The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi Blu Ray Review (Imprint Films)

The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (aKa Zatôichi) is a 2003 action film written, edited, and directed by “Beat” Takeshi Kitano (Violent Cop, Boiling Point, Outrage, Beyond Outrage, Outrage Coda, Kubi, Kikujiro, Dolls, Fireworks, Brother, and Sonatine). It was released 14 years after the last Zatoichi movie. It was distributed by Miramax in the states and it grossed $34,196,922 worldwide at the box office. The blind swordsman Zatoichi (played by: director Beat Takeshi from Battle Royale 1/2, Izo, Johnny Mnemonic, Tokyo Eyes, The Five, and Anego) comes to town that’s having serious problems with the yakuza. They are being forced to pay most of their earnings for protection money from the gang wars. Zatoichi befriends a local farmer Oume (played by: Michiyo Yasuda from Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons, Zatoichi’s Pilgrimage, Tekken, Face, Woman Yakuza of Kanto, Shinsho: shinobi no mono, and Slaughter in the Snow) and her gambler nephew Shinkichi (played by: Gadarukanaru Taka from Zero: Dragon Blood, Helldriver, Boiling Point, and Zebraman 2). He starts to connect with the community, so he offers to help two geisha siblings Osei Naruto (played by: Daigorô Tachibana) and Okinu Naruto (played by: Yuuko Daike from Fireworks, Ju-on franchise, Dolls, Kill Devil, CSI: Crime Scene Talks, and Ultraman: Tiga) that are looking for vengeance for their parents who were massacred by the criminals. He must work his way into the criminal organization. After fighting through a variety of henchmen, Zatoichi might battle to the death in a duel with highly skilled rōnin Hattori Genosuke (played by: Tadanobu Asano from Ichi the Killer, Thor franchise, 47 Ronin, Battleship, Midway, Silence, Mortal Kombat, Shōgun, and Hana) who is a bodyguard for the yakuza. He only takes the paid assassin job to cover his dying wife O-Shino’s (played by: Yui Natsukawa from Wana, Supai Zoruge, Hana, Red Snow, and Gonin 2) medication. Zatoichi must get to the powerful yakuza bosses which includes Inosuke Ginzo (played by: Ittoku Kishibe from The Funeral, Kubi, Doctor X, Outrage Coda, 13 Assassins, and Violent Cop), Tashichi Ogi (played by: Saburo Ishikura from 47 Ronin, The 8-Tomb Village, Shinsengumi, and Tales of the Bizarre) and Funahachi (played by: Koji Koike from Sonatine, Seiju Sentai, and Denji Sentai) to make everything right with his small community. Can he save them from their living hell???? The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi is an updated adaptation of the classic Zatoichi story. Director, writer, editor, and lead actor Beat Takeshi Kitano takes a stab at the iconic samurai franchise with his own unique take here. Kitano wears many hats when it comes to this production for the remake and he delivers in every department. He’s one of the most talented actors and filmmakers when it comes to Japanese cinema. He’s familiar and respected worldwide for his overall work, you have at least seen him in one project over the years no matter what. I really enjoyed the look of Ichi in this reboot, he looks very different from the older versions and he stands out on his own. Kitano is more of a man of action in this rather than words which leads to a great performance of the classic hero. You might recognize one of the main villains Tadanobu Asano in The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi from a variety of projects. For me, it’s Ichi the Killer. That’s one of my all time favorites and he shows his acting range here with a completely different type of role. Hattori Genosuke is an interesting person because he doesn’t kill for pleasure like most of your cliche assassins. He only does it to finance his wife’s medical needs because she’s dying so he’s trying to help her survive as long as he can with brutal talent. I love how they build up his role before he finally collides with master samurai Zatoichi. It’s a top notch duel between two bad ass killers. The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi throws in some comedy with some wacky people in this feature. I think it tries to add additional humor because this is a very violent and blood soaked adventure. It’s loaded with kills and gore, Kitano doesn’t hold back. Kitano went with heavy CGI bloodshed and I think it’s a good fit considering comedy already in the mix. The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi isn’t afraid to be over the top. It’s a highly entertaining, action packed, and extremely fun ride. This is one of the few movies that I own at least 3 different copies of so that alone tells you how much I like this one. It has excellent replay value, it’s one of better in it’s sub-genre. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Imprint Films! This 1080p (1.85:1) transfer is a solid upgrade compared to the older DVD release from Miramax. Paramount Pictures recently did a M.O.D (BD-R) home video release and it’s the exact same previous restoration as this one. Unlike that one, this is an actual pressed disc from Imprint and Via Vision. It has a few different audio options which includes Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Japanese: LPCM 2.0 on the region free disc. The audio here is a much bigger improvement compared to past home video releases. All of the dialogue is crisp, the blood soaked action is elevated, and the music has a killer boost to it. It has English SDH subtitles. It has a brand new and exclusive “Audio Commentary” with critic Sean Redmond. He provides all kinds of information about the production. He goes over his own thoughts and takes you through every scene here. It’s an interesting track. “The Making of The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi” is an archival 40 minute behind the scenes look into the production. It takes on the shoot. It has a quick Q and A. It has a variety of interviews with the cast. It shows Kitano directing and acting with all kinds of footage. It’s in Japanese with English subtitles. It has an archival almost 39 minute “Crew Interviews” with 7 different people from the production. They chat about working with the legendary actor and director. They share their experiences from the movie here. It’s in Japanese with English subtitles. It has a “Theatrical Trailer”. This is the 3rd release from the Imprint Asia line and it’s limited to 1,500 copies. It comes with a high quality slipbox and it has different artwork underneath. It’s available everywhere in Australia plus it’s a few limited spots in the states, CHECK IT OUT!!!!