Short Attention Span Review: Blade of the Immortal (2017)

Short Attention Span Review: Blade of the Immortal (2017)

Part Logan and part director Takashi Miike's own incredible samurai epic 13 Assassins, Blade of the Immortal isn't as good as either of those films, but it is seriously cool.  Think about it: a stoic samurai warrior sworn to protect a young girl who pairs his incredible skills with a potent healing factor of his own--there's an idea.  It has promise, no doubt about it, and Miike delivers on that promise with one killer action scene after another.  And at a hundred and forty minutes, Takuya Kimura and Hana Sugisaka are given more than enough material to flesh out their characters and draw us into their story.  The effects are stellar, the villains are memorable, and the tale is complex.  Despite the lengthy runtime, Blade of the Immortal never drags, and I do believe that there is a throwdown of some significance gracing the screen roughly every five minutes or so.  The lead baddie is Sota Fukushi as Anotsu, and he enters the movie as the very epitome of a despicable antagonist, yet as the story unfolds he emerges as perhaps the most dynamic and conflicted player in the gruesome proceedings.  Dripping with gore, host to an abundance of wicked duels and at least one massive battle, and populated by groovy characters who hold our interest even when they aren't drawing blood, Blade of the Immortal is quite simply ill as hell.  Now, it is not without faults, as there are a number of choppy transitions that lead one to believe that despite running two hours and twenty minutes, significant pieces of the tale must have been lost to the cutting room floor.  These abrupt shifts are more than a tad disconcerting, and rob the film of some majesty, but it is still a fine motion picture made by talented filmmakers, and it will be fun to revisit whenever I have a jones for some dynamic carnage.

Final Grade: B+

As much as I respect and enjoy Takashi Miike's work, this stylish action yarn's biggest strength is Takuya Kimura in the lead role.

Short Attention Span Review: The Hunted (1995)

Short Attention Span Review: The Hunted (1995)

I know what you're thinking: while he made some cheesy but entertaining movies, Highlander is the only Christopher Lambert vessel that is truly worth watching.  Well, thanks to this woefully underrated exception to that rule, I must inform you that you are wrong.  In truth, while Lambert is solid here and is definitely the star of the piece, it's like Highlander all over again in that he is upstaged at every turn.  Joan Chen brings incredible depth to a small but integral part as Lambert's doomed love interest, while John Lone is every bit as potent here as he was in Michael Cimino's Year of the Dragon as the film's villain, Kinjo.  Most importantly, Yoshio Harada commands the screen as the turbulent Takeda.  This mighty samurai is ultimately a good man and one hell of a warrior, but his fanatical devotion to tradition and his need for combat yield a well-rounded and ultimately puzzling hero who isn't all that likable at times.  The score composed by Kodo is a personal favorite and the direction from J. F. Lawton (working from his own script) is crisp and immersive.  The story revolves around an American who stumbles into a war between rival ninja and samurai clans, and the action setpieces are incredible to behold.  Of particular note is an extremely bloody battle that unfolds on a bullet train and establishes Takeda as an ultimate badass.  This is probably a guilty pleasure kind of show, but I honestly can't identify any major flaws--as action films go, I think it's a shame that more people don't appreciate The Hunted.  Surely anyone who digs the idea of seeing ninjas and samurai throw down should give this one a watch, and anyone who yearns to see Lambert shine in a role that doesn't require him to say "There can be only one" will also have a blast with this unheralded gem from 1995.

Final Grade: B

Christopher Lambert is on point as the American caught in the middle of a timeless showdown, and John Lone is even better as the villainous Kinjo, but Yoshio Harada runs away with this one as the mighty Takeda.