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Shintarô Katsu, Kanbei Fujiyama, Eiko Taki

When the blind swordsman Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) is thrown into jail in a gambling raid, he encounters a man who has been sentenced to death for a crime of which he isn't guilty. The blind warrior t... read more read more...ries to help him upon his release. Following the trail to the guilty party, he crosses paths with the son of the man he is assisting, who is impersonating Zatoichi. The search for the truth eventually leads the blind swordsman to an encounter with a gun-wielding assassin. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

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78% liked it

776 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 28 min.

Directed by: Kazuo Mori

Release Date: September 18, 1965

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DVD Release Date: August 19, 2003

 

Stats: 32 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (32)

  • kiriyamakazou
    August 25, 2009
    kiriyamakazou
    Once again our favourite blind swordfighter is sucked into a dangerous plot. He is asked by a man sentenced to death, to go to the two men that can clear his name. After that it becomes the first Zatoichi "buddy" flick, as he teams up with a comic relief conman. That's right, suc... read moreh formulas were being used over 40 years ago. The comedy is more broad in this outing but never overshadows the production. A few slight changes occur, such as Zatoichi's gambling not being focused around a dice game. This time it's archery and makes him an even more impressive character. It also shows Zatoichi's more reluctant side, as he debates whether to help the man or not. After 10 films even he has started to realise that he always gets involved in deadly situations. The final fight is great, because the villains also realise just how skilled Zatoichi is. Now they are resorting to spears and nets and ropes in an attempt to bring the man down. It's almost a very subtle postmodern Zatoichi film. It's still very predictable, from the narrative and pacing to the events that occur. These slight changes are enough to keep me involved for now. But there's still another 15 films in this series.
  • threefolddado
    June 12, 2008
    threefolddado
    Attempts to break out of the formula, and succeeds.
  • nativesunljt
    March 3, 2008
    nativesunljt
    Good story but this chapter was not as good as the usual films. I did like the ending but the comic element was detracting to the film.

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Critic Reviews

Brian Mckay
May 8, 2004
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com

While I'll still take a mediocre ZATOICHI movie over a crappy Hollywood film of the present day, this one leaves the viewer with a sense of unfinished business Full Review

Michael Szymanski
September 23, 2005
Michael Szymanski, Zap2it.com

No review available.

Emanuel Levy
September 9, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

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