Kamui gaiden

A tight schedule meant missing out on this at TIFFCOM last year, but I suppose the strength of popular Japanese actor Ken'ichi Matsuyama's name alone meant that it had a good chance of making it back to Singapore, and the full house this afternoon is just testament of that. Being the chameleon, Matsuyama makes quite an impression as the titular Fugitive Ninja who yearns for the freedom of his dream, but gets continuous hunted down by enemies who want a piece of him. So goes the martial arts world, where the only rule is to kill or be killed.

I haven't read the manga by Sampei Shirato on which Kamui is based on, but that shouldn't deter anyone game for a ninja flick. However, this is not like any conventional ninja film that I've grown accustomed to, and one of the prime reasons is that the exponents skilled in the art of ninjitsu don't wear black (just like how cliché it is when gangsters have to be decked out in black tie), but are decked in a variety of fancy garb that is functional to hide a multitude of weapons. For the uninitiated like me, you'll get the lowdown on our hero's origins through a series of battles which also serve to showcase his signature skills like Mist Kill, so that will bring you up to speed on things, and whet your appetite for more conflicts to come so that Kamui gets a reason to unsheathe his sword.

The story however turns out to be quite episodic in nature, since Kamui has the legs for an extended franchise of films, and this one being but a snapshot of his life on the run. It's extremely miserable because there is nobody Kamui can trust, and whenever he gets comfortable with someone, they fall to their demise, like a curse that he and his loved one cannot escape from. Such is the nature of this story, making him quite the cynic with a profound taste of mistrust toward anyone, being on the run in both literal and figurative terms. But an encounter with a fisherman Hanbei (Kaoru Kobayashi) who had just chopped off the leg of a horse belonging to a nobleman (see if you can spot Anna Tsuchiya from Sakuran in a role without dialogue!) brings Kamui to Henta's fishermen village, and here he meets an enemy from the past (played by Koyuki of The Last Samurai fame, and last seen in Blood the Last Vampire) and a potential to change his life for the better through a loved one in Sayaka (Suzuka Ohgo), Henta's daughter.

With a runtime of two hours, the story admittedly does get a little bloated as we explore the themes of family and that sense of belonging, before it picks up through the introduction of a group of pirates led by Fudo (Hideaki Ito). For some reason there's this very violent attitude and nature toward animals in the film, and although everything is vividly CG-ed with incredible detail, shark lovers may be up in arms over how they get violently depicted (think Jaws with more murderous intent), and then callously dispatched through dismemberment and bludgeoning to the skull. That aside, humans too get killed in quite graphic methods since everyone kills without remorse as a means to survive.

Thankfully the fight action choreography is top notch. For those tired of quick cuts and edits, or angles that get just too close for comfort and clarity, the techniques here, although spruced up with some wirework and CG, satisfies in abundance. Sensible angles and camera-work allow you to witness battles as if you get ring side seats, and the action gets progressively better, culminating in the final showdown between Kamui and his chief enemy here (no, I won't reveal who), which is a delight to watch, and frankly, I'd watch this show again just to partake in another round of the beautifully designed final fight.

Ekin Cheng has a bit role here, although I'm not quite sure what value he adds to the story since he didn't actually get to see much action, other than to assure audiences that he'll probably get more screen time should a follow up film be made. A passable story that I think its manga followers will get a kick out of, with outstanding CG work to bring to life a period world with fantastic pugilists.

Epic in scope, aesthetically pleasing, gloriously violent, and just a little bonkers at times, Kamui The Lone Ninja possesses many of the attributes that would usually qualify a film as a classic in my book. Sadly, despite these positives, the film fails to achieve 'must-see' status thanks to an overlong running time and its god-awful CGI effects, which frequently and mercilessly shatter the illusion of fantasy. It's extremely frustrating to suspend disbelief and immerse oneself in a mythical cinematic realm, only to be regularly jolted back to reality by the glaringly obvious use of horrendous digital trickery, and it makes the overall experience less than satisfying.

Rarely do I place so much importance on seemingly trifling technical matters—after all, I've thoroughly enjoyed many a film with worse special effects—but against Kamui's sublime, natural scenery and its visually-arresting, heavily saturated seascapes, the crappy CGI is just too jarring to forgive. Kamui's advanced ninja moves performed during a treetop battle are simply abysmal; the scaling of a sheer cliff-face by Kamui sees the ninja move in the manner of a Looney Tunes cartoon character; and the less said about the dreadful shark hunting scenes, the better.

I do, admittedly, feel a little mean for berating Kamui so much for its shoddy effects—I actually liked many of the more dramatic scenes—so by way of recompense, I hereby award it the title of 'Second Best Martial Arts Movie to Feature a Scene of Gratuitous Horse Dismemberment' (the equine decapitation in Ringo Lam's Burning Paradise narrowly beating Kamui's severed horse leg to first place).

Based on a comic by Sanpei Shirato, Kamui is about a tale of ninja fugitive that survives because of his exceptional ninpo skills. The movie was made with Shirato and Kamui fans in mind and although synopsis of Kamui saga is given at the beginning of the movie, the movie in my opinion is not a true stand alone piece, and the audience would benefit from the knowledge of the original story.

Unlike other ninja, Kamui was born into an untouchable class, and then became ninja to gain the ability to survive. A long running series that has history of almost 50 years, Kamui is an unusual tale of a lone ninja who is an escapee from his ninja clan (which was act of treason punishable by death). For this reason he is perpetually being targeted by the members of his ninja clan.

Kamui's skill as ninja comes from his ability to invent his original method of combat tactics. Two famous tactics of his - "Izuna Otoshi" and "Heni Battou Kasumi Giri" is featured in this movie.

Sanpei Shirato has a very dark mood to his art and story, and this movie succeeds in capturing Shirato's style. CG of this movie has dynamics to it like never seen elsewhere. Especially the scenes with the sharks were superb. Details are vivid, and interactions between characters that was vague in the original comic is shown with new vigor. The character of Kamui also has more "human" aspect compared to the comic. Overall the movie succeeds in showing Kamui saga in a new light.

Watch the movie as cultural artifact from Japan. It's an uniquely original story where an outcast ninja while being tossed in the hands of fate, tries to find a place of peace in his life.

The CGI was so bad it seriously interfered with my ability to enjoy this film. The plot was quite basic and typical so I was hoping for some awesome fighting but the heavy use of terrible CGI meant that it was almost entirely unrealistic, thus taking all the pleasure out of it. The only feature that was a pleasant surprise was the lack of music throughout, giving it a sense of realism that the aesthetics failed to show. Even when there was music, it was light and in the background, the director instead favouring the diegetic sounds, such as heavy breathing or swords slicing through flesh. There is also the interesting contrast between the Ninja and the idyllic surroundings of the island, clearly used to show how, even in such a peaceful environment, Kamui is unable to escape his past life. Despite these possible intentions for having the characters in such a setting, I still feel that the sight of the 'Masters of the Night' fighting on an overly bright beach hard to accept.

Great movie & plenty of action throughout. Tale of courage and imperial domination. I found little to complain about viewing this movie.