Takashi Miike is my favorite director. I think he's amazing. On one hand, he can make the most horrifying, disturbing, nightmare inducing and mentally scarring movies you'll EVER watch (which is how I stumbled onto him many years ago). Seriously, you need to be mentally ready to watch some of his hard core, bizarre, intense, violent movies. And you'll have a hard time processing (and forgetting) what you've just watched. You would think this guy has serious issues by some of the content in these movies.
On the other hand, he makes some of the most beautiful and engaging "traditional" samurai and yakuza movies (though these are rather violent). I think some here really enjoyed his beautifully made 13 Assassins (I know I did).
So I watched his latest this weekend. Sword of the Immortal....one of his samurai movies. The script isn't super original. It's about a samurai who has been cursed with immortality and is doomed to a life of regret. He meets a young girl who seeks revenge on the gang of samurai who killed her father. And away the story goes..
This movie is based on a manga book series, so there werea few subtle ways the scenes change...like when you're reading a comic. Subtle..But I noticed. The fight scenes as expected are frequent and brutal and often over the top as is his style...but very well shot...and all his foes different in their skills, weapons etc. Again, nothing too ground breaking, but it sorta leaves you wondering what the next bad guy will be like.
It seemed a bit longer than it needed to be...But not terribly so since it was done so well.
All in all, I liked it. And would recommend it. And I think anyone who enjoys these types of movies would enjoy it too.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blade_of_the_immortal
