Shogun Assassin (1980) User Reviews

Good but nobody knows why

[robertbhart · 7/10 · 7 October 2013]

I loved this movie but I couldn't even begin to explain why. On paper it is terrible. The movie is made with bits of footage from other movies. It's dubbed. The story line is basic and irrelevant to why I like the movie. Not a great start and yet, once I started watching it, I couldn't stop.

I used to listen to Wu Tang CDs when I was a kid and the Genius GZA album Liquid swords borrows a bunch of lines from this movie. I always thought they were cool but I didn't know they came from this movie.

The part that is hard to explain, is that my wife, who doesn't like martial arts flicks or gore, also liked this movie.

This isn't the kind of movie that you see by accident on TV. You'll probably have to buy it on DVD to see it. I waited for it to be on Netflix but eventually gave up and ordered a copy for $10.

I'm glad I did. This movie inspired other movie makers and despite its age, it is very cool from start to finish. I promise you won't get bored. People talk about how the footage from taken from other movies but it is the new sound track that is added that makes it special and deserving of being judged as a movie in its own right.

It ends very suddenly and I wasn't 100% satisfied with where they left it but in general, its and entertaining experience that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to movie fans. In a world where it is hard to find something different, sometimes you have to look to the past to find something new.

Guess that everybody can be a director this way.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 5 January 2010]

This is not an actual movie but a re-edited version of the first couple of Japanese 'Kozure Ôkami' movies, with English voices added to it. Nevertheless this doesn't prevent Robert Houston from giving himself full credit for directing and writing this.

It's not like I hated watching this but it all also seemed pretty pointless to me at the same time. This version got obviously made to aim more toward the American market but that of course just doesn't give you the right to just take a bunch of movies and edit them into one and cash in on it.

This re-editing of course also takes away a lot out of the movie. The storytelling isn't always anything too great now and scenes often too rapidly follow each other, without making much sense. It's like a re-edited version of only the action sequences. Guess it's good for the pace of the movie but there is a reason why Japanese movies are often such slow moving ones. It takes its time to build up the story and put down its characters. This of course just isn't very much the case with this movie.

But even so, this still remains a good watch, due to it's great source material. It's action sequences especially stand out and it's one of those movies with exaggerated fight sequences and squirting blood. The fans of the genre will still get a kick out of it, though they would of course most likely prefer the original movies. This movie really made me want to watch the originals as well, so I guess this movie is still good for something.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

A difficult film to review

[wierzbowskisteedman · 6/10 · 15 July 2005]

Released today, film fans across the world would be throwing copies of Shogun Assassin onto bonfires because technically, it is 100x worse than the type of 'rip offs' that people keep accusing Tarantino of lately. Essentially, Shogun is the first fifteen minutes or so of Sword of Vengeance followed by the majority of Babycart at the River Styx copy and pasted into an 80 minute film, with the addition of bad dubbing and some seriously cool music. But, as it stands, Shogun Assassin was 'made' in 1980 and did the full trip around grind house theatres so it has gained a cult following. So today it is looked back on as classic hack and slash cinema, as Kill Bill will probably be in twenty years time as much as some purists hate to admit it.

Speaking from my current state of mind I would say screw Shogun Assassin and go for the six Lone Wolf and Cub films. Even as a cure for film geeks lust for blood and guts, Shogun Assassin seems kind of strange. I never really understood why Houston didn't c & p some of the much more epic scenes of carnage from Babycart to Hades or Babycart in Peril. Still, the fight with the Hidari brothers (or 'Masters of Death' as they are known in Shogun) is one of the coolest in all six films. John Carpenter later used the brothers as prototypes for his '3 Storms' in Big Trouble in Little China, but if he was 'homaging' River Styx or Shogun Assassin we will probably never know.

Ultimately, Shogun Assassin works in the same way as Kill Bill, as a gateway to grind house cinema for the masses. How many people realise, respect and take advantage of this is where the problems start. Regarding Kill Bill, thousands of people see the films and see them as original without realising their true purpose. But it is difficult to argue that both films are not taking advantage of underseen cinema.

