Extremely well executed. Beautiful in every shot and intentional in every moment. https://boxd.it/2IvZ8z

this samurai one with blood and vengeance has been good

Hmmm it’s ok but it pales in comparison to the likes of Sword of Doom.

Kozure Ōkami - Lone Wolf and Cub 01 Kozure Ōkami: Kowokashi udekashi tsukamatsuru (Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance) (1972) https://trakt.tv/movies/lone-wolf-and-cub-sword-of-vengeance-1972 02 Kozure Ōkami: Sanzu no kawa no ubaguruma (Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx) (1972) https://trakt.tv/movies/lone-wolf-and-cub-baby-cart-at-the-river-styx-1972 03 Kozure Ōkami: Shinikazeni mukau ubaguruma (Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades) (1972) https://trakt.tv/movies/lone-wolf-and-cub-baby-cart-to-hades-1972 04 Kozure Ōkami: Oya no kokoro ko no kokoro (Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril) (1972) https://trakt.tv/movies/lone-wolf-and-cub-baby-cart-in-peril-1972 05 Kozure Ōkami: Meifumado (Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons) (1973) https://trakt.tv/movies/lone-wolf-and-cub-baby-cart-in-the-land-of-demons-1973 06 Kozure Ōkami: Jigoku e ikuzo! Daigoro (Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell) (1974) https://trakt.tv/movies/lone-wolf-and-cub-white-heaven-in-hell-1974

After being framed for treason and losing his wife to an after-hours assault, a former state executioner seeks revenge as a ronin, walking the dusty trails of rural Japan with his three-year-old son in tow. The hallmarks of a generic '70s samurai/kung fu movie are all over this one, from the exploitative camerawork to the bad makeup and sprays of hyper-saturated blood, but despite the obvious tropes it delivers some deep, ruminative storytelling and efficiently lays the groundwork for the five sequels which are soon to follow. Often, we're shocked by an act that seems vile and emotionless, only for a subsequent explanation to flip the script and offer unexpected rationalization. The audience constantly sees Ittō (the protagonist) in different lights, filling the character out from all angles while the man himself (stoically played by a convincing Tomisaburo Wakayama) maintains a stiff, honorable composure. Despite the eccentricities mentioned above, I was impressed by the fight scenes, which are shockingly - yet appropriately - swift and decisive. With his blade drawn bare, Ittō doesn't fool around: he kills with immediacy and precision, though he's often fighting such steep odds that the battles aren't over too quickly. A real jewel for fans of the genre, which storms through a few clunky patches and sets itself up to soar in later installments.