areaseven Posted January 9, 2004 Posted January 9, 2004 Shura Yukihime Oz/Nikkatsu/Sony PCL/Pioneer LDC/Kadokawa Shoten/Horizon Entertainment, 2001 ADV Films, 2003 Directed by Shinsuke Sato Rated R for graphic violence, mature situations and strong language. Cast - Yumiko Shaku as Yuki - Hideaki Ito as Takashi - Kyusaku Shimada as Byakurai - Shiro Sano as Kidokoro - Yoichi Numata as Kuka Synopsis Loosely based on the manga by Kazuo Koike (Lone Wolf and Cub, Crying Freeman) and Kazuo Kamimura. In the distant future, Japan has isolated itself from the rest of the world. The Takemikazuchi - once the protectors of the royal elite - now survive as a band of ruthless assassins for hire. Yuki, a Takemikazuchi assassin, learns the truth about her mother's death and confronts the clan's leader Byakurai. Outnumbered by the assassins, Yuki runs for her life and finds refuge in the home of Takashi, a man striving to make a living by running a gas station in the middle of nowhere. But with Byakurai and his assassins closing in on her whereabouts, Yuki must continue to fight in order to fulfill her destiny as princess of the Takemikazuchi. Lowdown So why is this movie titled The Princess Blade, even though Shura Yukihime means something else? Your guess is as good as mine. The Princess Blade takes a Feudal Japan storyline and places it in a pseudo-futuristic setting similar to A Clockwork Orange and Soylent Green - wherein it takes place several decades from now, but hardly anything techologically has changed. While the concept is good, the execution of the story itself needs improvement. There is a lot of focus on Yuki, but there's not much emphasis on Takashi and his personal agenda. Not much is even mentioned about his sister Aya, other than being traumatized for life after witnessing the murder of their parents. Plus, the ending leaves some questions unanswered, not to mention room for a possible sequel. On the subject of Yuki, Japanese swimsuit idol Yumiko Shaku does an impressive job for her film debut. Damn, she looks so hot - probably not as hot as Akane Soma, but she's definitely up there. The fight scenes are literally to die for. Hong Kong action choreographer Donnie Yen delivers with his best action work since Blade. While some of the CG effects are pretty cheesy (a common flaw in Japanese cinema), many of the camera shots are within Matrix-level. Kenji Kawai's orchestral score is very adequate and goes well with the action. Otherwise, it's very different from his anime soundtracks like Mobile Police Patlabor, Ghost in the Shell and Ranma 1/2. Despite its shortcomings, The Princess Blade is pretty entertaining - as long as you watch it subtitled (the English dub absolutely sucks!). Rent it first, then decide for yourself whether or not to add it to your DVD collection. Rating: B DVD Extras: F What extras? Trailers are not extras. Links The Princess Blade Official Site Reference Anime News Network Quote
Anubis Posted January 9, 2004 Posted January 9, 2004 Thanks, I've been curious about this one. Seemed interesting in the store. May have to give this one a try. Quote
Blaine23 Posted January 9, 2004 Posted January 9, 2004 I love this movie! Particularly when Westley says "As you wish" and Buttercup is hot and ... Ooops... that's the Princess Bride. Still, this looks like an entirely different, yet enjoyable HK action flick. Thanks for review A7... top notch as always. Quote
JELEINEN Posted January 9, 2004 Posted January 9, 2004 I love this movie! Particularly when Westley says "As you wish" and Buttercup is hot and ...Ooops... that's the Princess Bride. I'm glad I wasn't the only one who mis-read the thread title at first. If I see this for rent, I might check it out. It's an ADV release, so I won't buy it. Quote
Vostok 7 Posted January 9, 2004 Posted January 9, 2004 On the subject of Yuki, Japanese swimsuit idol Yumiko Shaku does an impressive job for her film debut. Damn, she looks so hot - probably not as hot as Akane Soma, but she's definitely up there. :D Vostok 7 Quote
tom64ss Posted January 9, 2004 Posted January 9, 2004 I love this movie! Particularly when Westley says "As you wish" and Buttercup is hot and ...Ooops... that's the Princess Bride. I'm glad I wasn't the only one who mis-read the thread title at first. If I see this for rent, I might check it out. It's an ADV release, so I won't buy it. You misread the thread???!!!! INCONCEIVABLE!! Quote
Hybridchild Posted January 9, 2004 Posted January 9, 2004 I saw this movie about 6 months ago and i really liked it which is saying something cause im not a fan of HK action movies, check it out Hybridcihild Quote
EXO Posted January 9, 2004 Posted January 9, 2004 Yup... misread the the title too... nice to see all the Princess Bride quoters though... SURRENDER!!! You wish to surrender to me??? Very well then, I ACCEPT! Quote
uminoken Posted January 10, 2004 Posted January 10, 2004 I love this movie! Particularly when Westley says "As you wish" and Buttercup is hot and ...Ooops... that's the Princess Bride. I'm glad I wasn't the only one who mis-read the thread title at first. If I see this for rent, I might check it out. It's an ADV release, so I won't buy it. You misread the thread???!!!! INCONCEIVABLE!! You keep using that word...I do not think it means what you think means But yeah I'll be sure to check this one out, I've heard it's good and you can't go wrong with a Kenji Kawai score Quote
F360° Posted January 10, 2004 Posted January 10, 2004 I love this movie! Particularly when Westley says "As you wish" and Buttercup is hot and ...Ooops... that's the Princess Bride. Still, this looks like an entirely different, yet enjoyable HK action flick. Thanks for review A7... top notch as always. hey, same here read it as "Princess Bride" also. man that was a good movie,, anyways,, I'm always up for a new movie with a hot chick, having sword/katana's make's it even better. guess I'll rent it next time when I drop by my local j video store. Quote
Noriko Takaya Posted February 8, 2004 Posted February 8, 2004 I agree with A7 on Yumiko Shaku. This chick is very cute, but Akane will always be my number one girl... As for the movie, I liked it a lot. I'm not a fan of live action Japanese films, but this one is good. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.