Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart At The River Styx (1972)

Part 2. Maybe people just haven't heard of this...

Genre: Samurai Period Action Drama Serial (Japan)

Starring: Tomisaburo Wakayama (Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold; The Ninja)

Directed By: Kenji Misumi (Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice; Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance)

Overview: In the second part of the Lone Wolf and Cub Series, our hero takes on a job to assassinate a man planning the destruction of a clan. In the meantime he finds that a price has been put on his head as well, and faces a group of female assassins.

Performance:

The voices these people use, with a deep poetic emphasis, but only during threats and when ordering the death of Lone Wolf... which is throughout the whole film, I guess. You know how the characters in Sin City just relentlessly drip with film Noir clichés, but it works like nobody's business? Exactly.
Rating: 9

Cinematography:

The fight scenes, I swear, are even more elaborate in this one than they were in Sword Of Vengeance. We're talking way too-recognizable flying gore chunks (Hey! There goes his nose! Oops that's his ear!). This episode has truly original fight choreography, and the camerawork is just as astounding as it's ever been. I love ninja chicks, they rock.
Rating: 9

Script:

The female assassins in this one have some pretty interesting lines, always pushing the cultural-specific, making this a unique tale without unnecesessary filler. As for the job that Lone Wolf And Cub take on, again we have a meticulously explained scenario, not just a "please kill him because we paid you."
Rating: 8

Plot:

So here we are with our established characters, without any real primary plot advancement, that being the one about getting his vengeance unto the Yagyu Clan that betrayed him, but they do send people after him. Aside from that we have Lone Wolf taking on his first real job as ronin, where he must face three expert guards, each with a different weapon proficiency. I love it when you know right away at the beginning exactly who the Bad Boss at end of the level's gonna be!
Rating: 9

Mood:

If you've seen Kill Bill, you'll recognize the influence this film serial had on that. The way the blood starts jetting out just a few seconds after a man is cut or beheaded is done copiously in this, and there's even a scene where someone's head is cut completely in half down the middle. There's a certain feel that comes from a movie that attempts a unique hyper-realism, be it Saving Private Ryan or The Proposition. You can't avoid recognizing how important such a thing is because it's what keeps you glued to your seat.
Rating: 9

I'm this close to getting the original manga

Overall Rating: 88% (Oh, It Styx With You Alright)

Aftertaste:

So here's a weird moment of synchronicity: My friend The Illustrator, comes over touting the words "if you liked that Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword Of Vengeance that you were talking about because it's so realistic, you have to see Shogun Assassin, it's awesome." He pops it into the DVD player and what do I see but this movie playing, except it's dubbed and narrated, a re-edit from the first two Lone Wolf And Cub Serial. Well that just proves the Samurai Gods were smiling upon us doesn't it?

I like them, they make things spray blood.

Double Happiness Daigoro Detail Corner: Now an occasional target, Cub fight back! Bodycount of Three, his own age!