TrueJoshNight
Truly Dreadful Film
Griff Lees
Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.
Cassandra
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
Theo Robertson
This is one of these long forgotten obscure films that was very popular amongst my peers back in the day . . My peers were of course schoolboys in their early teens and when you're that age a film's quality is almost down to gore , swearing . nipple count and other low brow criteria . This means the greatest urban vigilante film wasn't TAXI DRIVER but THE EXTERMINATOR with its graphic scenes of mutilation and torture . By the same yardstick the greatest Japanese film wasn't by Kurosawa or Kobayashi but this one here . I didn't see it when it hit home video in the early 1980s where it subsequently banned circa 1983/84 but was constantly told about it by people who enjoyed seeing limbs and heads getting lopped off . After just seeing it I can't help thinking nostalgia plays a primary part in its very high user rating on this website There's no way you can accuse THE SHOGUN ASSASSIN in being boring but at the same time you can't accuse of being anything more than disposable exploitation schlock . Looking through the Movie Connection link on this page it's apparently three earlier films spliced together and dubbed in to English . One wonders how much milage there was in the previous films because story wise this one a very basic revenge tale with episodic fight scenes that go over the top . It's not enough to merely stab or decapitate someone and they must shoot a stream of blood . You know when you get a garden hose and put your finger over the nozzle and the water comes out in a high pressure spray ? Well that what happens here after a sword fight . It does become clearer and clearer the longer the film continues that is all the film rarely contains , a repetitive series of gory sword fights . Bare that in mind if you want to seek out the film due to its high rating . One also might have feared for a customer going in to a video shop in the early 1980s seeing the title and taking it home thinking it was somehow connected to the mini-series SHOGUN starring Richard Chamberlain . It's hardly family friendly but at the same time the violence is so silly and overdone it resembles MONTY PYTHON rather than some of the more infamous video nasties of the era and one wonders did it really need banned ?
Rautus
Shogun Assassin (1980) Directed by Robert Houston Written by: Robert Houston & David Weisman Review: Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub) is a well known Manga series that was first published in the 1970's that told the Story of a Shogunate Executioner who one day returns home to find his Wife and entire Household murdered by the Shadow Yagyu Clan. Ogami Itto; discovers that his Baby son Daigoro managed to survive. Framed by having a Funeral Tablet with the Shogun's Crest on it Ogami Itto; decides to have his Revenge on the Shadow Yagyu with his Son bu his side, Ogami Itto; and Daigoro becomes Demons walking the Crossroads to Hell, they become the Lone Wolf and Cub.During the 70's the Kozure Okami Manga series was Adapated into six popular Samuria movies that had a similar style to the Legendary Zatoichi series.Then in 1980 David Weisman who was a fan of the Kozure Okami movies obtained the rights to the films from the American Office of Toho Studios for $50,000. David Weisman and Robert Houston then took Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance and Lone Wolf and Cub: Babycart at the River Styx and spliced them together by using 12 minutes from the first film and the rest from the second film. One thing that Shogun Assassin does is dumb down the Story and Character Devoplment just to focus on the Violence which is a little bit disappointing.The Dubbing and Narration by Daigoro is Cheesy while the Music at times doesn't really fit with the Film and the Editing is slightly messy.Plot:Ogami Itto decides to rebel against the Shogun after they Murder his Wife, travelling through Japan with his Son the Lone Wolf and Cub wipe out anyone who tries to stop them. Lone Wolf and Cub are assigned to kill The Shogun's Masters of Death, three Brothers who kill anyone who stands in the Shogun's way.Ninja's hired by the Shogun try to Assassinate the Lone Wolf and Cub but are quickly sliced apart by his Blade but not without badly injuring him. Daigoro helps his Dad regain his Stenght meanwhile the Shogun devise a plan to stop the Lone Wolf and Cub by kidnapping Daigoro. The Ninja's successfully capture Daigoro, Ogami Itto finds his Son hanging above a well. Threatening to drop him Ogami Itto informs them that there both willing to Die, Daigoro is dropped into the well while Ogami Itto murders all the Oppnents except for the Female Ninja. Talking his Son out the well the Two continue with their Journey to stop The Shogun and eliminate the deadly Masters of Death. Overview:Shogun Assassin is okay but when compared to the Original six Kozure Okaimi movies it pales in comparison but overall if you enjoy Cheesy Dubbed Movies full of non stop Violence and very little plot then you'll enjoy Shogun Assassin however if you've seen the six Kozure Okami movies then there's no real reason to watch Shogun Assassin. 5/10
Enchorde
Recap: Lone Wolf is a samurai bound by honor to his master. But when said master, the shogun begins to fear him and tries to have him assassinated, those bonds are broken. What is worse, the assassins only manage to kill his wife, leaving Lone Wolf and his young son on a mission for vengeance.Comments: This has a very different style. It is very exaggerated in every way, and I would almost describe it as cartoonish (not surprising considering its source). Everything is either ascetically minimal or over the top exaggerated. Lone Wolf on one hand says almost nothing, but his swordplay is all over the top. Bodies, blood and gore literally flies in every direction. Effects and sound are equally exaggerated to emphasize the action. So it is clearly different from many other movies. If this is in part because its Japan, whose movies often exaggerate to emphasize, dialog for instance, I can't say.If you can accept the style, it is a entertaining action movie. And mark my word, it is pure action. There is very little dialog, and what is said is almost all a narration by Lone Wolf's son. This makes the movie rather one dimensional, but it is not a big problem as it don't seem to aspire to be more. It will never be confused with a masterpiece, but still a entertaining movie that has had a rather big impact.6/10
Darth-Helmet
In the 19th century in Japan, a lone ronin nicknamed LoneWolf and his son travel the countryside to fight off deadly ninja assassins so he can avenge the death of his beloved wife, a powerful shogun sends out deadly minions to eliminate LoneWolf for good but can the one-man army himself deal with all of them? One of the most violent and goriest movies ever made! this Japanese-American action production is actually three films from the Japanese "LoneWolf and Cub" Series into one movie and dubbed into English. Considered a favorite of Quentin Tarantino and inspired his "Kill Bill" films, this entertaining and gory-as-hell film is a visual action feast with some laughable English dubbing ( i assume the Japanese "LoneWolf and Cub" series is better which i haven't seen) and non-stop ultraviolence such as heads split open, arms being sliced, etc.I can see why this movie has a cult following! if you want a good old fashioned Asian blood feast then maybe you should watch this.Also recommended: "Ninja Scroll", "The Toxic Avenger", "Ichi The Killer", "Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky", "Shogun Assassin", "Kill Bill Vol. 1", "Kill Bill Vol. 2", "Fist of the North Star (Anime)", "Versus", "Battle Royale", "Cannibal Ferox", "Conan The Barbarian", "Princess Mononoke", "Street Trash", "From Dusk Till Dawn", "Running Scared", "Crank", "Bad Boys 2", "Vampire Hunter D", "The Last Samurai", "Ran", "Seven Samurai", "Rashomon", "The Punisher (1989 and 2004)", "Samurai Fiction", and "Blade Trilogy".
