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The series goes out with a bang, not a whimper, with its 6th and final film. It vies with film #2 (River Styx) for my favorite of the bunch, with its very cool subterranean warriors and those fantastic scenes out on the snowy hillside. The cinematography is excellent, and there are some great warriors, starting with a badass woman who juggles daggers and calmly kills three practice partners before heading out to face the Lone Wolf. The real star is the bastard son, however, who unearths three warriors who've been buried for 42 days after a death rite to be resurrected as "violent, immortal souls." They burrow underground and kill anyone the Lone Wolf comes in contact with, and I loved how he really seems in danger more than once, with real fear in his eyes, in contrast to his ordinary calm demeanor.

There are wonderfully framed fight sequences, including one out on a dock at night that then leads out into the reeds, with the Lone Wolf almost being sucked into the marsh. There's also an unfortunate (and unnecessary) scene of incest/rape, in there seemingly for shock value and to get some nudity into the film, but mercifully it's brief. It has a lean, uncomplicated story, one that works to the film's advantage, which leads to a memorable skiing sequence out in the snow, with the Lone Wolf pursued by a horde of attackers. At that point the film has a James Bond vibe, even playing a little bit of the 007 theme song. It's unfortunate that Tomisaburo Wakayama walked away from the franchise, upset that he wasn't given the role in the TV series that had started up, because it ends with an unresolved feeling, though it's not one that spoiled my enjoyment of the film.

Episode six of the hematic chronicle of Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) and his son finds the twosome in the frigid north of Japan, where the snowy slopes provide a pristine white canvas for the drifting-killer's bright red splatter-art. As the story arc begins to wind down, Itto finally faces off against hordes of heinous Yagyu clansmen led by the one-eyed Lord Yagyu Retsudo (who by now has pretty much sacrificed his entire family in his quest to kill the 'Lone Wolf and Cub'). In addition to mundane threats of swords, spears and flying daggers, the portly but deadly anti-hero also faces the Tsuchigumo, a secretive clan of sorcerers who send their burrowing minions after him. The film is a return to over-the-top grisliness after the relatively sedate 'Land of Demons' (1973), with lots of hissing, scarlet geysers and at least one person sliced in half (but the real money-shot is an memorable, one-of-a-kind incestuous impalement (in more than one sense)). As usual for the series, the direction and cinematography is great although the music sounds more like the score for a '70s Motown cop-drama than an Edo-era chanbara. Wakayama continues to be great as the less-than-imposing but über-competent vagabond assassin and Akihiro Tomikawa is fun to watch as Diagoro, his toddler-son (and co-killer), who travels in the formidable 'babycart'. Unfortunately, production politics brought the series to a premature end, with the vile Retsudo running off to fight another day, which sadly never comes (at least in the cinema, the finale can be seen in the eponymous manga). Good, gruesome fun for fans of stoic swordsmen, jidaigeki, and splatter movies.

Fabulous conclusion to a fine series with less dubious samurai philosophy and more creative and marvellously choreographed fighting sequences. The stupendous snow scenes that open and close the film are jaw dropping and whilst watching could only imagine the filming difficulties. Subsequently I discover that these relatively short scenes took some six weeks to film with the youngster playing the cub crying at the pain of the cold and his 'Papa' near to collapse on several occasions. It is a remarkable episode in many respects and not least with regard to the cinematography which seems even finer here with some truly wonderful moments. i think I actually gasped when the opposing forces appeared on the brow of the snow clad mountain-side. The ending here differs from that in the manga partly because the film actually came before the story had been concluded - so keen apparently were the film makers to carry on with the series. Far from being a let down, as I feared it might be, this sixth and final film in the series is a fine way to conclude what, overall, is a most enjoyable and magical experience - with rather a lot of bloody violence.

The sixth and last of the "Lone Wolf and Cub/Baby Cart" series of films shows how artistically well-done films can make even the most ludicrous ideas work. During Ogami Itto's journey to the final showdown with his arch-enemy Retsudo, leader of the evil Yagyu clan, we witness everything from incest bordering on necrophilia, zombie samurai who can burrow in the ground like worms, the usual assortment of mutilations, a battle on snow skis, and the most elaborate baby cart weaponry yet--including automatic armor plating! As usual, the images are beautifully composed, the action is splendidly choreographed, the plot ideas are wonderfully outrageous, and the funky music score is cool perfection. Any of this out of context would be silly; in context, it's almost sublime.

Though it still has the backing of Katsu and Toho, it's noteworthy that this sixth and final entry in the classic 'Lone wolf and cub' series saw the most significant personnel changes among them all. Kuroda Yoshiyuki directs in the series for the first time; composer Murai Kunihiko takes over from series regular Sakurai Eiken; above all, previous co-writer Nakamura Tsutomu now has the sole writing credit as manga creator Koike Kazuo has not returned to adapt the script. It's reasonable to ponder what such shifts might mean for the last film, 'White heaven in hell,' and one may be inclined to think we find out at least in part right at the start as the musical accompaniment for the opening credits sequence is straight out of 70s Hollywood exploitation fare. Then again, since its inception this saga has dallied with a mixture of the classic and earnest, somewhat recalling revered jidaigeki of past years, and the self-indulgent, violent spectacle that would in turn inform filmmakers like Miike Takashi and Quentin Tarantino. How would this late chapter ultimately hold up? How would it stack up next to its brethren? Happily, despite some gaucheness that may present - in fairness, not entirely different than what we've gotten before - this picture is definitely kith and kin with its predecessors, and at length it's as entertaining as we would hope.

I mean no disrespect to Murai when I say that his score might actually be the weakest link in this chain. It's not specifically bad per se, and it's not as if the franchise wasn't prone to extravagant tendencies heretofore. However, the flavors of Murai's most overt themes are unquestionably a step beyond even the most wild creative choices made elsewhere throughout these productions (like all the doodads outfitting Daigoro's cart), and there's a certain clash of tones. His contribution isn't the only extravagant tendency on hand, though, for the plot also trades to a substantial degree in mysticism and black magic that quite surpass the intimations of deep-seated spirituality that may have occasionally popped up before. I'm not familiar with Koike's manga so I don't know whether or not this is an element that was more visible in the rendition of another medium, and I'm not at all opposed to t he infusion of fantasy in my action-adventure - in fact, I greatly appreciate it - but the fact of the matter is that the inclusion here is decidedly well removed from the approach taken in the five preceding cinematic treatments. 'White heaven in hell' could have been a sixth film that realized the Tsuchigumo in a manner that sidestepped their sorcerous powers, or it might have been a standalone feature that completely embraced that fancifulness, but it is arguably less convincing as it aims to be both.

Still, maybe I'm overreaching in my criticism. I don't know if some odds and ends were the best path forward for this flick, but by and large it's just as terrific as its antecedents. Why, in at least one regard this may genuinely have a leg up on the others, for the Tsuchigumo represent a terrible threat to protagonist Itto and son Daigoro, and those around them, to an extent that the franchise hadn't achieved previously. Itto and Daigoro find themselves in dire straits facing down a unique, unparalleled enemy, and the stakes for the titular duo have truly never been higher. With that core established it may also be the case that the narrative is more tightly focused than it has been. Father and son remain central to the proceedings, and likewise Itto's troubles with the duplicitous Yagyu clan, yet the story has more or less been reduced to its most compact representation to accentuate the viciousness and danger of the Tsuchigumo, and the escalation of Itto's struggle against his foes. This applies to all components of the screenplay, really a tremendous credit to Nakamura, and even with its more questionable bits and pieces the result is highly engaging, absorbing, entertaining, and even thrilling. As viewers we love most of all those movies that we consider flawless, but it also says something special about a movie for its distinct strengths and value to be able to shine so luminously despite equally distinct faults.

