release year: 1972
genre: samurai
viewing setting: home DVD, 5/6/00
what I expected: wasn't sure
what I got: pretty cut-and-dried samurai stuff
synopsis: Ogami Itto, former executioner to the Shogun, roams the land with his young son, taking assassination jobs for money. A trio of dangerous warriors is hot on his trail, though.
impressions: Like the previous one, this was very straightforward and easy to understand. It was full of swift, bloody, and downright NEAT fights. The female ninjas and the three "Gods of Death" were pretty cool, as was the roaming ronin who really wanted to duel with Ogami. This one also revealed more of the backplot surrounding Ogami, his Yagyu foes, and such.
acting: Good enough.
more in-depth review: here and here
final word: To me, one of the few watchable movies of this sort.
rating: C+