Chô kôsoku! Sankin kôtai ritânzu

The story continue and with all the same actors; in fact is like if the first movie did not ended actually. I mean; start where the other finished not on other types of incidents. That at least is curious because there is 2 years of difference between the first movie and this one. Anyway; with the same concept about Human values and what is good and what is not based super loosely on feudal History the director offers a funny entertaining for all the family due to the comedy involved and many things to view that work for all levels of understanding. Even some Women rolls and social supposed conducts in some funny desperate scenes. Near the end like in previous one, there is some social-politic "manifesto" of what a Government should be (and in most cases do not...) and kind of let you know a facet of the new era feudal Japan was started to see. All light handed and very brightly; plenty of light and hope on the plot and with the plot. Do not know why less stars than the first part; because is the same type of movie; again is like if the first one did not ended.

In short: It's clearly made with the glimpse in the eye, this isn't a serious movie all the way through - the white arrow (and alot of the jokes) denotes as much. But the costumes are good, the makeup also delivers and so does alot of the effects. Even the swordplay is even there at times. By all accounts and measure this is more a celebration of the samurai genre than anything else. And as such it's quite good. That does not mean it's excellent as a movie in of itself (6/10) where as a homage to previous movies that has been it's possibly a strong 8 or maybe even a 9.

The ending did alot for me, note the clear depicition of Toshiro Mifune walking away, with the straw in his mouth and a drink at his side (Tsuyoshi Ihara as Danzo Kumogakure), that is one scene that will stick with me and one of the most beautiful homages I've seen esthetically speaking. If you are a movie buff the two hour long movie is worth it for that alone. IF you are a moviebuff you will also recognise and appriciate some other nods and cineamtograpically appealing scenes.