In every other capacity 'White heaven in hell' is as reliably superb as its forebears. The filming locations are gorgeous, and the sets, costume design, hair, makeup, props, and weapons are flush with incredible detail. The effects (of course including blood and gore), stunts, choreography, and action sequences are excellent and invigorating, and the cast give perfectly solid performances across the board to bring the tableau to life. Outside of its most dubious phrases Murai's music is just as grabbing and rich as Sakurai's; among the returning crew, Makiura Chishi's cinematography and Taniguchi Toshio's editing are as sharp as ever. The same goes for Kuroda's direction. I think the immediate conflict here with the Tsuchigumo could have been drawn out more so as to accentuate Itto's toils, but still I admire that portion of the tale; the climax frankly echoes the wholly far-fetched gaudiness of the worst frivolities of Roger Moore's time in Eon Productions' James Bond franchise, but still I concede that the sequence is well done just as it is. Given Itto's driving purpose since the first installment of January 1972 I wonder if it wouldn't have been better to give this last installment a more conclusive ending, or at least an ending that wasn't so near to the tropes of a Saturday morning cartoon, but then there's also something to be said for leaving the last minutes open-ended in the eventuality that more may have been produced.

What it comes down to is that this title is a mixed bag, and possibly more so than any of the other 'Lone wolf and cub' films. For the excess that it carries at its worst, I wonder if I'm not being too kind in my assessment; for what it does well, I want to like it more than I do. Considering the significant high quality of the rest of the series it isn't necessarily saying much to suggest that 'White heaven in hell' is the lesser of the six; it might be more meaningful to say that it doesn't necessarily carry the same weight in its themes and storytelling, even where it succeeds the most. I really do like this, and I just wish that where it is less sure-footed, more care had been taken such that it would have met the same level as its fellows. Of all these pictures I'm positive that this is the one that least demands our viewership - especially unfortunate since I think the fifth, 'Baby cart in the land of demons,' may have been the very best of them all - but even at that, it's well done overall, and enjoyable. In this instance one may not need to go out of their way to see it, but if you've already made it to this point in the series, it behooves one to finish the set. Just as much to the point, while it's a step down, 'White heaven in hell' is still worth watching on its own merits, so just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show to come your way.

The sixth entry in the Lone Wolf and Cub saga ... and the last one. Since it has been a while I don't think they'll ever do another one ... although I guess you could go animated. Would be fitting since these are based on an Anime. And the blood and nudity might be a testament to that too. You can tell this is quite over the top, to say the least.

This adds a finale with snow ... just fantastic. I would not call these exceptional tension filled (you kind of know your main character will not perish ... at least until the end of the movie), but they are fun, if you are not too politically correct or easily offended. If you are, stay away from these ... The ending of the series (at least movie wise, never read the animes) is quite ... well let's say it is quite open. If you think this not satisfying ... well I would totally understand it ...

The Yagyu clan continues to be a disgrace due to Ogami Itto's actions. The Shogun threatens an open attack. Lord Retsudo tries to appease him by sending last heir, his daughter Kaori who kills by juggling daggers.

This starts with a 70's music rift with a guitar wah wah and also closes with it which is more fitting for Shaft. It's the sixth and last theatrical movie of the series. Kaori should be the second to last attack. She gets built up so much that she can't be killed off so early. As for the others, I don't like them lining up like that. At best, it's for show but it offers nothing in the way of a fight. While the skiing is funny, it does limit the action unless Lone Wolf is also on skis. It would be interesting to have him ski being pursued by the clan. It's getting to be a never ending story when Retsudo digs up a heir and it descends into incest rape. He's scraping the bottom of the barrel.

