Kozure Ôkami: Shinikaze ni mukau ubaguruma

This one and "Peril" are by far my favorites. In the opening scenes we see Ogami wipe out three ninja and it must be seen to be believed. I particularly liked the character development in this film. Itto meets Magomura Kanbei, a disgraced ronin much like himself. It appears Kanbei has a death wish and the reason is uncertain until the end of the movie. He is a very interesting character. Ogami is tortured by yakuza to save a prostitute who killed a pimp in self defense and this is how he is led to his next commission. Great story, and action that is second to none. His quick draw in one scene is so fast I swore the film was sped up. Well, it wasn't. The man is that good. Another plus, there's Hamada Yuko. She is one good-looking woman. This is a very enjoyable movie that can be viewed many times and it never gets old.

A step down from the first two films in the series, with a story that felt more disjoint, had flashbacks that didn't really add anything, and which lagged several times. Rape is used yet again as a plot device, and when a guy tidies up the crime by murdering the mother and daughter afterwards, he's congratulated for behavior which "befits a samurai," which was uncomfortable, even considering the moral conflict that runs through the series. There are a few nice outdoor shots, but there's a long 40 minute stretch in the middle that's all indoors, and overall it's not nearly as scenic as the previous film. The penultimate battle with what amounts to an army has a few interesting surprises, but the final clash is weirdly drawn out and anti-climactic. I'm not sure if cranking these out so quickly had something to do with it (this was #3 of 4 released in 1972), but the quality level of this one is lower.

You know when in sequels (this being the third movie in the series), certain things get an upgrade without any explanation? Well this happens with the baby cart here. And the baby is quite tech savvy ... or let's say participates more in the fights. Sort of, which is a nice touch. And I actually had to laugh out loud during the last battle, well at the start of it, when ... well you'll see and understand when you see what they do ... amazing.

And quite ridiculous, but that is what the movies are about. Blood gushes, squirts in very big fashion. Nudity and other things included. And our macho hero in the center of all of it. Do not take the movies for real and try to remember they are fiction, not telling you how to do things or be educational in any way, shape or form! It is imperative to never forget that, because otherwise you'd be close to cancel those movies. Sleaze and down and dirty nature is what they relish on. You may despise that (I am actually surprised that the rating is so high, but it probably only means, that only those who are not easily offended watched them), which is ok, but don't deny them others, who can differentiate ...

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!

Impressively violent. Lone wolf is hired to kill a minor official who murdered a madam's sister. He ends up taking on, and killing an entire army. An Incredibly high body count. Very spaghetti western in style. Good if you like lots of swordplay and rapid evisceration.