Afro Samurai: Resurrection - Director's Cut Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Afro Samurai has found vengeance, and has sworn off fighting. You didn't think that would last, did you?
Nope, it didn't. And the past catches up to the silent afroed warrior in a big way in "Afro Samurai: Resurrection" -- a wildly stylized, bloodsoaked, wildly anachronistic tale of what will happen after you get your gory revenge. And Samuel L. Jackson fits into the quiet, butt-kicking titular character like a hand in a fine leather glove.
Afro now lives in a temple where he meditates, carves little statues of Buddha, and thinks on his bloodsoaked past (cue wild flashback scene involving crazy ninjas and a river of blood).
That would make for a boring movie, so suddenly Kumo and the sexy, sadistic Sio appear, and steal both Afro's No. 1 headband and his father's remains. With his sword reforged, Afro sets out to reclaim the No. 2 headband so he can challenge Sio, and stop her from resurrecting his father (just so she can torture him).
But regaining the headband leads to a terrible cost -- a kindly man with a little son, haunted by the headband's bloody legacy. And the path to Sio's lair is riddled with grotesque henchmen who are very interested in seeing Afro dead -- and Sio herself plans to use a terrible weapon to destroy the man she hates above all else.
Like "Samurai Champloo," "Afro Samurai" is a stylized story that wears its hip-hop trappings and period Japanese flavour like badges of honor. Or headbands. Whichever. The actual story is rather thin, but it carries a heavy message about revenge -- one you get it, it will haunt you like a bloody ghost forever and corrupt others along the way. Ninja Ninja provides a little humor ("I'm gonna die, man! Or at least have a stroke... I HATE HEIGHTS!") but it can't lighten the storyline.
"Afro Samurai: Resurrection" doesn't hold itself back on the fights -- neatly sliced bodies, fountains and rivers of blood, savage beatings and some really creepy cybernetic/masked baddies who are unafraid to get dirty. The highlight is a balletic nighttime duel between Afro and Shichigoro, surrounded by deadly chains and glowing lanterns, and framed by fireworks reflected in the water.
And it leaves the way paved for a third "Afro Samurai" story. I'm waiting.
Most regular actors are terrible at voice-acting, but Samuel L Jackson could easily make a living at it if he wanted to -- both the deep, gravelly voice ("Watch... your damn... MOUTH") and the annoying jabber of Ninja Ninja. And Afro serves as an excellent anti-hero, who does some truly terrible things but is willing to pay for them.
Lucy Liu does a solid job as well, giving Sio both sensual viciousness and tenderness, and even a sort of moral core ("History will mourn the atrocities you now commit"), while Yuri Lowenthal and Mark Hamill have good small roles. And Liam O'Brian's gravelly/soft voice gives poignancy to his small but memorable role as Shichigoro.
The two-disc edition has a cluster of extras, mostly in featurette form -- a two-part making-of documentary, an interview with the creator, music composition, video game, commentary, and assorted other stuff. Mainly interesting if you really love the movie.
"Afro Samurai: Resurrection" is a solid sequel that shows what happens when revenge is swung back at you. A good, bloodsoaked anime that opens the way for more.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Afro Samurai: Resurrection - Director's Cut

Afro Samurai (Academy Award ® nominee Samuel L. Jackson) avenged his father and found a life of peace. But the legendary master is forced back into the game by a beautiful and deadly woman from his past. The sparks of violence dropped along Afro’s bloody path now burn out of control – and nowhere are the flames of hatred more intense than in the eyes of Sio (Lucy Liu: Kill Bill). She won’t quit until Afro is schooled in the brutal lessons he dealt those who stood in his way. There’s no such thing as final vengeance. The cycle of bloodshed spinning around the Number One Headband must roll on. Featuring the voice of Mark Hamill (Star Wars) and fresh production from The RZA (Wu-Tang Clan), the saga that began in the best-selling anime DVD of 2007 continues in Afro Samurai: Resurrection.
The Director's Cut features:

A limited edition art book featuring forwards from the RZA, Bob Okazaki (creator) and Fuminori Kizaki (director) as well as never before seen images from the anime and the original manga.
Over an hour of exclusive behind the scene featurettes including the making of the anime, the making of the video game, interviews with the cast and crew, RZA in the studio, commentary from the creators and much more! Stills from Afro Samurai: Resurrection (Click for larger image)

Get 12% OFF

Click here for more information about Afro Samurai: Resurrection - Director's Cut