The final chapter in Ogami Itt?'s quest for vengeance against the scheming clan that murdered his wife, ousted him from honorable life and tirelessly hounded him at every turn. After a brief pause for contemplation in the preceding chapter, the franchise's tendency toward wanton violence has returned in a big way. Itt? single-handedly dispatches close to 150 armed men, high in the cinematic record-books, with dozens of assists from his young son via their gimmicked baby cart. Though many are mere foot soldiers, a surprisingly large number are named, developed, wholly unique characters. That's been a trademark of the series: establish a wild cast of colorful, weird supporting players/rivals and then take turns dispensing with them in swift, decisive swordfights. One would think this might lead to fatigue, both in the audience and the creative room, but the well never seems to run dry and those abrupt, almost anticlimactic duels give the films a distinct, intense physical identity. A new director and a fresh setting also delivers a newer, more refined look and feel to this film. It's the best-shot entry in the series, no doubt, but also one of the most compelling stories. Where the Lone Wolf has thus far operated with relative impunity, negotiating with his blade, this last set of foes turn the tables by ruthlessly executing each innocent native he encounters. The guilt weighs heavily, especially when an entire hotel's staff and guests are hung out to dry, and that forces him to make some difficult decisions. Occasionally it carries things a bit too far - the mystical enemies who effectively swim through dirt are a major reach - but despite those eccentricities I consider this the best of the six films. The only thing it's missing is any sort of conclusion: we reach the very brink of a final duel and the foil merely disappears over the horizon, licking the wounds of his army and vowing to fight another day. It's a tremendous disappointment that they never polished this off, but perhaps it's best to leave on a high note.

In all honesty and objectivity I need to say that this is probably the least movie out of the entire series. Having said that, it's still a great movie, that is highly entertaining. Which should tell you something about the rest of the series, saying that this one is the worst.

It's the sixth and final movie out of the Kozure Ôkami movie series, that were released between 1972 and 1974. Has much changed within the series over the years? Not really. All of the movies are pretty much the same in terms of its style and approach of the stories and characters. Only "Kozure Ôkami: Oya no kokoro ko no kokoro" is slightly different and more western like because it had a different director at the helm than the other movies. This movie also got director by a different director but yet it pretty much remains in the same style as the Kenji Misumi directed movies.

All you can say that perhaps is different is that this movie tends to be a bit darker in parts than its predecessors. Not necessarily in style in story but purely visually. It's also a bit less smooth and throughout entertaining than the other movies. Luckily the final fight truly compensates a lot.

I can say the end fight in this movie is my favorite one out of the entire series. In that regard this movie really does not disappoint and it's a worthy last outing for Ogami Itto and his infant son Daigoro, that really isn't that much in this movie, probably due to the fact that he was getting a bit too old and big by now for his role.

Ogami Itto shows some new tricks again in this movie and the baby cart is more heavily armed than ever before. I don't think this is the movie out of the series with the highest body counts but it's still really up there though. The action is simply awesome and very creative as well. Of course it's being very over-the-top all and the fountains of blood are all well present again in this movie. You have to like and appreciate this style of Japanese movie-making, that is more manga like than anything else really, in order to fully appreciate this movie series. When you do, this is like one of the most entertaining and also best movie series to watch out there.

8/10

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I was really looking forward to seeing WHITE HEAVEN IN HELL, the conclusion of the six-part LONE WOLF & CUB series of films charting the misadventures of Itto Ogami and his son Daigoro as they travel the violent landscapes of feudal Japan. Earlier films in the series – especially my favourite, the second one – have been excellent, so I was enthused to see how they finished the long-running storyline off. The bad news is that they don't; this was never intended to be the last film in the series, so things just close on a cliffhanger that was never followed up. I won't pretend that I'm not disappointed.

There's both good news and bad news for fans of this series. It's simple: WHITE HEAVEN IN HELL offers more of the same of what's come before. So there's plenty of villainous plotting, scenes of Daigoro being the lad we all know and love, and Ogami taking down numerous opponents without breaking much of a sweat. The villains are hissable, Ogami is effortlessly cool, and by now we all know what's going to happen come the end.

Yet the familiarity of this film's plot is also its downfall. I was starting to feel that things were getting a little stale in the last instalment, and that feeling is now overwhelming. The expert direction and effortless atmosphere of the earlier films is missing, and I couldn't help but feel that things were getting a little run-of-the-mill this time around. Certainly, nothing much happens we haven't seen before.

