The Fourth Installment Of Lone Wolf And Cub! You have to hand it to the late Tomisaburo Wakayama, he was definitely different than many of the characters to come out of 1970s. I first saw this film years ago, and always thought this particular episode was one of the better ones of the series. For those who are not used to this type of action type of ninja-samurai style of film, keep an open mind. These are not Kurosawa, or Kobayashi type of films, however, that does not mean they are not entertaining. First of all though, be prepared for plenty of violence and mayhem. As the character Ogami (Tomisaburo Wakayama), [brother of the late Shintaro Katsu of Zatoichi fame] was larger in life than many characters who came out of the 1970s.
This is fun, exciting, and don't take it too serious enjoyment. What I always liked about the Lone Wolf and Cub series was that it was hilariously different than many of the films that were available in the USA: if you were lucky enough to catch them at the theatres. Since I spent a lot of time at theatres with my best friend in downtown Los Angeles, I was exposed to these types of films. I have come to understand that these films have been released as a package, and that the films are very well restored. I have not seen these new DVD releases, however, I would recommend that you purchase the set as a whole, if all six episodes are packaged together, and the price is reasonable. Since I already have these in the format as they are, I am content with these for now. Give these films a chance, they are interesting, and truly enjoying films. [Stars: 4.5]
"This kid has the eyes of one who has killed thousands". Ogammi has to track down and kill a nude female assassin for our viewing pleasure in the 4th installment of the LW and C series. Once again, Tomisaburo Wakayama puts on one of the greatest acting performances I have ever seen. In this one we find out the reason that Ogami's house was always meant to be destroyed from the day he was appointed as the Shogun's second. Of course the Yagyu are involved and of course you are guaranteed to see some of the greatest action ever when Ogami slices up everybody in the super long final fight. One thing that you find out in this movie is that Ogami Itto is not invincible. That certainly makes things more interesting.
I have the Red Sun distributed version of this. The DVD is anamorphically widescreeded with flaws that can only be seen with a magnifying glass. The trailers have 2 Zatoichi ones and 2 LW and C ones including Baby Cart in Peril. The real special feature is the liner notes. They continue to bring important information up like the Shadow Sword technique among a few other things.
Terrific Here's a lesson in the value of reading on-disk liner notes. There are four short pages of notes on Animeigo's version of LONE WOLF AND CUB: BABY CART IN PERIL.
Page one tells about the Mountain Witch and Kintaro. Both legendary figures in Japan. The mountain witch, or yamauba, is the `fairy of the mountains,' old and haggard in appearance with a thin face and wild white hair. The mountain witch cares for the mountains; kintaro is a child of super-human strength and skills, something like our Paul Bunyan, I guess. Important stuff to know because the character Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama,) the ronin Lone Wolf, has contracted to kill (for the usual 500 pieces of gold) is the beautiful young Oyuki, who has been slaughtering the Yagyu clansmen sent out to assassinate her. Oyuki has a tattoo of the Mountain Witch on her back and one of a nipple-seeking Kintaro covering her chest. Besides being a superbly skilled warrior, the lovely Oyuki will distract her opponents by removing her blouse while in battle. Whatever it takes to awe and shock.
Page two describes the `Yagyu New Shadow Style' of swordscraft. Lone Wolf and Cub is set in 17th century Japan, and every episode I've seen so far - this is my third - concentrates on sword fighting styles and techniques. The New Shadow Style is the type favored by Yagyu Gunbei, Ogami's bitter rival. Ogami, as we're reminded in every film, was the Shogun's Official Executioner until betrayed by the pernicious Retsudo. Gunbei was a disciple of Retsudo's, and he fought Ogami for the Executioner position and, save for what may have been a technicality (watch the film and decide for yourself,) defeated Ogami. Although each film in the series tells a particular story - in this case that of Oyuki and Ogami's contract to kill her - they all also flesh out the big story. I really should have started these in sequence, but I've been picking them up haphazardly. In any event, the Gunbei-Ogami rivalry is fleshed out in this one, even though it hasn't a whole lot to do with the main story.
