Shogun Assassin 2: Lightning Swords of Death — dvd movie review
In the past few years AnimEigo has restored and released all the Lone Wolf and Cub films, even going so far as to use their restored footage to manually reassemble a restored version of Shogun Assassin. Now, with Shogun Assassin 2: Lightning Swords of Death, their Lone Wolf and Cub collection is complete (that is, unless they decide to take on the television show). Keeping with the spirit of Ogami Itto, I’m going to make this review direct, and to the point.
First and foremost, let me clear up a bit of confusion. Shogun Assassin 2: Lightning Swords of Death, Baby Cart to Hades, Lone Wolf with a Child: Baby Cart On to Hades, and Lupine Wolf are all names for this film. But there are some differences that are worth mentioning. You see, Shogun Assassin 2: Lightning Swords of Death is the dubbed version of Baby Cart to Hades (complete with English titles) that was shown theatrically outside of Japan. Furthermore, the American and British versions of the film differed in that the American version was shortened a good six minutes by censors. AnimEigo’s version of Shogun Assassin 2 is the full 89 minute version, matching the runtime of the Japanese release, with all the violence, gore, and nudity intact.
Now that we have that out of the way, it’s time to cover the story. This third film outing for Ogami Itto and Daigoro sees the Lone Wolf and Cub taking on mercenary samurai, corrupt officials, and a full army of archers, swordsmen, and calvalry. It all starts off when an indentured prostitute kills her “master” while fending off his unwanted advances (in a scene of tongue severance replicated in Kill Bill). Ogami Itto, in discovering a similarity between his and the woman’s situations, offers himself to her pursuers, to be punished in her stay. A deal is made, and the woman freed, but Ogami’s debt is not quite cleared. To finish the matter he must fulfill one last task: assassinate a corrupt official. As you would expect from Lone Wolf and Cub, from here on out the battles come fast and fierce.
While billed as a Shogun Assassin sequel, as discussed above, it’s really a pure Lone Wolf and Cub film. That means the pacing might seem a little slow to Shogun Assassin fans. The narrative is front-loaded with plot and character development, while the latter half receives the bulk of the action. And, I’ll admit most of the smaller altercations on display are far less impressive than other Lone Wolf and Cub films. However, the film’s climax alone is worth the price of admission, with Itto single handedly battling the official’s entire army, and unleashing his baby cart volley gun for the first time in the series (Fans will want to check out the TV show for exactly how Ogami acquires and equips the gun).
As mentioned above, being that Shogun Assassin 2 is the dubbed version of the film, a lot of the subtleties of the performances are lost to the overdub. That said, Tomisaburo Wakayama once again rocks it as uber badass Ogami Itto. He’s far less approachable than the TV version’s Kinnosuke Yorozuya (whose portrayal was more in line with the Itto of the manga). One might even say he comes across a little bit sleazy. Akihiro Tomikawa is again endearing as the little Daigoro, and Yuko Hamada (in her final screen appearance) is captivating as Torizo, though this might be due to her striking eyes more so than her performance.
In closing, Shogun Assassin 2: Lightning Swords of Death isn’t as visceral as Shogun Assassin, nor is it the best of the Lone Wolf and Cub entries. But it is fun, and features some truly noteworthy fight sequences.
The DVD
AnimEigo presents Shogun Assassin 2: Lightning Swords of Death in an absolutely stunning transfer, maintaining its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. If you are familiar with AnimEigo’s previous restoration work you’ll know this is really par for the course with them, but the film really does look amazing. The film is presented in its English language dub, though subtitles have been provided for songs, signs, and various historical explanations (I love these).
Extras on the disc include a photo gallery, featuring production stills from the film, trailers for Shogun Assassin and Shadow Warriors, and some lengthy “Program Notes” covering everything from potentially head-scratching plot elements to cultural and historical breakdowns for elements and themes presented in the film. I love that AnimEigo provides these as an extra. Even if you fancy yourself a Samurai know-it-all, you’re bound to learn something from at least one of these.
When it all comes down to it, AnimEigo’s disc of Shogun Assassin 2: Lightning Swords of Death is quite nice. You have a quality film, a stunning transfer, and some small but very interesting extras, all at a very affordable price. If you already have the Lone Wolf and Cub box set, you will want to think twice about picking this disc up. However, if you don’t yet own a copy of Baby Cart to Hades it’s definitely worth a look.
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