The writers try to mix things up a bit by introducing more outlandish elements to the script. I like crazy stuff in films, so I was pleased to see the presence of the undead here, and some elements of horror mixed into the narrative, but it's never fully capitalised upon. And the ending is a real let-down, an icy encounter between our feared hero and an army of skiing enemies; it's neither particularly gory nor exciting, instead coming across as rather silly. If you sit back and remember the triumphant, eye-popping ending of BABY CART AT THE RIVER STYX and compare it with what's on offer here, it's a real disappointment. And although they never did close that storyline, I'm kind of glad that things ended with this film. I can only feel they would have otherwise run this series into the ground eventually.

The Lone Wolf and Cub or "Babycart" series of movies are a joy to watch. There's never a dull moment during Ogami and Diagoro's travels across the land they call "hell".

White Heaven in Hell is the last installment to a great series. Ogami must face what's left of the Yagyu Clan including Lord Retsudo. Ogami must kill them all to avenge Azami's (Ogami's wife) death.

This movie displays some great choreography (as always) Tomisaburo Wakayama is that good with the sword I sometimes tend to believe the guy is a real "masterless samurai". Although some of the fight scenes are a little confusing (the fight with the girl and the throwing daggers) on a whole this movie displays jaw-dropping sword fights...including an amusing final showdown battle in the snow.

And as usual, the movie displays some weird techniques of eradicating others...including daggers through the head, and even a rocket launcher! This may sound weird, but that's Babycart for you. But it works...in a weird kind of way,

In my opinion, Tomisaburo Wakayama is certainly up there with the likes of Toshiro Mifune...if better.

The end of what's possibly the best samurai saga ever.

8/10

This final episode of the six Lone Wolf and Cub series is a mixed bag, though continually entertaining, with the expected quota of sword fights, ninja attacks, and all-out battles - here captured in the the rival Yagyu faction's attempt to push the Lone Wolf to despair the body count that follows him.

The extravagant violence that follows isn't so much realistic (with its blood that looks like paint, and shoestring foley work) as it is a Downhill Racer with samurai swords, the Baby Cart equipped with machine guns, cannons, and an assembly of spears. The most appealing aspect of this series (and this movie) derives from its bleak depiction of a world of honorable bad guys and just plain bad guys. Death, here, is an ugly business.

The final sequence, which pits our hero against swordsmen wearing skis, is kind of campy, but that's all part of the mystique of this series. Some people love it; others may find it a bit formulaic.

These movies were infamous for their incredibly brutal and bloody swordplay sequences, but equally impressive IMHO was the leading actor- Tomisaburo Wakayama a.k.a. "Lone Wolf" was surely the greatest martial arts star ever. The command and authority with which he wielded a sword (and other weapons) was just phenomenal. The blade truly was an extension of himself, and his use of it was the definition of lethal, with none of the unnecessary/show-off flourishes so desperately thrown about by today's wannabes. He had incredible presence and charisma- easily on a par with the likes of say Eastwood or Bronson- with eyes that reflected pure death, and the desolation in his soul. There were moments in the "Babycart" series where you'd swear he was the personification of his namesake, the Wolf. You never doubted for one second that he WAS shogun executioner, masterless samurai, assassin for hire. One look at him in action, and you could readily understand why his enemies trembled at the mention of his name, and ran from him in sheer terror. Alas, Lone Wolf is one with void now, but his legend will live on forever in these films.

Forget Toshiro Mifune. Forget Takakura Ken. Forget Sonny Chiba. Forget Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, and any of those wire-reliant ballet dancers from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. And CERTAINLY forget any American martial artists that you could care to name. Tomisaburo Wakayama was, is, and forever shall be, THE MAN!