Alas, three paragraphs and I haven't actually said if the film is any good. The truth is, I will probably never watch it again because there isn't much point if you are into the LW & C films. But I won't have been introduced to 70s Japanese samurai 'grind house' cinema, which I regard as the best action genre there is, if it wasn't for Shogun. So I can't say it is rubbish, and to be fair, if you haven't seen LW & C it is far from crap, showcasing some of the coolest fight scenes ever filmed along with some seriously awesome music (which is the main reason I still have love for Shogun). Of course, the dubbing completely ruins Wakayama's performance and the Yagyu female ninja leader is turned into a useless loose end.

But Shogun's existence is important and a godsend is stopping 70s Jap samurai cinema from falling into nothingness in the west. If you don't know samurai cinema, watch Shogun once and you will turn into a nerd like me and become instantly obsessed with Japanese cinema. I would never know and love a lot of the films I do now if it wasn't for Shogun, and for that I hold it in the highest regard. Well, sort of.

Choose the sword and you will join me...

[dr.gonzo-4 · 13 February 2001]

I had heard a lot about this movie for quite some time but was never able to get my hands on it. If you have ever listened to The Gza/Genius album "Liquid Swords", it contains several soundbites from the film including the opening commentary by Daigoro(Cub). SHOGUN ASSASSIN is actually a re-released, dubbed version of the first two "Lone Wolf and Cub" films that came out from Japan in the Seventies. When I finally attained a copy of it and watched it, I was comepletely blown away. This has got to be hands down the best samurai/ninja film ever to grace the United States.

Enter Ogami Itto, aka Lone Wolf, a man who served his shogun well as the royal executioner. Until one day when the Shogun killed his wife and framed him, which sent him on a dark path of vengeance. So begins the story of Lone Wolf and Cub, a father and his little boy who travel from place to place as assassins for hire and are always watching out for the Shogun and his ninja army. Anyone who gets in their way are quickly sliced and diced by Lone Wolf's sword and a wooden baby cart rigged with all sorts of crazy weapons.

The action sequences are breathtaking, much like Kurasawa's but with ten times more blood. Blood that doesn't just pour, but spurts everywhere like a hose. Ultimately I couldn't help being moved by the story: a father and his son and their eternal bond in vengeance. This is just one of those cult films that you pray at night about, hoping that someday they re-release it in theaters or make a new film just like it. There are six films total in the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series that are avaible uncut on VHS and hopefully soon, on DVD.

I worked on this movie as sound engineer

[backwoodsgardens58 · 10/10 · 24 February 2014]

I was working for Mark Lindsay at wonderland, when the project fell in his lap. most of the additional soundtrack was performed on a Prophet 5 synthesizer along with a jupiter 8 keyboard. the zings and sound effects as weapons are used was created on a EMU (a wall sized synthe made of individual modules) and was recorded on a Trident flexymix console. Michael Lewis and Mark Lindsay worked so cohesively as if they were one and the same. The working title for one of the longer songs was "chinks in armor"

this movie was banned in 1983 in the USA because of the scene where wet and freezing the three travelers huddle together naked an the little boy flicks the nipples of the fem fatal and the nipple gets hard. fairly risqué for the time.

years later the only place i could get a copy was from England.

Not to every taste

[winner55 · 7/10 · 13 December 2006]

This is neither as a good a film as some reviewers claim, nor is it as bad as others remark.

The "Lone Wolf and Cub" chambara (sword fight) films have a strong cult following. The first I saw was "Kozure Ôkami: Shinikazeni mukau ubaguruma", on an English-dub VHS with the ridiculously redundant title "Lupine Wolf" (a Latinate-Germanic bastardization which properly translates as "Wolfly Wolf"?!); I couldn't tell whether to laugh or feel shocked. These are indeed rather odd films, because the film-makers have not failed to include every cliché of the genre they could, and yet boldly include wild innovations that are completely anachronistic, having absolutely nothing to do with the Chambara tradition, nor with the older tradition of samurai-folklore. In that respect, they paved the way for many of the fantasy ninja and samurai films that followed, and which constitute most of the "B-movie" entries in the Japanese cinema of the past ten years. While the anachronisms most noticeable are the gimmicky weapons (packed inside the baby-cart, no less), what may truly offend a traditionalist here (and I guess I'm one of these) are the personalities of the characters involved, who talk and act like 1960s street yakusa pretending to be samurai.

