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For those of you who saw and enjoyed Kill Bill, and The Last Samurai you may want to check this movie out! Zatoichi is the longest-running, most successful series in Japanese film history featured an unlikely hero. The blind masseur and gambler, Zatoichi, was expertly portrayed by character actor Shintaro Katsu for well over a decade. This film made by Takeshi Kitaro brings back to life the infamous Zatoichi back to the screen.

Check out the trailer:


http://www.miramax.com/zatoichi/

This is a very good film. Excellent swordplay and charecter development. A must for fans of Samurai films.

I'd pick this film over Kill Bill anytime.

Thanks to the anime/manga Rurouni Kenshin, I had nursed a fascination for swordsmen of Japan. When I watched Kill Bill, it was alright, but that was not really a samurai film, was it? So was The Last Samurai...

Now Zatoichi is a very good film, focusing on a wandering, and blind, and aged swordsman who is also a masseuse. Nice comic moments, very good character development, as Nopy pointed out...

and the swordplays defined what a Samurai film should be...

i give this a 4.5 out of 5...

I haven't finished completing my collection of the old Zatoichi series. He is kinda like the James Bond of Japan. Among one the classics in the series is Zatoichi vs. Yojimbo. Is unfortunate that Shintaro Katzu died years ago. I'm pretty sure he would love to have seen the character he portrayed continue in the big screen.

I haven't seen Katzu's yet...but i think Beeat Takeshi did an excellent job.

Katzu is very good! I defenetly recommend his early work on Zatoichi!

Zatoichi rules! I just watched tonight on a projected screen about 10 feet by 6. It ruled.

Unlike Kill Bill and many other fighting flicks, Zatoichi doesn't fool around. I cannot remember many (or if any) combatant to last more than a few seconds against him.

He was hindered from the banging of the gongs at most in one of the movies I've seen, but he still got through it.

Glad you liked it Myth!

Zatoichi rules!

I concur...After watching Battle Royale, I thought Takeshi Kitano would do well as Zatoichi