Baby Cart: L'âme d'un père, le coeur d'un fils

Number four in the series and a new director but the product is still well up to scratch. Not sure I would necessarily have noticed the change at the helm so seamlessly does this continue the theme but there is a little more stress upon the vulnerability both of the main protagonist and his cub. Fire also features here, with a blazing sword, whatever that might mean and an amazingly shot blazing field that surrounds the young cub. Elephant in the room here though is the tattooed lady. Absolutely magnificent designs front and back of the bare lady assassin and these are to have their desired affect in the combat to come, even if her bare breasts wouldn't be distracting enough. So, much as before with a little extra and wonderfully photographed throughout. The ending is not unlike that of the previous outing but even here just a little bit extra for our continued astonishment and pleasure.

The fourth in the long-running LONE WOLF & CUB series that so far shows no sign of flagging. BABY CART IN PERIL has everything that made the previous films so memorable: iconic characters, humour, sharply drawn personalities, a straightforward plot and battle sequences delivered with gusto. As with the last two films, this one features a memorable female warrior, in this case a woman covered in tattoos, who provides a more in-depth adversary for Ogami instead of his more cartoonish foes. The plot, as usual, details strands of honour and duty, while at the same time reintroducing Ogami's chief enemy, Lord Retsudo, who was noticeable absent in the last instalment.

There is a slight difference in the film-making which may be down to this film having a different director to the last. The style is perhaps more evident, and Ogami displays touches of emotion and weakness that seem slightly out of place. Nevertheless, the film is superbly shot and ably holds its down in what is turning out to be a superlative series. The vivid battle sequences are exceptional, with Ogami de-limbing inhuman foes in one stand-out sequence, as well as facing his most mortal threat – a gun-toting army – in the wildly exciting and vividly violent climax. Perhaps not the best in the series, this is still a cut above the rest.

Installment #4 in the series comes in at a taut 81 minutes, and while a little undeveloped, it's satisfying nonetheless. Like the other films, unfortunately rape is yet again an element of the plot, and it's cringeworthy how "out of shame" the young woman (Michie Azuma) runs away afterwards and becomes an assassin. She's shown topless at every possible opportunity, with the giant tattoos providing an excuse to do so. It would have been nice had the film expanded her character a little more and made her the final battle, because you see, the lone wolf (Tomisaburo Wakayama) has been tasked with hunting her down. The film has its moments, including all sorts of dismemberment, a man with an improbable ability to mold his face into the shape of another's asked to commit hara-kiri for someone else, and a battle scene with guys who were camouflaged as statues (probably the film's best). The baby is now three years old and capable of wielding the cart's hidden machine guns, which comes in handy, as you'd hate to bring just a sword to a gun fight. The lone wolf has some sense of honor but is still just a mercenary, and moreover, one who isn't invulnerable, which makes him an interesting character, and Wakayama plays the part reasonably well. It's good, campy fun, and a film you wouldn't have had to see the first three to enjoy.

This is a beautifully made movie, the cinematography is to die for. In this installment of LW&C, Lone Wolf is hired to kill a rogue defector of a powerful clan, a formidable martial artist who happens to be a woman on a killing spree. Her body has been heavily tattooed to distract & shock her enemies. Itto's son Daigoro gets lost (this kid gets into more trouble) and is confronted by the only man ever to defeat Itto in a sword fight, Yagyu Gunbei, played by Yoichi Hayashi. He's a stone-cold & ruthless Ronin with a serious grudge against Itto. Needless to say there's a showdown between the two, and this is the highlight of the movie. In this scene it is twilight, and the cinematography is simply breathtaking. This movie is exceptionally clean, and is a real pleasure to watch. This movie and "Hades" are the top two LW&C films IMHO. Rent it or buy it, you will not be disappointed.

After spending a few movies on the lam, picking up odd jobs and dispatching would-be assassins, wandering ronin Ogami Ittō gets back to the business of stalking his real enemy: Retsudo Yagyū, who dishonored Ogami's name and orchestrated his wife's murder. The two finally cross swords this time (with consequences for both), but not before Ittō deals with a disgraced, grudge-bearing former rival, a femme fatale with curious tattoos, a corrupt local official (complete with his own private army) and a host of explosive-lobbing foot soldiers. And, for once, the harsh lifestyle has taken a toll on our swordsman: the lone wolf that stumbles away from the battlefield at the end of this film is a far cry from the one who stoically, almost carelessly, dealt with blade-flinging challengers at its onset. Stuffed with fascinating, well-rounded new characters, unique fight scenes, badass acts of heroism and gallons of bright red spray, it's incredible that the final running time comes in just short of ninety minutes. Feels like there's enough depth, and enough story, to have stretched for twice as long.