This was a cool samurai/adventure film. Lots of swordplay action, and lots of other cool action scenes too. Too bad Sonny Chiba's not in it more than he is though. He plays the main villain, so we don't get to follow him as much as the team of heroes.
The story is about a child who is the heir to become the next shogun, but the bad guys doesn't want that. They want some other kid to become the next shogun instead. Anyway, to become the next shogun the kid has to be in a certain temple at a certain time, and it's up to the good guys to get him there, and the bad guys try to stop them.
This is pop-samurai action at its best. Go look for it.
Plot summary
Iemitsu, Tokugawa Shogun III, hates his eldest son Takechiyo; all his love is given to his younger son Tokumatsu. One day, he orders Takechiyo to an initiation rite in Yedo (today's Tokio). Takechiyo lives far away under the surveillance of Hotta Masamori, head of the Skura clan, where he was also raised. Hotta does suspect some kind of treachery, but he can not ignore the direct command of the Shogun. Therefore, he starts on his travel with Takechiyo and seven accompanying samurais. A large army under the command of Iba Shoemon, a vassal of the Shogun, attacks their night camp in the vicinity of a copper mine. Hotta dies in this first battle, but Takechiyo and the samurai manage to escape. They are chased by the army, and several skirmishes between the small force and the larger army follow.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 720p.WEB 1080p.WEB 1 GB
1280*690
Japanese 2.0
NR
Movie Reviews
Reviewed by
Cool samurai/adventure film
Reviewed by
One of the best 80s samurai action flicks
I love this movie! This is a fast-paced action movie from 1989. Even though it can be considered a jidaigeki (Edo period drama),in many aspects (pacing, character development, gore) it reminds me of the Shaw brothers wuxia movies. What it lacks in depth and intricacy, Shogun's Shadow more than makes up in action sequences, above average camera-work and matching soundtrack. For samurai buffs, who like hardcore, slow-paced Edo-epics, this might be a bit cheesy, but for people (including myself) who love movies such as The Five Deadly Venoms or Invincible Shaolin, Shogun's Shadow will be an entertaining 1 hour 46 minutes with sword-slashing ronin, epic standoffs and some banging J-rock interludes.
Reviewed by
One of the best samurai-movies I have seen
This is a great movie, if you don't take it too seriously. The hero-characters are very different from each other, and their unique abilities makes them a great team. I love this movie - it's great fun to watch.