Shogun Assassin (1980)

An amalgamation of the first two parts of the six-part Lone Wolf and Cub film series into one westernised cut. It was difficult for me to watch because I love the originals so much, and normally I'd stay away from such things, but it has a reputation that I wanted to explore. It's been re-edited and re-scored, with emphasis on the violence at the expense of almost everything else.
The English dubbing is bad; the only exception is young Daigoro's voice over, which is really great. His memories, coupled with the new music gives everything a more sinister tone. It even works for about twenty-five minutes, but then a lack of coherence drags it down. Curiosity kept me watching to the end. It was interesting viewing, but I'll never watch it again.

2½ bastardisations out of 5