This is neither as a good a film as some reviewers claim, nor is it as bad as others remark.
The "Lone Wolf and Cub" chambara (sword fight) films have a strong cult following. The first I saw was "Kozure Ôkami: Shinikazeni mukau ubaguruma", on an English-dub VHS with the ridiculously redundant title "Lupine Wolf" (a Latinate-Germanic bastardization which properly translates as "Wolfly Wolf"?!); I couldn't tell whether to laugh or feel shocked. These are indeed rather odd films, because the film-makers have not failed to include every cliché of the genre they could, and yet boldly include wild innovations that are completely anachronistic, having absolutely nothing to do with the Chambara tradition, nor with the older tradition of samurai-folklore. In that respect, they paved the way for many of the fantasy ninja and samurai films that followed, and which constitute most of the "B-movie" entries in the Japanese cinema of the past ten years. While the anachronisms most noticeable are the gimmicky weapons (packed inside the baby-cart, no less), what may truly offend a traditionalist here (and I guess I'm one of these) are the personalities of the characters involved, who talk and act like 1960s street yakusa pretending to be samurai.
But what makes these anachronisms striking is that they are presented in films that take themselves just SO seriously, there is hardly ever a moment's humor, and rarely does any character even smile. And to be sure, the Japan depicted in these films is so dark, so filled with vile corruptions - physical, legal, spiritual - that it's difficult to understand why all these characters just don't commit seppuku and get it over with.
This particular film has recently been re-released on DVD. It is actually a re-edit of the first two films. The DVD costs less than half the price of any of the original films, and is more widely available than any of them (I got my copy at Wal-Mart). Consequently, it will probably be the first of these films younger American viewers are likely to see. Is it faithful to the original series? Not quite. The story tends to get lost among the action scenes, and the original films actually have strong, if rather complicated, story-lines. And most confusing of all is the loss of the sense of anachronism which was the special gift this series made to the Japanese action film.
Still, it is a film entertaining in its own violent way; and at the price, it may be worth viewing as a sampler, to get the taste of the original series.
I should warn the reader that every review concerning the violence in this film (and in the original series) is completely true. The violence in these films is graphic almost beyond belief; Lone Wolf cultists are clearly impressed with it, others may feel it is so overdone it borders on self-parody. (For comparison, check out the final Katsu "Zatoichi" film, which has a shattering final sword-fight that uses touches of wit here and there without losing any of its credibility.) Not to every taste, not even among chambara fans, but it may be to yours.
The "Lone Wolf and Cub" chambara (sword fight) films have a strong cult following. The first I saw was "Kozure Ôkami: Shinikazeni mukau ubaguruma", on an English-dub VHS with the ridiculously redundant title "Lupine Wolf" (a Latinate-Germanic bastardization which properly translates as "Wolfly Wolf"?!); I couldn't tell whether to laugh or feel shocked. These are indeed rather odd films, because the film-makers have not failed to include every cliché of the genre they could, and yet boldly include wild innovations that are completely anachronistic, having absolutely nothing to do with the Chambara tradition, nor with the older tradition of samurai-folklore. In that respect, they paved the way for many of the fantasy ninja and samurai films that followed, and which constitute most of the "B-movie" entries in the Japanese cinema of the past ten years. While the anachronisms most noticeable are the gimmicky weapons (packed inside the baby-cart, no less), what may truly offend a traditionalist here (and I guess I'm one of these) are the personalities of the characters involved, who talk and act like 1960s street yakusa pretending to be samurai.
But what makes these anachronisms striking is that they are presented in films that take themselves just SO seriously, there is hardly ever a moment's humor, and rarely does any character even smile. And to be sure, the Japan depicted in these films is so dark, so filled with vile corruptions - physical, legal, spiritual - that it's difficult to understand why all these characters just don't commit seppuku and get it over with.
This particular film has recently been re-released on DVD. It is actually a re-edit of the first two films. The DVD costs less than half the price of any of the original films, and is more widely available than any of them (I got my copy at Wal-Mart). Consequently, it will probably be the first of these films younger American viewers are likely to see. Is it faithful to the original series? Not quite. The story tends to get lost among the action scenes, and the original films actually have strong, if rather complicated, story-lines. And most confusing of all is the loss of the sense of anachronism which was the special gift this series made to the Japanese action film.
Still, it is a film entertaining in its own violent way; and at the price, it may be worth viewing as a sampler, to get the taste of the original series.
I should warn the reader that every review concerning the violence in this film (and in the original series) is completely true. The violence in these films is graphic almost beyond belief; Lone Wolf cultists are clearly impressed with it, others may feel it is so overdone it borders on self-parody. (For comparison, check out the final Katsu "Zatoichi" film, which has a shattering final sword-fight that uses touches of wit here and there without losing any of its credibility.) Not to every taste, not even among chambara fans, but it may be to yours.