Killing Machine / Shogun's Ninja

Shogun s Ninja (Ninja Bugeicho Momochi Sandayu)Hideyoshi a power hungry warlord sends his war commander to the Momochi fort to destroy its clan and to obtain its hidden gold. Two daggers tell where the hidden gold is located. One is in the possession of the head of the Momochi family but who has the other. Wild fight choreography and action ensue.1981 NR 117 min. Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) In Japanese with English Subtitles and English Audio trackStarring Hiroyuki Sanada Shinichi Sonny Chiba Asao Koike Etsuko Shihomi and Tetsuro Tamba. Directed by Norifumi SuzukiKilling Machine (Shorinji Kempo)Sonny Chiba stars as Doshin So a martial arts master who returns from the second World War after serving as an undercover spy. Upon his return he finds that his family s land has been stolen. Doshin must take back the town from a group of black marketers and rebuild his life.1975 NR 85 min. Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) In Japanese with English subtitles and English dubbed Audio trackSystem Requirements:Runtime: 202 minutes Format: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: NR UPC: 787364748693 Manufacturer No: CARTON QTY 35 Product Description

 Decent disc, fun movies
The image quality is good on both movies. You can't expect them to look like new releases but they look very good for what they are. Soundtracks are the same as on dvd.

The Amazon listing is incorrect, this is not a 2-disc set, both movies are on one disc. Same thing with the "Sister street fighter" release.

As for the movies, it's the first time I watch this kind of Japanese movie. It's funny that they seemed to make them with exactly the same approach they made animation movies with: the plots are melodramatic, the acting and the music are over-the-top, etc. But all of that adds up to a lot of fun. And surprisingly, these two movies are very different from each other.

"Killing maching" is a straight hard-boiled action drama. Something like a Charles Bronson movie but with a lot of sentimental scenes. The gory bits and hard-hitting attitude surprised me. At 90 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome.

"Shogun's ninja" is a crazy action fantasy. It's full of weird touches and it's kind of hilarious. Unbelievable music, cartoony sound-effects, impossible fights... It runs closer to 2 hours but it ends up being much more entertaining to watch than the other one, if only because you're curious about what's the next crazy thing they'll throw in the movie.
March 20, 2008

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