4 Star

One-Hundred Year Feud.

Originally known as [Satomi Hakken-den], this lengthy martial arts fight-fest is a hundred-and thirty-six minutes. That is because it has to introduce all the characters, but that isn’t a slog as they all have their own action, along with weird monsters thrown in as well. Written and directed by Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale, Fall Guy, The Fall of Ako Castle, Wolves, Pigs and Men, MESSAGE FROM SPACE) who brings all the fantasy that involves immortals fighting to take revenge one-hundred years later. Great fun if you are into dark fantasy films with a martial arts twist, that looks like it was made yesterday, not in 1983.

One-hundred year ago, the Satomi family burned the castle of the evil Tamazusa (Mari Natsuki, Spirited Away, Isle of Dogs) and her son Motofuji (Yūki Meguro, Lupin the Third: Strange Psychokinetic Strategy, Shogun (TV Mini Series)), but now mother and son are back at their castle where the Satomi family have lived for a century, with their soldiers they have the severed heads of the family. But one is missing, the head of Princess Shizu (Hiroko Yakushimaru, Always: Sunset on Third Street, Princess Raccoon) who is currently scurrying away with a maid and her father, they head into the hills with Motofuji’s soldiers hot on their heels.

Don’t worry. Nothing will be able to destroy us anymore.

The soldiers attack, Shizu’s maid Kohagi (Yûko Kada, The Trout, Shogun (TV Mini Series)) who is dressed as Shizu whilst the Princess dresses as a boy. Kohagi is captured and taken to Tamazusa, who wants to sacrifice her and give her blood to the unholy shrine of Mitima, which can tell the difference between the Satomi blood and imposters.

The lonely and scared Shizu bumps into the rogue Shinbie (Hiroyuki Sanada – Sunshine, The Wolverine), a man of opportunity. But he doesn’t realize that he is a she, and sends him on his way with some food and drink. This is when she meets Dosetsu (Shin’ichi Chiba (Sonny Chiba), The Street Fighter Trilogy, The Executioner Collection) and Daikaku (Minori Terada, The Human Bullet, Laputa: Castle in the Sky) who fend off Shinbei who has heard there is an unbelievable reward for Shizu’s capture. The pair know who she is, they also know the legend of the conflict between the two families. They tell her the story of Princess Fuse and that Shizu can defeat Tamazusa and her son if she gets eight ‘dog-warrior’, and they can be identified by the glowing orbs they possess.

If nothing else, you must remember this. When you start to think that you are invincible, that is when you are on the path of destruction.

The hunt is on for the next six dog-warriors, and the fight to get them on her side. Be prepared for the fighting and some really weird goings-on. A great way to spend an afternoon with the great Sonny Chiba.

LEGEND OF THE EIGHT SAMURAI [Satomi Hakken-den] (Masters of Cinema) Limited Edition is available on Blu-ray.