04-30-2014, 10:44 AM
Maybe I jinxed it with my fawning over the series in the previous post, but this was the first one that wasn't quite up to snuff. It had a great start, an intriguing mission from a jail cell neighbor, as well as some interwoven story arcs, but in the end, a lot seems dropped to get to that final fight. It feels almost as if they had all these ideas, and then realized they'd already spent too much time developing the story and had to get to the fight finale, so the loose ends are tied curtly.
There is a funny plot development with a rogue monk who starts impersonating Ichi to scam various crime bosses for their patronage. That feels as if it's an idea that fell from the dice player in the previous installment. But the idea is abandoned too quickly, although there is great panache with a candle-cut minutes prior to an ambush of the fake Ichi and Ichi. The candle falls plunging the ambushers into darkness, and then Ichi can keep up the ruse. Now that Zatoichi has a rep, his stature precedes him, and this could have been played out just a little better than it was here.
The final fight is great - Ichi has to run the gauntlet to deliver a confession which will absolve the doomed man. He faces swords, naginatas and fishing harpoons, plus a gun (which just sort of fizzles). There's a great single shot sequence and some exquisite Nito (two sword) work by Katsu. The soundtrack returns to that classic Japanese movie music of the day, an elephantine shuffle of brass instruments that evokes the great Kurosawa flicks, and of course, Gojira.
This was still an enjoyable film, just not up to par with the rest. It's been the weakest one so far.
There is a funny plot development with a rogue monk who starts impersonating Ichi to scam various crime bosses for their patronage. That feels as if it's an idea that fell from the dice player in the previous installment. But the idea is abandoned too quickly, although there is great panache with a candle-cut minutes prior to an ambush of the fake Ichi and Ichi. The candle falls plunging the ambushers into darkness, and then Ichi can keep up the ruse. Now that Zatoichi has a rep, his stature precedes him, and this could have been played out just a little better than it was here.
The final fight is great - Ichi has to run the gauntlet to deliver a confession which will absolve the doomed man. He faces swords, naginatas and fishing harpoons, plus a gun (which just sort of fizzles). There's a great single shot sequence and some exquisite Nito (two sword) work by Katsu. The soundtrack returns to that classic Japanese movie music of the day, an elephantine shuffle of brass instruments that evokes the great Kurosawa flicks, and of course, Gojira.
This was still an enjoyable film, just not up to par with the rest. It's been the weakest one so far.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse