I know what you’re thinking. “Wait. What? Shogun Assassin 3? I’ve heard of one and two, but three? Am I missing something here?” No, you’re not crazy. Technically Shogun Assassin 3: Slashing Blades of Carnage is brand new, a freshly dubbed version of Lone Wolf and Cub 4: Baby Cart in Peril, brought about by a supposed demand on the part of dub loving viewers. If you’ve seen Lone Wolf and Cub 4 before, there’s nothing new to see here. If not, read on.

By now you probably are familiar with the whole world of Lone Wolf and Cub (If not, please check out my reviews of Shogun Assassin and Shogun Assassin 2), so I’ll just jump straight into the story. This go round sees Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) hired to track down and assassinate a deadly female sword-master (Michie Azuma), whose secret weapon, a breast tattoo of a Kintaro, stuns enemies into submission (now that’s an element of surprise!). Along the way Itto will have to confront a grudge holding swordsman, the ninja assassination squads of the Yagyu clan, and the usual Shogunate officials, all determined to see Itto and Daigoro dead.

As with any series people have their favorites, and those favorites inevitably prove points of contention with other fans. For example, my favorite Batman film would have to be Batman Returns, my favorite Superman, Superman III, my favorite Sasori film, Convict, my favorite Friday the 13th, part VII(the psychic one). Keeping with that vein, Shogun Assassin 3 may not be the most popular entry, but it is hands down my favorite of the Lone Wolf and Cub series.

Why? Straight off, the battles in this film are some of the most exciting in the whole series. Possibly counterbalancing the ease with which Itto offed his enemies in the previous entires, this one sees Itto literally fighting for his life again and again and again. Whether in a straight sword duel or being attacked by camouflaged ninja in a Buddhist temple, for the first time Itto seems in real danger. And the ending battle, with its floating steady cam chasing Itto through deep canyon walls, as he engages in close-quarters battle with dozens of enemies who descend upon him from above, has to be the best, most action packed finale the series has ever seen. Furthermore, this entry sees the addition of a much needed background into the Yagyu grudge and the resulting conspiracy against the Itto family (again, if this means nothing to you, please check out my reviews of Shogun Assassin and Shogun Assassin 2), as well as a lengthy and interesting aside concerning a solo adventure of Daigoro following an unfortunate separation from Itto, which further explores the mental state of the young boy in light of all his previous adventures. And lastly, this film features, bar none, the best opening shot of any of the films. Watch it. You’ll see.

Being that Shogun Assassin 3 is a newly dubbed version of Baby Cart in Peril some discussion of the dub is in order. While dubs rarely prove as good as the original language track, this one is pretty decent. There are a few lapses into unintentional absurdity (like the opening tattoist’s lengthy monologue. It had Kris in stitches) but on the whole AnimEigo did a admirable job porting the their literal translations into spoken dialog. It’s all very well written and convincingly delivered, and aside from the initial difference in voices from Shogun Assassin 1 and 2, let me lose myself in the story of the film.

As usual, if you know the Lone Wolf films, you’re probably familiar with the trappings as well. Even then, the acting on the part of Tomisaburo Wakayama and Akihiro Tomikawa is actually a little better than usual, and the work of cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa (in his first and only Lone Wolf and Cub film) helps make this one of the best looking entries in the series. There’s a lot of playing with color, in particular greens (from the ninja to the forest locales) and reds (the blood, of course). Good stuff all around.

In closing, one of the best Lone Wolf and Cub films has finally received the dub treatment. If you prefer dubbing to subs, by all means pick it up. If you like your subtitles, make sure to pick up the original. Either way, you won’t regret seeing this film.

The DVD
AnimEigo presents Shogun Assassin 3 using the exact same restored print as Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril. It’s a great print, nice clean, vibrant and crisp colors, anamorphic widescreen maintaining the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio — everything you would expect. There are a few sort of “smudgy” sequences, but those have to do with soft to out of focus camera work instead of sub-par restoration work.

The audio is nice and clear, and the dub, as discussed above, is pretty decent considering the usual horrors of American dubs. Music and sound effects ring true. There’s nothing really to complain about here.

When compared to recent AnimEigo releases, the extras are a bit light, though roughly equal to what was presented on their Shogun Assassin 2 disc. You have a truncated program notes section (there are about 8 slides, and one refers you to the expanded slides on the Lone Wolf and Cub discs), and some eye-catching production stills. Also included on the disc are trailers for Shogun Assassin, Ashura, and 47 Ronin.

All in all, this is a nice transfer of an excellent movie, with some passable extras. Still, as always, you’re going to be spending far more time with the film than any sort of extras, so it’s sort of beside the point. The film is without a doubt worth a pickup, but the decision really boils down to whether you want a dubbed or a subbed version of the film. If you want a dub, or are a Lone Wolf completist, by all means pick up Shogun Assassin 3.

Shogun Assassin 3: Slashing Blades of Carnage hits DVD September 11, 2007

About the Author

Chris Nelson has been a film fanatic since age six. A former film and English major, he is now a Software Engineer and contract Technical Writer living in the Silicon Valley.

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