Page three tells us about the goumune, or `street beggars,' of feudal Japan. Lone Wolf and Cub spend a lot of time traveling through the poorer communities of Japan and observing the outcasts and the looked down upon. As the goumune clan leader observes to a rude Yagyu thug sent by the Shogun to bring Ogami back, in a speech that distantly echoes words Shakespeare wrote for Shylock, the goumune may be reviled and looked down upon, but they eat, drink, and expel waste like any other human. And, like any other human, they value courtesy and a show of respect. Translated into terms I can understand - roughly and imperfectly translated, I realize - the goumune are something like the dirt farmers in westerns. Like I said, it's a rough translation - goumune are valued less than `human beings,' according to the notes, at a ratio of about 7 to 1. Still, in terms of firepower a group like the Yagyu clan - Ogami's chief enemies since the betrayal that forced his with-cub exile in a land between heaven and hell, between life and death - a group like the Yagyu clan have it all over the goumune. Not unlike the big bad ranchers pushing around the frightened and huddled sod busters in a lot of westerns.
We learn the Owari fief was a major commercial crossroads during the time the events in this movie took place on page four.
Lone Wolf's willingness to mingle with and befriend, and at times defend, the despised, sets him apart as a true samurai. Or a classic cowboy hero, come to think of it. He's imperturbable to the point of being a sphinx and proficient as heck with the sword. There's a lot of blood in these movies - when a bad guy gets his legs cut off at the knees the prop department empties a couple of quarts of krylon red #5 all over everything. In this movie alone I'd guess they were buying the stuff in 50-gallon drums. It may have played brutal in 1972, but it just seems a little cartoonish today. Not in a bad way, mind you. Lone Wolf and Cub was born of a Japanese comic book series and these movies are vividly visual. If the strange names and customs make watching this movie sound like work, it's not. They're a lot of fun, very well produced, visually pleasing, and containing a hero-and-a-half you can root for.
This is the review you been looking for!! READ IT!!!!!!!!!!! This movie is maybe the best of the Lone Wolf and Cub series and I tell you why:
- I saw four movies of Lone Wolf and Cub: * WHITE HEAVEN IN HELL is good because Ogami Itto (main character) use everithing he got to kill the bad guys but that battle is more like a Ski battle in a snow mountain. * LAND OF DEMONS is also good because Ogami battle many enemies in a big dojo with one sword like Uma Thurman did in Kill Bill and he use the lance only a few times. * SWORD OF VENGANCE is the original and he only use the sword and the lance like in LAND OF DEMONS. * This one (Baby Car in Peril) is the best because he use the sword, the lance, the machine gun, the two swords, small shurikens and blades like in WHITE HEAVEN IN HELL but this time the settings are in a war camp.
THAT'S ALL FOLKS Thank you for lisen!!!!
Entertaining, still has its style In this 4th installment of the series, Director Misumi Kenji was replaced by Saito Buichi -- although I feared the series' quality would deteriorate, I was pleasantly surprised at the nuances Saito lent in his own adaptation.
Still only a third of the way through the manga series myself, "Baby Cart in Peril" adopts episodes from early volumes and introduces a later (for me: unknown) episode that involves (finally!) a showdown between Ogami and Retsudo!
As usual, the film does a good job giving screen time to other characters allowing them to develop. O-Yuki, the assassin willing to bare her vengeance, is a powerful and interesting character. Daigoro gets more and more screen time as in this movie for the first time, he wanders off alone. The little boy is so charming in this film (like the third installment) -- I love his scowls: talk about inhabiting a character. Combined with the nearly concrete stare of Ogami (actor Wakayama Tomisaburo), this movie confirms it still has the magic. Somehow these nearly opaque actors convey incredible emotion. I just wish I knew what Wakayama was looking at -- he never eyes the action or the camera directly.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
