Dean Routledge

I have to say I was really looking forward to seeing this flick. I really enjoyed the original Manga animated versions, even though I am not a real anime fan. I was hoping the big screen effort would pay off and that we may have a new classic in the genre. I saw the movie on video as soon as it was released, and even though I thoroughly enjoyed, something was missing. I still can't quite put my finger on it. Don't misunderstand me, it is beautifully filmed, there is great dialogue and it has super action sequences...but I still felt that something wasn't quite hitting the mark for me. That was my personal opinion.

Do watch it for yourself though. I have to state that the acting was very above average for a film like Crying Freeman and I think, that in the right hands, Mark Dacascus could be a real star in the making.

I had mixed feelings about viewing Blade...I desperately didn't want to believe the hype for fear that I may be disappointed. Thankfully, the hype was on the mark for once. Blade is probably one of the best action/horror crossovers I've seen to date. I generally find that when a filmaker tries to combine two different genres they always tend to lean slightly more to one side than the other. In Blade this is not the case. A superb blend of both the aforementioned categories adds up to a rollercoaster movie which picks up momentum and doesn't halt for a moment. This combined with excellent character development makes what was a good film into something alot more. The cast are great, Snipes is particularly deadpan as the hero, and its always good to see Kristofferson in a movie. Dorff is simply terrific as the archvillain and the supporting actors do the movie proud. The production design is lavish with a great dark side to it and the costumes and special effects are just right. Not too much, not too little. Couple this with a good script and sub-plots....voila!....instant great Saturday night movie.

Shogun Assassin is the amalgamation of the Lone Wolf and Cub movies which in turn are based on the Japanese popular comic books.

The plot of the film revolves around the shoguns chief executioner and his son. The shogun goes insane and orders him killed. He sends assassins who, when they don't find him kill his wife instead thus sending him on a cold blooded road of revenge. The lone wolf (as he is called) now wanders the countryside pushing his young son in his wooden pram (which is armed to the hilt!), taking any jobs as a hired killer he can find on the way.

The fight scenes are like mini ballets with copious amounts of fake blood which is comical to say the least, but the swordplay is fabulous. You literally marvel at the way he carves through armies of enemies. Another charming feature of the movies is the constant narrative by his young son and many of the less violent moments of the film are often quite touching concerning the relationship between the father and son.

A great action film which is now available after many years on the banned list. One to watch.....