In Japan in 1844, Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira, the Shogun's illegitimate brother is rising to power - but when his tyranny run rampant, secret plans are laid to end his reign and his life.
Like all good action films, this one has a pretty simple story. There is a big bad ruler who is terrorising the country-side with his evil behavior. I find it amusing that when bad people like this come about they get so arrogant that they don't think anyone would dare challenge his reign. And this guy is pure evil. Writers Kaneo Ikegami and Daisuke Tegan have created one of the most evil person that cinema has seen. The beginning of the film is filled with some of the more nasty things he's done to the people of his region. Director Takashi Miike is not afraid to show this guy's brutality. It's up to one group of men to stop him. This where the fun start as our band of samurai lay a trap for Naritsugu and his men. The film is quite violent but not in a gruesome way. The big fight is very epic and done on a grand scale. It is a great deal of fun to see our heroes fight for the honour of their people.
I'm not very familiar with the actors in the film but they are awesome fighters. I'm always amazed at how they perform the big fight sequences in films like this, especially when swords are involved. Koji Yakuso makes an excellent leader. You can see the experience he has and know he can defeat the evil lord. On the flip side we have Goro Inagaki as the evil lord. He gives a brilliant performances and we really come to hate him.
Definitely one of the best action films in recent times. It has a nice simple plot with brilliantly staged fight scenes.
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