Samurai X - The Motion Picture (Rurouni Kenshin) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)To get it out of the way first, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie--I am huge fan of the Rurouni Kenshin series, and the movie, while not quite as good as the series' best parts, succeeded in giving me more of the same stuff I love so much (as long as you don't watch the horrific English dub--even compared to the series' English dub it's horrible).
Now on to the important part--the confusion that has been steeped upon this release. Here's what everyone should know, but seems to ignore (at least in reviews): "Samurai X" is the American title used to replace the Japanese title, "Rurouni Kenshin," when this movie and the OVA's were released by ADV. The original series (it came first, only after the comic) is being released under its original title by Anime Works. The Kenshin OVA's (under the American titles "Samurai X: Trust" and "Samurai X: Betrayal") were made later as a prequel to the series, chronicling the early days of Battousai the Manslayer/Hitokiri. By the time the series begins, 10 years later, the main character Kenshin has given up his past role of Battousai in order to somehow make up for his evils, so he lives as a wandering swordsman (note: not a samurai by any means, ever!) who refuses to kill. The Rurouni Kenshin movie takes place around the time of the series--as in, the same supporting cast appears, and Kenshin is currently a wanderer. Not only does the movie's story occur within the context of the series, but stylistically it fits as well.
Comparing the RK movie to the OVA series, in terms of story or style, is useless. They are two completely different works based on the same series, one made to portray the dark and violent aspects of Kenshin's early life, and the other meant to act as a direct companion to the material in the series. One reviewer relates the series and OVA's as being two seperate universes, and the movie an amalgamation of the two. Well, that is just flat-out wrong. All three works have been created along a timeline in terms of story, and in the case of style, have been created to reflect the period of Kenshin's that is being chronicled. The only reason the name "Samurai X" was given to the OVA's and movie was to make them look "cooler" for an American audience by Sony & ADV after they acquired the rights. The American name says nothing about the contents.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samurai X - The Motion Picture (Rurouni Kenshin)

The war against the Tokugawa Shogunate ended years ago. But there are some who are not happy with the outcome. Shigure Takimi watched his friends and family get slashed down in the name of freedom and prosperity. Now he and a band of desparate rebels have sworn to settle one final score. Only one man stands in their way: Rurouni Kenshin. Will the former assassin take up his sword to fight again? When Shigure discovers Kenshin's true identity and his fight becomes a personal vendetta, the young hero will have no choice.

Click here for more information about Samurai X - The Motion Picture (Rurouni Kenshin)

Samurai Jack - The Premiere Movie (2001) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This dvd isn't so bad; but it's just the first 3 episodes of Season 1. The 'never seen before episode' is the 11th episode (the one with the Scottsman on the bridge), which is also on the Season 1 dvd. It's disappointing that they don't tell you that on the description anywhere, so for any of you who planned on getting both this and the Season 1 set - just get the Season 1 set by itself.
Otherwise, this is a fine intro to Samurai Jack and is worth watching. I would rate the disc 4.5 out of 5 on its own.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samurai Jack - The Premiere Movie (2001)

In ancient Japan, a samurai warrior embarks on a mission to defeat the evil wizard Aku. Before completing his task, he is jetisoned thousands of years into the future. Suddenly, he discovers he is in a world where Aku now enjoys complete power over every living thing. Taking on the name Jack, he sets out on a quest to free the future from Aku's grasp and to find a way back to his own time so he can destroy the evil for good.

Click here for more information about Samurai Jack - The Premiere Movie (2001)

