Guest tino Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 I got this movie and its the first samurai movie I have seen. Well at least I'm a hour into the movie and not much action yet just alot of talking. Can someone recommend an action packed samurai movie? I have Seven Samurai but havent watched it yet. I'm new to the samurai flicks but I would like to get into them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kungfusamurai Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 The Zatoichi flicks aren't action packed, but there are usually about 3 pivotal fight scenes spaced throughout the flicks. They're all worth checking out. The drama and comedy between the fight scenes feature some great acting and you don't even realize you haven't been watching a fight for a while, when BAM! another fight breaks out. If you want wall to wall fighting, I'd recommend the Lone Wolf & Cub flicks. Start off with the middle to late ones, since I find the first two didn't have AS many fights, but they still have a few good ones throughout, especially at the end. KFS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tino Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Thanks kungfusamurai will give them a try Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KevinClo Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Try Shogun's Shadow: www.kungfucinema.com/revi...062705.htm Come back to Samurai Assassin later. It has some good scenes near the end. KC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tino Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Thanks KC looks like a cool movie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheDenizen Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Samurai Assassin is one of my favourite Samurai movies, definitely in my top 5. Most samurai movies are slow paced with lots of talking. there is usually only one or two fights at the end, and they are usually short. There are a few exceptions to this, but if you're just looking for action, stick to chambara, like Lone Wolf and Cub or the Shadow Hunters movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tino Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 I ordered the Lone Wolf and Cub DVD collection. I have noticed Shadow Hunters movies are they good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JTDL Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 As well as the Lone wolf and cub, zatoichi, shoguns shdaow and shadow hunter films (which are quite good fun but without the same quality both in story and fighting as lone wolf) I would also recommend Demon spies (I think animego has also released this). Some of the Hideo Gosha films are quite action packed, but might be considered more as 'proper' films - I would recommend Tenchu, goyokin, 3 outlaw samurai and I've also heard samurai wolf 1 and 2 are good. Basically there are many many good samurai films out there - go to the ninjadojo board and follow the forum links there to find some films that are hard to find. You sound like me when I started watching japanese films - there just wasn't enough fighting and what there was was too short. If you've come from kung-fu films then it might take a while to gain an appreciation - but when you do it's hard to go back. But in reference to the other post about japanese films versus chinese films, personally I feel that japanese films are far superior and chinese films just feel cheap and tacky (even the classics). Just my opinion - don't flame me - I'm a die hard jet li, jackie chan, donnie yen fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest vengeanceofhumanlanterns Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 tino, Definitely try ckeckin out a few others. For Zatoichi a few of my faves are; Zatoichi And The Fugitives Zatoichi Meets The One Armed Swordsman (an excellent film for those who like vintage chinese swordplay, Wang Yu I must say does an ecellent job with his character. Chang Yi's in it at the beginning too. Well paced action and story.) Zatoichi's Vengeance! (the first one I viewed and one of my faves) Other excellent examples of samurai; Swood Of Doom w/ Tatsuya Nakadai and Toshiro Mifune The Betrayal w/ Ichikawa Raizo (the review below this post may clue you into whether you would dig this or not.) Goyakin w/ Tatsuya Nakadai (best buy actually carries this just released gem.) As JTDL mentioned Tenchu (heavan's punishment) is really good too, but may be somewhat difficult to locate. Throne Of Blood w/ Toshiro Mifune (very haunting atmosphere and superb ending) Lone Wolf And Cub / White Heaven In Hell (all of them are great but this is a personal fave of mine.) Those films alone should get you off to a decent start. One thing should be stated; the Zatoichi films have a special place in this genre, and rightfully so, if your inclined toward an understanding of practicing humility and kindness as Chen Kuan Tai put it to his pupil Gordon Liu in Challenge Of The Masters you may really appreciate the humble, desperate, and vengeful nature of Shintaro Katsu's role as Zatoichi. He comes off as being possessed of some innate ability to see with his ears (accurately judging distances by hearing them and with a sharp memory as to their placement, together with an uncanny co-ordination with his hands and swordsmanship, he really scares the sh*t out of his adversaries, those who have'nt met him are like who can't take a blind guy?). It's almost supernatural in a way. He really nails his part as a penniless massuer who tries to avoid conflicts but ultimately just can't, due to the abuses he receives for being a cripple (blind), nor can he in all good conscience let the atrocities happenning around him go unpunished. Zatoichi's character has to be able to live with himself and his decisions. Another interesting point that I've heard others complain about is that he always leaves any given village or city without the woman who's fallen in love with him. But to his character's way of thinking, for one he's a wanted man (many yakuza want him dead) and he's a cripple, back then in Japan where marriage was a level of prestige or not there could be no greater insult to her status in society for her to be married to a cripple. And of course they'd be either dirt poor or on the run for their whole lives or he may understand it's just infatuation in all likely hood. The stories are very dynamic and profound. Most importantly the swordplay is dead serious. Another thing is out of the 27 Zatoichi films there's only about maybe 4 or 5 that don't "fully" measure up to their normally consistent high quality of output. Hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KevinClo Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 I would warn against the Shadow Hunters movies based on what your preferences seem like right now. You may or may not like them, but they aren't something I would recommend right off the bat. I really think you should start with the suggested Lone Wolf movies as well as stuff Sonny Chiba (Japan Action Club) has done. If you are used to Kung Fu movies, then these movies are probably the easiest to "convert" with I guess you could say. Once you see a bunch of those movies you can decide if you want to start hunting down all the classics. It is an acquired taste, but once you have it there are 1000 movies you will want. KC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tino Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 Thanks everone for the ideas. After I get done watching Lone Wolf movies I am leaning toward Demon Spies, Throne of Blood, & Zatiochi Meets One Armed Swordsman to buy next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tino Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 Got my Lone Wolf and Cub dvd collection from hkflix today. :eek I'll be getting into them soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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