Lone Wolf and Child: Assassin on the Road to Hell (1989)

aka Baby Cart In Purgatory

Dir. Tokuzô Tanaka's film attempts to tell the entire LW+C story in just 140 mins. Hideki Takahashi stars as Ogami Ittō and in a strange but welcome role reversal Tomisaburo Wakayama dons the eyebrows to play the treacherous Retsudo Yagyū. If that wasn't interesting enough, it also has Meiko Kaji.
There's one significant change to the story, but otherwise it packs in a ton of good stuff, revolving primarily around the Yagyū letter arc. The script understands that even though secondary characters only get a brief time onscreen, that doesn't mean the tragedy attached to them need be weakened.
Keeping in mind that it's a TV Movie and judging it as such, it's a worthy addition to an existing fan's shelf. If you're new to the LW+C story, however, the original films are still a better, if lengthier, introduction.

4 cart modifications out of 5

Legends of the Poisonous Seductress: Vol Two: Quick-draw Okatsu (1969)

Okatsu is played by the same actress (Junko Miyazono) that played the lead role in Female Demon Ohyaku (1968), and they even share some backstory, but there are differences that make it unclear if we're supposed to connect them in any kind of more meaningful way.
Vol Two is more cinematic and better edited than its predecessor. There's also more swordplay, so it's a lot bloodier.
Tomisaburo Wakayama gets an opportunity to show his skills. Could he do that stuff in real life? He sure seems like he could.
There's a watchful moment at a brothel that reminds very much of Rear Window (1954).  From the other perspective, Okatsu is a clear influence on the Lady Snowblood (1973) film that followed a few years later.

4 ugly truths out of 5

Legends of the Poisonous Seductress: Vol One: Female Demon Ohyaku (1968)

The first Poisonous Seductress film is the only one of the trilogy to be shot in black and white. It begins as tragedy and continues on the same path. It's the story of Ohyaku, a strong female that may be beaten physically but is never beaten emotionally or spiritually.
It's often cited as being one of the first ever Pinky Violence films, and while it's clear to see why that is, it's not as gratuitous or as purposefully titillating as most subsequent exploitation was. Each violent act is earned by the recipient's own evil deeds. Even so, Ohyaku's final, sadistic moment of revenge is shocking stuff, especially for 1968.

3½ dangerous bridges out of 5

Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (1964)

The blind swordsman's 6th film opens in style and lets you know you’re in for something a little different this time. There are scenes that are very obviously played out on a set, but I suspect they’re deliberate. Like the opening, in those moments the setting is of less importance than what’s said or the actions taken by the cast. It’s good that they’re there, because the basic plot isn't anything new. Ichi gets wrongly accused of theft and must clear his name or face the consequences.
It was heart-warming to see him embrace music and as thrilling as always to see him share screen space with Tomisaburô Wakayama.

3½ avoidances out of 5

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues (1962)

The 2nd Zatoichi film picks up the story one year after the events of the first film. It places Ichi briefly behind closed doors, both domestically and politically. He becomes hunted for seeing too far into one, which brings danger to his experience of the other. Along the way another snippet of his past is revealed and becomes crucially important in the second half.
A new director brought a slightly different look and more significantly a different pace, but it works just as well as before.
It co-stars Tomisaburô Wakayama, which made me happy clap immensely.
This was the last of the series to be filmed in Black and White.

3½ noble deeds out of 5

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

Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (1974)

In the sixth Lone Wolf and Cub film Ogami is pursued by the last remaining members of the Shadow Yagyū, the ones that he hasn't yet sent to the grave. The rōnin's continued existence not only wounds Retsudo personally, but is an insult to his entire clan, so he tries a new tactic: instead of directing his efforts toward the father and son, he targets everyone they interact with.
The previous films relied on the occasional use of gimmickry, but White Heaven goes full fantasy, even throwing in some bizarre supernatural elements. I'm not averse to fantasy and/or supernatural samurai films at all, but within the context of what's come before it feels very out of place.
The series needed just one more film to complete Ittō's journey, but unfortunately it was the last one.

3 winds of carnage out of 5

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons (1973)

The fifth Lone Wolf and Cub film brought original director Kenji Misumi back for what became the darkest chapter in the series. The heavy editing and chaotic music give the film an ominous tone; even the camera frequently watches events unfold from deep in the shadows.
Ogami is forced to prove himself worthy of a very specific assassination, one that will take him once again to the familiar crossroads of Hell.
Daigoro is also tested, placing him at his own crossroad; the sub-plot interrupts the primary narrative but his continued growth is crucial.
When the blood begins to flow it engulfs the frame, mirroring the severity of the task and the temerity of the nobility.

4 shocking cuts out of 5

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril (1972)

The fourth Lone Wolf and Cub film got a new director (Buichi Saitô), who brought a subtly different approach, making it more emotional than previous entries. Thematically it tackles the parent/child relationship from a number of perspectives, not just through Ogami Ittō and his son Daigoro.
Saitô also added more female nudity and because of that it's sometimes criticised as being 'lowbrow'. No doubt the occasional topless kills will appeal to a certain subset of viewers, but if you've followed the series from the beginning and noticed the progressive role of women, then you'll see past that easily. Collectively the exploitative scenes serve a purpose other than mere titillation; they have a genuine (dramatic) role to play in the bigger picture, one that becomes clear as the story nears its end.

3½ distant echoes out of 5

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades (1972)

The third Lone Wolf and Cub film sees Ittō get embroiled in the fate of a young woman sold into servitude, which causes him to upset a group of Yakuza.
The Yagyū Clan continue to pursue their target but they take a back-seat so that themes of honour, valour and the crippling contradictions in the Bushido code can be deeply explored, a situation that's preceded by a group of mercenaries abusing their privileges; they're wandering rōnin-for-hire like Ittō, but without the level of self-guidance that keeps the Lone Wolf steadfast. The film aesthetic complements the study, with long scenes filled with hesitation and thought-provoking weighing of consequences.
Young Daigoro has more of an influence on events than before, but it's done subtly, not like Hollywood fumbling. One scene in particular, the boy alone on a porch with his thoughts, is memorable; the series isn't just about killing.

4 paths that form a crossroads to hell out of 5

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972)

The second Lone Wolf and Cub film continues the story of sword for hire Ogami Ittō and his three-year-old son, Daigoro, whom Ittō pushes around in a rickety wooden baby cart. It opens with a truly memorable scene, setting the tone for the elevated levels of savagery and bloodshed that follow.
Hired by a nervous businessman to protect his financial and personal interests (i.e. assassinate someone), Ittō must first face the skilled Hidari brothers, aka the Three Masters of Death. As if that wasn't a difficult enough task on its own, the swordsman also has to contend with his greatest enemy, the Shadow Yagyū, whose female ninjas give the series the opportunity to further explore the role of women in the power play between good and evil.

4 points for good parenting out of 5

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972)

Film number one introduces us to master swordsman Ogami Ittō and his young son, Daigoro. It then gives the father's reasons for choosing the difficult rōnin lifestyle, for becoming the ‘lone wolf’ of the title.
Through careful juxtaposition and the occasional flashback to two years previous we quickly get the measure of the man and an insight into the world in which he lives. Ittō steps out of symbolic darkness to perform his task in the light – he's the official executioner for the Tokugawa Shogunate, expected to kill with one stroke, time and time again. The position brings with it certain privileges that make him the envy of other clans. One clan in particular, the Yagyū, want the power that the executioner has for themselves.
It's a film for fans of violent Chanbara or exploitation cinema in general.

4 white roads out of 5