Freewill
It’s late and I’m having difficulty getting my portfolio posted. It’s all done (pretty much) and ready to roll. I probably need some sleep seeing it’s fast approaching midnight and I will turn into a rotten little pumpkin any minute. Anyway, I have to share this tidbit while I have the energy left because this has been on my mind. The tidbit is a review of one of my favorite samurai series ever. EVER!
So let me introduce to you… Lone Wolf and Cub!
Ogami Itto works for the Shogun and is the highly respected official executioner. After executing the infant Lord, the Yagyu Shadow-Clan murders Itto’s wife and servants, setting him up as a betrayer of the Shogun. Ogami Itto then vows to walk the earth as a demon, becoming an assassin for hire until he avenges his wife’s death and destroys the Yagyu Shadow-Clan. He then gives his infant son the choice between a colorful ball or a sword. Mesmerized, his son Diagoro crawls toward the sword, letting his bloodline choose for him, sparing him a death by his fathers sword.
It’s taken me a long time to review this series. There are a total of six DVD’s and each one brought to me the satisfaction and validation of being a Samurai film lover. There must be something magical about the fountains of blood ejecting from a decapitation. Or perhaps its the light-speed force of a sword that leaves a blood-spattered trail of butchered carcasses in it’s path. But there is something unusual about this Samurai series that is unlike any other - Ogami Itto brings with him his infant son, Diagoro, on these murderous rampages.
Don’t be intimidated by the fact it premiered in 1972. The storyline is solid steel and the fight scenes have been imitated in the more mainstream samurai films of today. Lone Wolf and Cub is bad ass even by today’s standards and will bring a smile to your face as the blood-spattered landscape unfolds before your eyes. Readily available on Netflix this is a must see for all fans of Samurai cinema.