But what makes these anachronisms striking is that they are presented in films that take themselves just SO seriously, there is hardly ever a moment's humor, and rarely does any character even smile. And to be sure, the Japan depicted in these films is so dark, so filled with vile corruptions - physical, legal, spiritual - that it's difficult to understand why all these characters just don't commit seppuku and get it over with.

This particular film has recently been re-released on DVD. It is actually a re-edit of the first two films. The DVD costs less than half the price of any of the original films, and is more widely available than any of them (I got my copy at Wal-Mart). Consequently, it will probably be the first of these films younger American viewers are likely to see. Is it faithful to the original series? Not quite. The story tends to get lost among the action scenes, and the original films actually have strong, if rather complicated, story-lines. And most confusing of all is the loss of the sense of anachronism which was the special gift this series made to the Japanese action film.

Still, it is a film entertaining in its own violent way; and at the price, it may be worth viewing as a sampler, to get the taste of the original series.

I should warn the reader that every review concerning the violence in this film (and in the original series) is completely true. The violence in these films is graphic almost beyond belief; Lone Wolf cultists are clearly impressed with it, others may feel it is so overdone it borders on self-parody. (For comparison, check out the final Katsu "Zatoichi" film, which has a shattering final sword-fight that uses touches of wit here and there without losing any of its credibility.) Not to every taste, not even among chambara fans, but it may be to yours.

Possibly the coolest of the video nasties.

[BA_Harrison · 9/10 · 26 May 2012]

I imagine that many Japanese cinema purists look down on Shogun Assassin, viewing it as bastardised art, the film consisting of the juiciest bits from the first two classic Lone Wolf and Cub films edited together and re-dubbed for the US market. I, however, see the film as a fond reminder of the video nasty era when, against the wishes of the BBFC, I proudly owned an ex-rental, big box VIPCO VHS copy of the movie; it was one of the highlights of my collection, a gloriously violent saga that introduced me to the world of unflappable samurais and arterial spray, for which I will be ever grateful.

Of course these days the censors have seen sense and all of the Lone Wolf and Cub movies are available in their entirety on DVD (pristine prints in their original language with English subtitles, no less); but while it's great to see the movies as the filmmakers intended, I still get a kick out of Shogun Assassin's incongruous American voice-over, grimy 80s synth score and erratic editing, elements that take me back to a time when collecting banned movies was a challenge and the viewing seemed more rewarding as a result. As soon as Daigoro's narration kicks in, I'm back in the darkened bedroom of my youth, revelling in all the stylish blood and violence wreaked by super cool rōnin for hire Ogami Itto (Tomisaburô Wakayama), enjoying the fact that I'm sampling forbidden fruit, and it tastes good.

Overrated video nasty

[The_Void · 7/10 · 12 June 2005]

Like quite a few old samurai movies, Shogun Assassin has found itself back in the limelight. This is a result of Kill Bill, and Quentin Tarantino is almost certainly a fan of this movie; which will most likely account for quite a few of it's fans. I'm not a big fan of this sort of movie; while I enjoy the merciless and bloodthirsty violence, the plot's are too thin and I find myself bored before the end. This definitely happened with this movie, and although it's only eighty minutes long; it really does seem like a lot longer. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad film; but if it injected as much enthusiasm into the storyline as it does with the violence, it would be a hell of a lot better. The overly simply plot follows a master-less samurai (or 'Ronin', for those of us in the know) whose wife is murdered by the local Shogun, and to which our hero swears vengeance upon. This leads him to take his son (whose eyes the film is told through) on a quest to kill anyone and everyone that gets in his way. An odyssey which he calls 'revenge'.