Shigurui: Death Frenzy Complete Box Set Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)"Shigurui Death Frenzy" is among the most twisted anime I've ever seen and an outstanding vengeance tale from a culture stuffed to the gills with similarly-themed works. It is based on true events (whatever credibility you give to that) and takes place in feudal Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate. It's spectacularly graphic in both the sex and violence departments, but features extremely beautiful artwork and a pace and tone that is almost Kurosawan in it's meticulous and thoughtful storytelling and features a very gorgeous traditional Japanese soundtrack. But as artistic as it is, there enough mayhem, nudity, and general psychosis here to rival any Asian grindhouse flick I've ever seen. This one is not for the kiddies.
In the opening sequences the audience is treated to a retainer pleading with his daimyo to allow a tournament to use wooden blades rather than steel ones lest their most talented samurai die needlessly. He then opens up his slit belly and pulls his entrails out with his bare hands, telling his lord that that would be the only result of a tournament using real swords. His final plea falls on deaf ears and bloodthirsty eyes that have more than a hint of madness in them. As the tournament begins we see the first two samurai face off. It is a one-armed swordsman versus a blind samurai. While the audience mocks the pair, it is soon obvious that the two are not only skilled warriors, but have a past together. The story of "Shigurui" is that past.
Rewind to a few years back in time and we meet earnest sword pupil Gennosuke Fujiki and Seigen Irako, a stranger to the Kogan dojo who seeks audience with the sensei. The two clash, leaving Fujiki embarrassed and possibly stripped of his status as the heir to the deadly techniques of the sword school. Kogan Iwamoto is the deranged sensei whose advanced age regularly leaves him in a state of vulgar dementia with a string of neverending drool in the corner of his mouth and a habit of urinating on himself even as he performs feats of swordsmanship. Even more disturbing, the man still has a sexual appetite when in his glassy-eyed stupor. As Kogan's concubine Lady Iku, she gets to bear the brunt of that, though the sensei's own daughter gets a taste as well. The children of the town sing a song about Iku's body bringing misfortune and death to all of her lovers, but that doesn't deter Irako but getting a piece of the action. This is something that he will regret as he seeks the title of heir to the secrets of the Kogan style. And eventually, each and every character will regret the chain of events that forms.
As I said before, "Shigurui" is not for kids even if it does seem like a typical samurai anime on the surface. There's plenty of viscera, eyeball abuse like you wouldn't believe, decapitation, and dismemberment. In fact, the Kogan school seeks to spread it's name not by killing those who challenge it, but by "giving them a new look" which is to say the cut off various facial features so all of Japan can see their prowess rather than hear about it. Then there's the graphic sexual content which includes watching Kogan's drool fall upon his daughter as he "inspects" her suitability for breeding, a rather explicit but brief glimpse of cunnilingus -which I've NEVER seen in an anime (and no, I don't count hentai as true anime)- and a woman getting her nipple sliced off then watching her attacker pick it up and lovingly place it upon his tongue. Yeah, this is twisted stuff. Kogan is among the most intimidating and disgusting villains ever and the rest of the cast are more tragic victims then heroes. In fact, I think it's safe to say that there are no heroes here at all; just brutality, cruelty, and selfish deceit.
I really wish I could give this a perfect score because it is so harsh and uncompromising but still manages a plethora of beautiful and artistic flourishes that give this anime a credibility that few examples of the genre have anymore. But there is a fatal flaw that left me feeling less then thrilled at the conclusion in spite of the fact that the final kill is quite possibly the most impressive I've ever seen animated. While it is the best samurai anime I have seen in a long time, at only 12 episodes "Shigurui" becomes a victim of it's own slow pacing during the second half and the viewer can't help but feel a bit cheated at the lack of resolution in the story. After the amazing setup of the first episode, we never see it revisited for a fitting conclusion. It's almost like the staff got bored and just decided to move on before the story was done. A few more episodes -even one- could have easily garnered this show an unapologetic five star rating. But frankly, it's close enough. This is an anime that will absolutely warrant repeat viewings.
I am very pleased to say that this anime has been released in a full boxed set right off the bat. None of the month(s)-long waits and customer-gouging
while each disc is released individually. Thanks, Funimation! While there is not much in the way of extras on the discs, there is a "marathon play" feature which means that the discs will play as a continuous film rather than making you fast-forward through the opening and closing credits every 20 minutes. I hope to see more of these things in the future. They are reason enough to buy this set. If we support more quality anime releases that take the fans' wishes into account, maybe we'll see more of this kind of thing.
"Shigurui: Death Frenzy" is an outstanding adult anime that stops just short of all-time greatness, but is still an absolute must-own for fans of animated sex, violence, and chanbara films. The soundtrack, animation, plot, and characters are all first-rate. It's some of the best of classic Japanese arthouse cinema with all the cheap thrills of the grindhouse. Buy, buy, buy!
4 1/2 stars, rounded up for treating the fans right.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Shigurui: Death Frenzy Complete Box Set

