Product Description

Studio: Media Blasters Inc. Release Date: 02/24/2004 Run time: 116 minutes

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50180 in DVD
• Brand: Media Blasters
• Released on: 2004-02-24
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: Japanese
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 116 minutes

Amazon.com
As the 26th installment in a popular film series that lasted 27 years, Zatoichi is essentially a "greatest hits" compendium of all the films that preceded it. That makes it essential viewing for Zatoichi fans and anyone interested in the voluminous "source code" for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. Known in Japan as Zatoichi 26 or Zatoichi '89, this lavish production was the last to star Shintaro Katsu, who originated the title role of "the Blind Swordsman" in 1962's The Tale of Zatoichi and served triple-duty as writer and director of this stylishly violent latter-day adventure. Now much older and still a wandering loner, the blind, peace-loving masseur Ichi (or, in Japanese, Zato Ichi) seeks a quiet life among the gentle people of Edo Period villages, but when he's caught in a power struggle between rival Yakuza clans, his reputation as a deadly defender of the innocent precedes him, and he's forced to fend for himself in a series of sword-wielding showdowns. Between geysers of spurting crimson, this gorgeous Zatoichi film delivers good humor and mild sentiment, although series devotees were justifiably disappointed when the familiar plot failed to advance Zatoichi's legend in a middle-aged context. Still, the action sequences are frequent and fun, and despite controversy surrounding an accidental death during the climactic battle (for which Katsu's son, playing a villain, was ultimately found not guilty), this was a fitting farewell to Katsu's involvement in the franchise, which was revived once again with the successful release of Takeshi "Beat" Kitano's Zatoichi in 2003. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Still Great
After so many years of playing the role of "Zatoichi" Katsu Shintaro still manages to put out a stellar performance is the reluctant hero "Ichi". His character has grown much older now but still roams the back roads seeking peace but always running into opposition from both the law and the gangsters (yakuza). In the midst of all this he is still trying to help out the less fortunate. Yes there's is less fight scenes but the theme of good conquering evil against all odds is still there. A must for fans of this series.

a Great Zatoichi!
I loved this movie! quite the best Zatoichi I've seen. very adult in it's theme, the love scene was the best yet. I also enjoyed the fight scenes. the sense of continuity from the other stories in the Blind Swordsman series is important to me as well and was extremely well done. the character of Zatoichi really lives in this movie.

what I did have a problem with was receiving two defective DVDs in a row.
:(
Amazon was good enough to take them back. but I was scared off of a third replacement.

Zatoichi ! The final battle!
This is the final Zatoichi movie and perhaps the best . Shintaro Kutsu (Zatoichi) died in 1997 of throat cancer. This movie made in 1989 shows an aging, graying Katsu with a raspy voice. It appears the cancer was known at that time. However in no way does the film suffer in action or quality. It exceeds the previous movies! It appears that he knew this was to be the last and went ALL THE WAY to make this a grand production.

Zatoichi comes to a town in turmoil with 2 bosses competing for control of the town. Add in one corrupt local official,a hired artistic assassin, 2 lovely women, and you have the largest Zatoichi production.

Zatoichi, a blind traveling massuer, wanders the country side getting into trouble everywhere he goes. With a heart of gold, and sword of steel he slices his way through the bad guys, dozens at a time. After 25 previous movies, he is the master of the cane sword by this time in his life. He may be in his best physical form of any of the movies. This, his 26th Zatoichi film, does contain some blood and some gore (earlier ones had little or none). There is also a brief sexual incounter in this film (mild by todays standards). This too is unusual for Zatoichi for normally he avoids any close relationship with women because he is a blind man that doesn't stay in any place more then a few days. In his mind he is yakuza (a gambler...today yakuza means gangster).

The DVD is well done and of good quality. There are some trailers and some photos of Zatoichi posters as extras. Of all the Zatoichi films, all except #14 have been released, I have not been disappointed in any so far. The first two are B&W with some audio distortion and loss of picture quaility. The newer films (like this one) are in great shape. Zatoichi is a humble mix of morals, kindness, justice, action, comedy,...oh yeah...throw in a little blood trailing a flashing sword! At his death Shintaro Katsu may have been the most famous Japanese actor ever. Only Toshiro Mifune was close.