The phrases 'impossible to keep a body count' and 'previously banned' appear on the packaging of this movie as if they were great medals of honour, but for someone who has seen quite a few 'previously banned' films, I really cant see what the big deal about this film is. Yes, there are many slaughters in the movie; but much of the violence happens off screen, and the really gory stuff (like someone having their head sliced in half) is simply too comical to be taken seriously. As mentioned, the action is seen through the eyes of the young child, who also tells the story. This gives the film a rather odd edge, and it's also the closest it ever comes to disturbing. Knowing that all the senseless violence is being seen through the eyes of a child gives it a little extra bite in it's 'video nasty' bid. Most of the baddies in this film are typically rubbish, with the vast majority of them succumbing to our hero's way of thinking and having their heads lopped off. The only unique villains are the three brothers, calling themselves 'The Masters of Death'; but their crowning glory is one of the biggest disappointments of the film. On the whole; I say watch this if you like seeing people get sliced and diced. Otherwise, there's far better video nasty's out there for you to catch.

One of the classic Samaria sword movies and lots of blood.

[stormruston · 8/10 · 21 August 2005]

I think this film is almost as famous for its tour de force editing,taking a min-series and making it into a coherent masterpiece of 86 min as it is for its action sequences.

The basic story is about a Lone Wolf. A very proud samurai who worked as the official decapitator for the shogun.The paranoid shogun sends out his ninja to kill lone wolf, but get his wife instead.At this point there is the classic "choose the(toy) ball and join your mother, choose the sword and join me" the son joins him and we hear the story from his eyes from this point.It is pure carnage from here on in, as the evil shogun sets his ninja out on Lone Wolf along with the brutal Masters of death.

There is a lot of carnage and blood in this movie...I MEAN a lot. But the father son relationship is touching and strongly developed.

This movie is a classic that is only just starting to show its age, my 8 might be a bit low of a vote really.

If you like fast sword play and quick deaths watch this movie.

essential

[thisissubtitledmovies · 6/10 · 9 December 2010]

excerpt, more at my location - Banned in the UK for over a decade, Shogun Assassin is the film which re-invented the martial arts movie in the west during the '80s. Inventive, artistic and violently beautiful, Shogun Assassin's influence is almost as far reaching as the death toll contained in its unique 83 minutes.

No matter what, Shogun Assassin is an essential part of any martial arts fans collection, and it also compliments the longer Lone Wolf and Cub series. Eerily magnificent, this is an oddity that will repay attention and stands up to repeated viewings, despite the flaws inherent in a project with such an unusual genesis. As an aperitif for the full series, it is the most tantalising of hints at what is to come.

Revenge of the Shogun's decapitator

[Viva_Chiba · 10/10 · 25 December 2010]

Shogun Assassin is a combination of the first 2 movies of the "Lone Wolf and Cub" saga, this "adaptation" was intended for the American grind house circuit and British cienemas, but probably it got a release in other western countries too.

Just the fact that this movie is just an adaptation, you would expect something dreadful and horrible....but it's not ! The dubbing is great, but sometimes it gets hilarious, the soundtrack is awesome and it was composed especially for the Shogun Assassin edit, not for the original movies !

The action is cool and well choreographed, with lots of sword fighting and lots of blood, including lots of bloody sword slashings, some finger chopping and decapitations !

The movie is not boring at all, check it out !

Fun Samurai and Ninja Film

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 13 January 2016]

When the wife of the Shogun's Decapitator is murdered and he is ordered to commit suicide by the paranoid Shogun, he and his four-year-old son escape and become assassins for hire, embarking on a journey of blood and violent death.

"Shogun Assassin" was edited and compiled from the first two films in the Lone Wolf and Cub series, using 12 minutes of the first film, "Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance", and most of "Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx". Both were originally released in 1972.

The project was directed by Robert Houston and his partner David Weisman, a protégé of Andy Warhol and director of Ciao! Manhattan (1972). A fan of the original Kozure Ōkami films, Weisman had obtained the rights for $50,000 from the American office of Toho Studios. The film was distributed by Roger Corman's New World Pictures to the grindhouse movie circuit in the United States.

