great movies. Well acted and filmed with some incredible choreography in the sword fights. If you like martial arts films or like westerns where a lone guy brings justice to the wicked you will like these movies. And these movies are well made they are not those cheap chinese kung fu flicks, but well produced and acted films. They are Japanese films and of much higher quality.Try one you will like it.  "Zatoichi #3"I really appreciate Home Vision Entertainments production of the Zatoichi movie series. Each release has been an excellent presentation of Zatoichi. As a Japenese Samurai Movie fan I think that this series of DVD's is the best. The character of Zatoichi is very compelling and each story helps you identify with this Blind Swordsman who is always trying to do good for others. The examples of Japenese culture during this time period is very beautiful and detailed. Shintaro Katsu displays a wide range of emotions as Zatoichi and his display of swordmanship is excellent. "The hero that never gets the girl."Zatoichi's appeal has a lot to do with his imperfections. He's blind, lacks social status, and is not proud of his own legacy of violence. Yet he's motivated by compassion and a sense of justice that prompt him to take action, whatever the consequences. And then there's the dazzling use of his sword. As blind swordsman and itinerate massuer, Zatoichi, the late actor Shintaro Katsu walks you through the bright spots and corrupt dark alleys of Edo period Japan. In "Massuer Ichi Enters Again" (1963) Zatoichi finds love, meets his old fencing teacher, and characteristically rights some wrongs on the way. Katsu is definitely in his prime, and the film is a sheer pleasure to watch. (MW) "Excellent Zato Film"The Zatoichi films, including this one, are an excellent example of the Eastern Western. Zato hobbles into town, comes upon evil, corrects it the best way he can, and leaves. The swordplay is delightfully impossible. But that's the Zen way... A Japanese-speaking martial-arts teacher friend of mine knows the films by heart and notes that the early films are more "for fun" but Zato (or his creator) becomes more introspective as the series develops and finally allows Zato to die in the last film. In "The Blind Swordman's Cane Sword" the opening scene has Zato reacting suddenly to a flight of rooks past his head and slicing two of them into fillets. "There I go, killing again," Zato says rather sadly. At this point Zato's conscience is beginning to bother him. JM "Better Subtitles"The 3rd volume of the Zatoichi series of movies continues where the last one left off. Zatoichi returns home and meets up with his old sensei. However, his homecoming is marred by the fact that the brother of one of the men Zatoichi had to kill previously wants revenge. To make matters worse, his sensei's sister wishes to marry Zatoichi, but the way of the sword may prove to be greater than love. The translation quality of the third volume is improved over the previous two movies. As such, some Japanese honorifics make it into the subtitles and rather than translate Japanese words for brother/sister into character names, they are translated as brother/sister. So that's a big improvement. I hope this trend continues in the next movies. As for the movie, it is another good one. I'm normally not a fan of old movies, but there is just something about this samurai series that I really enjoy. Shintarou Katsu does a fantastic job as Zatoichi. The sword work is really something to see. Bottom line: I really recommend this title for fans of samurai anime titles or who are interested in Japanese culture. If you are looking for a pretty good action/adventure flick with a bit of romance (similar to old American westerns), then this may be the title for you. |