The final chapter in Ogami Ittō's quest for vengeance against the scheming clan that murdered his wife, ousted him from honorable life and tirelessly hounded him at every turn. After a brief pause for contemplation in the preceding chapter, the franchise's tendency toward wanton violence has returned in a big way. Ittō single-handedly dispatches close to 150 armed men, high in the cinematic record-books, with dozens of assists from his young son via their gimmicked baby cart. Though many are mere foot soldiers, a surprisingly large number are named, developed, wholly unique characters. That's been a trademark of the series: establish a wild cast of colorful, weird supporting players/rivals and then take turns dispensing with them in swift, decisive swordfights. One would think this might lead to fatigue, both in the audience and the creative room, but the well never seems to run dry and those abrupt, almost anticlimactic duels give the films a distinct, intense physical identity. A new director and a fresh setting also delivers a newer, more refined look and feel to this film. It's the best-shot entry in the series, no doubt, but also one of the most compelling stories. Where the Lone Wolf has thus far operated with relative impunity, negotiating with his blade, this last set of foes turn the tables by ruthlessly executing each innocent native he encounters. The guilt weighs heavily, especially when an entire hotel's staff and guests are hung out to dry, and that forces him to make some difficult decisions. Occasionally it carries things a bit too far - the mystical enemies who effectively swim through dirt are a major reach - but despite those eccentricities I consider this the best of the six films. The only thing it's missing is any sort of conclusion: we reach the very brink of a final duel and the foil merely disappears over the horizon, licking the wounds of his army and vowing to fight another day. It's a tremendous disappointment that they never polished this off, but perhaps it's best to leave on a high note.

As those of you who have seen any of the six movies in the series know, Tomisaburô Wakayama is the Lone Wolf, former head-cutter-offer for the Shogunate, done out of the job by Minoru Ôki. one-eyed chief of the evil Yagyu clan. Now he and his son, Akihiro Tomikawa, wander around Japan with the youngster in a baby carriage, assassins for hire. Each movie has four or five attempts by the Yagyu to kill Wakayama and son, and each is usually capped by a big battle at the end, where Wakayama faces hundreds of minions; being minions, they are highly skilled and very deadly, and are easily dispatched by Wakayama, with Ôki escaping at the end, vowing to get Wakayama next time.

Why does he bother? Because Wakayama has killed four of his sons, who were just going along, minding their own business of trying to kill Wakayama. The last three kiddies go down, too, which annoys Ôki no end, and makes the Shogun comment that as an evil mastermind, he's flubbing the job.

Which is pretty much what happens here, with flying fake heads, and dying minions spouting fake blood like a shaken bottle of warm soda. It's violence on a pornographic level. That is not to say there isn't some technical interest in these movies. There's great cinematography modeled on the manga it's based on. Here, there's a lot snow, and plenty of anachronistic details, like Wakayama having a machine gun rigged into the baby carriage, and hundreds of skiing swordsmen trying to kill Wakayama.

The best thing about the movie, though, is it's the last of them. Even if Ôki flees saying he'll get Wakayama next time, I take some comfort in the fact there was none.

Honestly, I think that the Lone Wolf and Cub series is the greatest samurai series ever. EVER. Although some of the events are, ahem, not the most plausible things in the world, the journeys of Ogami Itto and Daigoro are fascinating to watch. Actually, the perfection of the direction and cinematography makes even a machine gunning baby cart seem perfectly normal. A great movie.

And so comes to an end the original six films of the Lone Wolf and Cub franchise, completed before the end of the manga, denying a complete end to the conflict between Itto Ogami and the Yagyu clan. In the hands of director Yoshiyuki Kuroda, Ogami and Daigoro meander through another cobbled together actioner that at least has the smarts to shake up the aesthetics and mythos of the action, providing something new.

The film begins with what seems to be real focus. The Yagyu Clan is on the verge of losing face because they can't manage to kill Ogami despite five movies' worth of effort. The head of the clan, Retsudo, is getting desperate and has set his youngest child, his daughter, the most dangerous of his four remaining children, to kill Ogami. First, she must kill her three brothers in a display of her skill that, well, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense but it's a neat scene anyway, I guess. She demonstrates her ability with her throwing knives by killing each brother in a row in a different way. I mean, I guess Retsudo isn't that concerned with his family name passing down anymore because the danger is so great, but this is another example of what sounded like a neat idea falling apart the second you think about it.