Reviews at the time of American release (1980) were not all positive, with Vincent Canby commenting on the mix and match of editing and how this is something like "What's Up, Tigerlily?" I would disagree with that, but I see where he is coming from. Canby also remarks that the samurai is "tubby", which is true, but I think that is part of his charm.

For me, this is a fun film ,and perfect for distribution by Corman. It may have been better as the original two films (I have no idea), but like this it makes a quick action thriller that drive-in fans will love. And it still maintains some of the great visuals, especially a desert scene that is quite clever.

One of the most entertaining action movies of all time. Lone Wolf is a relentless one man killing machine!

[Infofreak · 24 April 2004]

'Shogun Assassin' is actually re-edited footage from two of the early 1970s Japanese Lone Wolf and Cub movies, dubbed into English. The brains behind this idea were Robert Houston, one of the stars of Wes Craven's horror classic 'The Hills Have Eyes', and David Weisman, the writer/director of the Edie Sedgwick cult classic 'Ciao Manhattan'. On paper this really shouldn't have worked, but it does. It not only "works", it's one of the greatest action movies ever made, and a source of inspiration for both John Carpenter and Quentin Tarantino. I only hope that Tarantino's references to 'Shogun Assassin' in 'Kill Bill' introduce it to a whole new audience. Martial arts veteran Tomisaburo Wakayama plays Ogami Itto, aka "Lone Wolf", a samurai who refuses to serve the evil Shogun. After the murder of his wife he hits the road with his young son, who he pushes along in a souped up baby cart. Lone Wolf has one thing on his mind - vengeance. Along the way many assassins and Ninja try to stop him, but he is a relentless one man killing machine. His journey finally leads him to a confrontation with the three Masters Of Death, who are escorting the Shogun's brother. Lone Wolf is one of the coolest figures in action movie history, and the baby cart gimmick really works, especially as his infant son narrates the story. The frequent fight sequences are exciting and very brutal, and there isn't a dull moment in the whole movie. I can't recommend 'Shogun Assassin' highly enough. For me it stands alongside 'Mad Max', 'The Driver', 'For A Few Dollars More' and (the original version of) 'The Getaway' as one of the most entertaining action movies of all time.

I've seen quite a few hack'n'slash samurai movies...

[mister_pig · 10/10 · 21 March 2002]

I've seen quite a few hack'n'slash samurai movies, and I've also seen quite a few serious samurai films, but this is hands down the funniest movie ever made concerning sword swinging super men! If you have only heard about this one, then you have no idea what you are missing! The only movie that can match its intensity (action-wise) is the Road Warrior. See this one at all costs! And yes, I am aware of the actual series of "Baby Cart" films, but they are not really as strong as this American Tour-de-force of editing.

An excellent genre-definer

[eminkl · 7/10 · 18 April 2020]

Disgraced former executioner Ogami Itt? continues his brooding storm through the Japanese countryside, his three-year-old son Daigoro along for the ride in a booby-trapped carriage. Now some distance into their march to vengeance, the pair have drawn so much notoriety that they risk ambush and assassination at every turn. It's not paranoia, either: Ogami dispenses with blade-wielding enemies at nearly every chapter break, downing at least two-dozen men and women before the film is through. The opportunity isn't abused. In true poppy '70s samurai fashion, each challenger (or cluster of challengers) wears a distinct identity and a unique fighting style, like a colorful garden of deadly blossoms. They all bleed day-glo red, though, often in a towering arc of spray that paints landscape and fallen comrade alike. In Baby Cart at the River Styx, for the first time, we see vulnerability from the master swordsman and a little headstrong personality from his young child. We also see uncertainty from a prominent rival, another first, and restraint in the midst of a bloodlust. Some of the fighting is a little awkward, and the formula is threatening to wear thin, but overall this represents a wonderfully stylish, entertaining continuation of the journey that was so well-established in the first film. An excellent genre-definer.

