- Actors: Tomisaburo Wakayama, Fumio Watanabe, Tomoko Mayama, Shigeru Tsuyuguchi, Tomoo Uchida
- Directors: Kenji Misumi
- Writers: Goseki Kojima, Kazuo Koike
- Producers: Hisaharu Matsubara, Shintarô Katsu
- Format: PAL
- Language Japanese
- Subtitles: English
- Region: All Regions
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: 18
- Studio: Warrior
- DVD Release Date: 19 Jun 2000
- Run Time: 83 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004TXG3
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 99,127 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Special Features
Wide Screen
Japanese
Region 0
Uncut Version
English
Japanese
Region 0
Uncut Version
English
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The first film in the fantastic "Lone Wolf & Cub" series... this film details the framing and exile of the Shogun's exectutioner Itto Ogami, the murder of his wife, and his first assignment as an assassin who walks the road to hell... with his young son Daigoro in tow. This is essential background plot material for the following 5 films. _Very_ gory, but some truly excellent swordfight choreography.
As for the DVD itself, it is based on the AnimEigo print, which means it is a) in Japanese Language and b) has excellent English subtitles and occsionally some supertitles with information on Japanese terms. The subtitles are burned into the print (but in the "black bars" so it doesn't conceal any of the action), and so cannot be turned off. It is in Widescreen format (1.85:1 I think) and picture quality is ok, but certainly not crystal clear... it is slightly blurry, hazy, very dark and a little grainy. Extras are almost non-existant; The only extras included are Synergy's own trailers for the other 5 films.
If you have only seen this film as "Shogun Assassin" I'd sincerely recommend watching this film and "Babycart at the River Styx", as Shogun Assassin was a dubbed edit of these two films.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The samurai, as most will know, were japanese warriors from a particular period of history who became lethally proficient in the use of bow and sword. They are a particularly rich seam for storytellers to mine with their near-godly status, military prowess and adherence to strict honour codes. Sword of Vengeance takes a very high ranking samurai (the Shogun's assassin no less) and sends him on a path through a violent hellish world of brooding intensity interspersed with moments of extreme bloodletting. To be quite honest plotlines in this kind of film are never likely to be particularly subtle, and they're not supposed to be. Most artistic effort is put into creating an atmosphere of constant mortal danger which is expanded further by the fact that the samurai has his very cute toddler son with him even in the most violent and dangerous of confrontations. As our hero marches a steady path towards the vengeance he craves the forces of evil whirl around him yet he faces each new foe with the same quiet intensity. One particular scene which demonstrates the strength of this samurai is as follows. Our hero (Lone Wolf)is sat face to face in a meeting with his back to an open door, two would be killers attack suddenly from behind armed with swords. You'd expect Lone Wolf to rise turn and face them but he remains seated staring at the same spot he was during the meeting. However sitting in this position he draws his sword, parries one attack and kills the first assailant with a slash to the chest in one move and finishes the other off before he can get an attack in and then gracefully resheathes his sword. The two dead men topple slowly to the floor....
The quality of the film print might be a little ropey but the subtitles make more sense than one might expect. Overall this is a worthy addition to anyones film collection as are the other 5 films in the series. Well paced, beautifully realised storytelling with A LOT of blood.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
For fans of samurai, and all things ninja this film cannot be beaten. Very bloody, with no "movie-studio" gloss. Tells a simple story well. Loved it
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
What a hoot!!
Muah ha ha ha ha, what a laugh. I imagine the full oriental version would make more sense.
Published on 6 Nov 2009 by Martin Wild
THE BEST SAMURAI FILM EVER MADE
The Lone Wolf and Cub (Babycart) series are simply the best samurai films you can get. Tomisaburo Wakayama is just perfect for the part of the lone wolf. Read more
Published on 18 July 2008 by Sick-o
Kazuo Koike adapts Lone Wolf & Cub to the big screen
I spent severl months reading one chapter of the manga epic "Lone Wolf and Cub" by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima each night. Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2005 by Lawrance M. Bernabo
First in a fine series of bloody Samurai adventures
Ogami Itto, the 'hero', is disgraced former headsman who now rents out his sword as an assassin.
This film and others in the series, explores Ogami Ittos ongoing quest for... Read more
This film and others in the series, explores Ogami Ittos ongoing quest for... Read more
Published on 16 Oct 2001 by WJ Davidson
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