I mostly wanted to watch this because "Samurai Pirate" was such an enticing title, and, like just about everyone, I'm a big fan of Toshiro Mifune.
I think Mifune elevates this to a decent extent, even if it doesn't give him as much to work with as the more iconic films he starred in did. It's a by-the-numbers kind of fantasy/adventure movie that's just pulled out of mediocrity because of Mifune's charisma and screen presence.
The rest of the film is just okay. It's silly, fairly light-hearted, and has a few cool effects that might've looked good for their time. It doesn't waste too much time and is paced okay - I'd say it's competent enough overall, but at the same time, there's not much here that's likely to wow modern-day viewers.
I think Mifune elevates this to a decent extent, even if it doesn't give him as much to work with as the more iconic films he starred in did. It's a by-the-numbers kind of fantasy/adventure movie that's just pulled out of mediocrity because of Mifune's charisma and screen presence.
The rest of the film is just okay. It's silly, fairly light-hearted, and has a few cool effects that might've looked good for their time. It doesn't waste too much time and is paced okay - I'd say it's competent enough overall, but at the same time, there's not much here that's likely to wow modern-day viewers.