Hyper-violent samurai epic

[drngor · 8/10 · 16 December 2000]

I've wanted to see this movie for a long time now. Ever since Genius/GZA had excerpts from this film on his first album and I learned about the Lone Wolf series, I've really wanted to see this movie. I must say that I wasn't disappointed. This is a highly entertaining film. The shogun's executioner and his son go out on the run and must contend with samurai, female ninja, and 3 killers called "The Masters of Death." There's a lot of sword fighting, all of it is over-the-top bloody. This guy is one bad mutha...that's for sure. The only scene I didn't care for was when him, his son, and a woman try to keep themselves warm after fleeing a ship, I thought it was essentially unnecessary. I liked the child's narration, it went along good with the movie. And check out the way the Master of Death with the club gets it...whoa boy.

A very entertaining movie but is missing something

[coledarcysoderstrom · 7/10 · 26 July 2020]

I haven't watched the lone wolf and cub movies yet but this movie has inspired me to watch them. This movie is great and entertaining but I feel like it won't be near as good as the film series as the series is in the original Japanese instead of the horrible dub (but who doesn't love horrible dubs in these types of movies) and the story will feel more complete. This film doesn't deliver a complete story and is more entertaining in the action scenes and great atmosphere and music. It's a difficult movie to rate but definitely check it out. I'm now very excited to delve into the original films series

Fantastic samurai film with lots of blood and violence.

[poolandrews · 8/10 · 20 August 2002]

This film starts with the narration of Tizuro, lone Wolfs son. His narration gives quick details of his families life and the night his mother and Lone Wolfs wife Azame was murdered by a vicious shoguns ninja. Lone Wolf is understandably not pleased about this and sets out to avenge her death, taking his son with him. He becomes an assassin for hire(well he needs to pay the bills, right?). On his journey he has to face the masters of death, a trio of the shoguns very unpleasant samurai each with a unique weapon which are all really cool. I was surprised to learn that this is in fact edited together from the first two movies in the baby cart series. The American producers and editors did a great job and you would never know unless you were told. Anyway this is a fantastic movie, fast paced, quite well dubbed, great music, nice widescreen photography and has some awesome action/fighting scenes which are usually dripping in blood and gore. If your looking for some violent, gory, cool samurai action you will not find better than this. Highly recommended.

Let the Blood Dance

[Tweetienator · 7/10 · 29 August 2022]

Ninjas, samurais, lots of sword fights and blood, well choreographed with some funky ideas. Shogun Assassin is made of material of two of the Lone Wolf and Cub movies. I would recommend to watch the original movies (all six of them) with subtitles, but Shogun Assassin is a good enough initiation for the new adept to the tales of Lone Wolf and Cub. What else? The movies are adaptions/based on the Japanese manga series created by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, published first time in 1970. The story was adapted into six films starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, and a television series starring Kinnosuke Yorozuya. Let the war begin.

First dubbed movie I liked

[rickymartin0065 · 8/10 · 1 September 2004]

Shogun Assassin is a very nice movie and a real must for samurai-fans. This movie doesn't take that long .. but it has all in it to make a movie great. There's some eastern mystique, there's "swords & sorcery", there's much blood, yes even some nudity for those who want it ... And it has some decent family values. Father loves his son, son loves his father and together they travel through the ancient Japan. I really liked this movie! That's why I gave it 8 / 10. Now, about the dubbing. I HATE dubbing. Come on people, why would you want to dub a movie?! Tom Cruise speaking French? Jet Li with a low American voice? A movie is unique, please keep it that way. So, I was a bit disappointed when I discovered this Shogun Assassin was dubbed too. But I still liked it, because for those who're into Wu-Tang Clan and especially GZA's Liquid Swords will recognize the many samples. But still ...

Crap! Watch the "real" Kozure Ôkami series instead!!!

