Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi

The final Zatoichi film from Shintarô Katsu again shows the blind masseur wandering around Japan. As usual it contains blindingly fast sword fights, beautiful women and lots of blood. Each frame of the film is well constructed and the atmosphere is brilliant. But Katsu makes an attempt at introducing an intricate plot unlike other Zatoichi flicks and in there lies the undoing of the movie.

Rating: * +

Ronin Gai

Set in the 1830's in Japan during the decline of the Feudal Tokugawa shogunate system sees Shintaro Katsu (Zatoichi) playing a Mifune-like role. A bunch of ronin who hang around an inn take on a group of Tokugawa retainers who are terrorizing the local prostitutes. Nothing to write home about.

Rating: * +