Item Name: Shigurui: Death Frenzy Complete Box Set [Blu-ray]; Studio:Funimation

Get 33% OFF

Click here for more information about Shigurui: Death Frenzy Complete Box Set

Deadliest Warrior: Season One Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Okay, true confession. I really like this series. Yeah, I know it's a guy show, and it can be gruesome, so it is kind of a `guilty pleasure' but I really enjoy the combat simulations and who would win if: for example a Spartan were to fight a ninja. I particularly like it when the opponents are evenly matched or I particularly like one of the competitors. The Shaolin have been my favorite so far. The monks were classy, honorable and peaceful and yet also quite deadly.
The basic premise of this show is to compare the chosen weapons of each group, and then compare them to another group of warriors. So you might get the IRA- for instance- vs Al Quaeda or The Mafia vs. The Yakuza. Weapons experts discuss the various weapons used and how much damage they might do in combat. They test this using dummies, blocks of wood, pig carcasses or other targets. The matchups can be a bit odd, sometimes spanning centuries, and so it doesn't always seem entirely fair, but It is interesting nonetheless. After the major weapons are discussed, a combat simulation is ran pitting the two fictional warriors via computer, and the results are shown in a filmed reenactment. The results can be surprising sometimes too. The group you think might win, sometimes has an Achilles heel which fouls them up. You never can tell.
I think the show is well worth a watch for history fans, and fans of historical warfare, but I should warn you now, it's not for kids, the squeamish or those who might be impressionable to violence, because there is a lot of it. I sometimes just skip sections to see the ending with the reenactment of the final battle, if I get squeamish or am not into the matchup.
This is a very interesting show, and it has been renewed for a second season, which I'm looking forward to. Can't wait to see howt he Celtic warrior does.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Deadliest Warrior: Season One

Finally, Spike’s newest hit show, Deadliest Warrior, has arrived on DVD! Watch as the most feared warriors civilization has ever known are pitted against each other in battle. Using 21st century science and the latest in CGI technology, each episode enlists warrior-specific world-class fighters and experts to analyze every facet of their unique skills of destruction and to answer the all-important question: who is the deadliest warrior?

Get 13% OFF

Click here for more information about Deadliest Warrior: Season One

Afro Samurai (Director's Cut) (2007) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)There's no doubt that Afro Samurai has a cool and simple concept and a very bloody style. In this future world of feudal Japan nothing seems to matter but two headbands that represent the two best fighters. To get to the number one fighter you must go through the number two and to get to the number two you must go trough everyone else. This way of life that nobody should have to live especially a child who has nothing but the headbands and revenge on his mind. As a child Afro saw his father who was the number one fighter at the time get massacred by a man named Justice. After the fight is over Justice takes the number one headband off of the head of Afro's father, which was not too far away from his body. Justice tells Afro something similar to what Uma Thurman said to Vivica A. Fox's daughter in Kill Bill, that if he wanted revenge he would fight him when he came for him.
Afro took those words very seriously and took a few things of his fathers including his very cool Katana. Afro immediately went from an innocent child to an almost emotionless man with a ton of weight on him as he begins his vengeful journey. Afro Samurai is a unique anime or story for that matter. You don't see too many people willing to put out a story with basically nothing but very bloody fight scenes for about two episodes before a really good story starts up. Especially in a 5 part series where the episodes are only between 20 and 30 minutes long. I can't lie because I love stuff like that and it made Afro Samurai all the more tempting to finish watching. The second is that this was a pricy anime to make costing $1 million per episode so I'm sure a few viewers from the Hip hop community were expected to watch this. Even if you're an action film fan you have to admit when there's too much action and not enough story Even in a revenge tail like Kill Bill with a certain scene that this anime could relate to 88 times over it had a mystery and story.
Afro was on the verge of being in the too much and not enough category and then a cool story hits you somewhere around the end of episode two. Flashbacks of Afro's life are showed, you see him as a kid again and the people who took him in and gave him his gritty skills. All throughout the 5 part series you see that the money was well spent because the animation is amazing and beautiful. The things that Afro does with his skills are crazy and this animation was a giant step up for anime samurai fight scene, it was flawless. The voice actors are great including Sam Jackson who is great for co-producing this and putting his foot in it.
I think it would have been cool to actually give Afro a real name, it's cool for people that take him on to call him Afro but I think he should have had a name for his other life before he became the Afro Samurai. In other words I kind of wish the story went just a bit deeper with a little bit more complexity. I think that Afro Samurai is a great series that everyone should see especially to view its beautiful quality.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Afro Samurai (Director's Cut) (2007)

Ice Cold Soul and a Jones For Revenge
Afro Samurai (voiced by Academy Award® nominated Samuel L. Jackson) is an epic tale of a black samurai's hunt for Justice (voiced by Ron Perlman: Hellboy Alien Resurrection ) who murdered his father. With music score by The RZA ( Kill Bill Wu Tang Clan) Afro Samurai blends traditional Japanese culture, funky technology and hip hop to create a brutally fresh entertainment experience.
Director's Cut features:
15 MINUTES OF NEVER BEFORE SEEN FOOTAGE
Exclusive Manga art from Afro Samurai Creator, Takashi Okazaki
In the Booth with RZA - Music Production Tour
Director's Cut Edition of Afro Samurai is a 2-disc set with over 170 minutes of action!
All the cool action at a hot new price!

Get 33% OFF

Click here for more information about Afro Samurai (Director's Cut) (2007)