[drgonzo212 · 1/10 · 3 October 2006]

This movie is crap. Basically a mesh of 6 really cool samurai movies mixed into one film that is utter trash and totally lacks the feel of the originals. Ignore the rave reviews of the people who just don't know any better. Robert Houston, "The director" is actually a washed up actor from the 70's. Ugh! Another example of Hollywood taking something great and regurgitating onto movie screens for retarded mass audiences to lap up. I noticed most people who remember watching this movie in the 80's are over rating this movie big time! I think perhaps they are not putting aside childhood nostalgia and voting based on that. I watched this in the 80's and I wasn't really impressed. However, when I saw the originals from the 1970's -I was blown away! That's also when I noticed that the English dubbed voices are horrid! Itto Ogami's voice/dialog in Shogun assassin is simply ridiculous. Look at the voice over cast -Sandra Bernhard??????? Jeez! What nonsense! The real voice of Tomisaburo Wakayama is powerful and his laugh is haunting and scary at the same time. I also love how the super hacks David Weisman and Robert Houston credit themselves as "writers". That makes me sick. Skip right over this mess and watch the Kozure Ôkami series instead!

Swordfight fans, you will reach Nirvana during this orgy of carnage!

[EL BUNCHO · 5 December 2001]

For a film edited from highlights of two films in a series of six, SHOGUN ASSASSIN is far, FAR better than it has any right to be. That said, track down the originals since they are all available on video in widescreen, subtitled editions. The cinematography will make you drool, and the swordfighting is probably the most impressive samurai-type swordwork ever put on film. Another plus is Lone Wolf, played by Tomisaburo Wakayama. Casting him for a handsome comic book hero is not what would come to mind immediately, but it is his middle-aged dumpiness that makes him utterly believeable during his fight scenes. Swordfight fans, you will reach Nirvana during this orgy of carnage! For a more impressive display of Wakayama's skills, check out LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATH (frequently found in rental shops as LUPINE WOLF), the third film in the Lone Wolf series which was actually released in the states six years before SHOGUN ASSASSIN during the kung fu movie craze. In LIGHTNING SWORDS, the film remains totally unedited from the original and features a showdown between Lone Wolf and army that is equipped with not just swords, but arrows and rifles as well!!!

A Condensed Version of the First Two Films in the "Lone Wolf & Cub" Series

[Uriah43 · 6/10 · 7 January 2023]

This film essentially begins during the reign of an extremely insecure shogun who goes completely insane and orders that everyone he suspects of being disloyal to him be put to death-regardless of whether they are actually disloyal or not. To accomplish that, he calls upon his grand executioner named "Ogami Ito" (Tomisaburo Wakayama) to carry it out. At first, being a loyal samurai, Ogami obeys his orders. However, being totally insane, "the Shogun" (played by Tokio Oki) soon begins to suspect that Ogami is also disloyal. So, to satisfy his paranoid delusions, he eventually sends ninja assassins to kill Ogami at his home. Unfortunately for the Shogun, although his ninjas end up killing Ogami's wife, they fail in their efforts to kill their primary target--and because of that the Shogun's worst fears are about to become a reality. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this movie is actually a condensed version of the first two films of the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series. On that note, while I enjoyed this version when it first came out over 40 years ago, I must admit that--because of its heavily edited nature--it loses something in the transition and suffers somewhat in comparison to the two original films. Be that as it may, I still found this film to be entertaining for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

Seminal work

[Chris_Docker · 9/10 · 5 February 2005]

Shogun Assassin is like a slice of movie history where you can imagine a young Quentin Tarantino jiggling about in his seat going wild with excitement at the potential. Shot on a budget, with fairly unsophisticated equipment, it is the film that is credited with being the inspiration to Kill Bill as well as influencing the slew of films that started with Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Here you see, in rudimentary form, striking use of colour, simple landscapes used with stunning effect, emotional involvement of the audience (the hero carries his infant child everywhere with him while defeating rival swordsmen), and imaginatively choreographed fights - rather than mere show of technical skill. But the film is quite dated, even compared to other 80s films, so is more of interest to aficionados than those wanting straight entertainment. Expect lots of blood.

highly stylized version of the classic b&w japanese series

[A_Different_Drummer · 7/10 · 30 January 2021]

Likely gets the Guinness award for most arterial blood spray in the history of film. It is a fun flick but whether or not you really appreciate the gravitas of the soundtrack, and the stern looks, depends on whether you have seen the more enthusiastic earlier versions. Sometimes a big budget can be both a blessing and a curse.