Rating: 3/5
Cult Movie Challenge 2024 | 2/52 | Kinji Fukasaku
Tamazusa and Motofuji lead an army to take a royal family whose cursed blood unleashes some power. Princess Shizu, however, has escaped.
Shizu declares vengeance on Motofuji.
A samurai named Shinbei finds Princess Shizu at his home but believes she is a man. Once he sees her ass wiggle, however, he discovers she’s a woman, so he tries to rape her.
Two samurai in white intercede, taking Shizu to safety. They are descendants of her family’s retainers. But Shinbei overhears she is a princess and has a reward on her head. So, he keeps in proximity, waiting for his moment to strike.
The samurai tells Shizu of a legend in which she will undo a family curse. There are eight beads that she must unify. Each bead receives the help of a samurai. The samurai that rescued Shizu already have two.
One samurai is dying from a disease, so they only have one month to find the six samurai.
Not everyone understands the meaning of the bead they possess. Some only know that it glows around their enemies.
Meanwhile, Motofuji’s army of soldiers and ghosts are hunting for Princess Shizu.
The film explores the nature of fate and destiny — feeling bound to fate, denying your fate, or fate having a more significant role for you than your birth.
The soundtrack has a lot of guitars, which I love. It is very synth-driven and very 80s. It may be my favorite part of the movie.
While the plot is dull, beautiful colors and a rich atmosphere make the movie more engaging. The Seven Samurai structure makes this movie super long.
The fights are okay. They are not tight, but not boring either. They are at their best when they involve giant bugs and snakes.
I appreciate the aesthetics, but it’s too long to love.
** Stray Thoughts / Spoilers **
- Visible hairnets on the wigs
- Tamazusa bathes in blood to maintain a youthful appearance.
- A dude rips off their face and becomes a giant centipede. Rad.
- Geishas with poisonous flesh
- Birthmark right between the boobs
- The music-pausing slap
- The soundtrack has the same synth at the beginning of Beat It.
- It takes Shinbei a while to realize he has a bead in the movie.
- Giant floating snake!
- The ending feels a little like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.