Very much in the spirit of Kurosawa, Takashi Miike has assembled a strong cast to depict some fairly epic struggles for power in the 19th century Japanese shogunate. It's the brother of the Shogun who seems to be the source of the trouble. Having mercilessly murdered a family - against the instructions of his sibling - he has earned the enmity of veteran Samurai "Shinzaemon" (Kôji Yakusho) but with a significant political appointment in Edo looming, it would appear he is untouchable. It's the journey "Naritsugu" (Gorô Inagaki) must make through the densely forested countryside that might offer an opportunity for revenge, but he has the equally lethal Samurai "Hanbei" (Masachika Ichimura) orgainisng his large escort. With but a dozen men and the intrepid under "Koyata" (Yûsuke Iseya) to guide them along less trodden paths, this disparate baker's dozen must try to anticipate the path their nemesis will take and then strive to reduce the odds against them. These men are too honourable to resort to underhand guerrilla tactics so each battle must be fought openly and with the pride of their code. The last hour or so of this offers us as compelling a series of combat scenes, mixed with plenty of lithe action and even a little black humour, as you're ever lively to see. The energy and gymnastics on display is compelling to watch, the filth, mud and grime that coats their bodies add authenticity and the low-key soundtrack all build to an action-packed and by no means predictable conclusion. If you can watch on a big screen then this, like most films of this genre, really does come alive and Miike manages to avoid the repetition trap so easy to fall into with films like this. If you've seen and enjoyed the 1963 Kudô version, then this remake won't disappoint you.