Anyway, the movie spends several minutes setting up this daughter, and...well, she's dead after about ten minutes, killed by Ogami who instantly sees through all of her attacks and kills her with little trouble. I mean, this is probably the perfect microcosm of my problem with these movies. The filmmakers dedicate time to a character based almost purely based on her ability with a unique weapon. After all the time dedicated to showing us how awesome she is, Ogami gets rid of her almost instantly, and the woman is never mentioned again. The movie was smart enough to give her a direct tie to Retsudo, at least, which feeds into Retsudo's decaying position and mental state, but the relationship between her and Retsudo was never established beyond expository dialogue.

Retsudo, desperate after he threw away the lives of his three sons and daughter, finds a never mentioned before illegitimate son who has hidden in the mountains for decades, Hyouei, the leader of the Tsuchigumo clan. Hyouei brings out his three fiercest fighter, buried under the earth for weeks and given magical powers turning them into some kind of kung fu zombies, and we get another instance of awesome fighters getting built up and then easily dispatched by Ogami once they show up. In between there's a sequence where they use their magic to kill everyone in an inn that Ogami and Daigoro stay the night in because, as we learn during the sequence and not before it through voiceover, everyone who helps Ogami will die. Ogami flees northward to the snow driven mountains where he kills all three in a very quick encounter.

Finally, we're ready for our final confrontation between Retsudo and Ogami. Retsudo has no more children, legitimate or illegitimate. He has to kill Ogami himself if he wants it done, so he brings a small army (another one) for Ogami to kill off one by one in the snow. Now, action movies have used snow fights to great effect before, thinking of James Bond in particular and On Her Majesty's Secret Service specifically. The problem here is that it's a back and forth battle on a slope where everyone's on skis, so it feels artificial when the army comes down to Ogami, he fights off a bunch of them, they ski down past him, and then he skis after them. Add in the visual of the baby cart and it comes off a bit more ridiculous in execution than I imagined they thought it would look in theory.

And then Retsudo gets away and the franchise ends without a real ending because the manga hadn't caught up. I have no idea why Toho Studios didn't make a seventh film to end out the franchise with the same cast, perhaps getting the ending from the author early like what happened on Game of Thrones, but they didn't. This is the end, and it's a disappointing ending.

Looking back at this franchise, I guess I didn't realize what I was getting into. Knowing almost nothing about it beforehand other than it was in the Criterion Collection and The Mandalorian adopted its core concept of a warrior traveling with a small being for its first couple of seasons, I think I expected something more adept. I certainly didn't expect that every single movie would be at least two different stories inelegantly stitched together. There are some highlights here and there (my favorite being Baby Cub in Hades, which I think mostly holds together), but overall I found the franchise rather dull because the basic building blocks of storytelling were largely absent. It also didn't help that some of its "coolest" moments fall apart the second you think about them. No, I wouldn't recommend this franchise. It's reputation is far greater than it deserves.

This film essentially begins in the winter with the exiled samurai named "Ogami Itto" (Tomisaburo Wakayama) sledding through the snow on the baby cart he has built for his infant son "Daigoro" (Akihiro Tomikawa) sitting safely inside. Meanwhile, the man who instigated Ogami Itto's exile, "Retsudo Yagyu" (Minoru Oki) is now feeling a great deal of pressure for not being able to kill them and, having already lost his three sons, now sends his daughter "Kaori Yagyu" (Junko Hitomi) to finish the job he started. Failing that, he also has another son from one of his concubines he can petition--but that would only happen if he was truly desperate. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this is the sixth--and last--film in the series and, quite honestly, it is not one of the better installments. For starters, it lacked the in-depth plot and character development of the others, which made the entire film seem rather formulaic. Likewise, the ending was quite ridiculous as well. That being said, while I don't consider this to be a bad film by any means, it just didn't seem to rise to the same level as some of its predecessors and I have rated it accordingly. Average.