Blade of the Immortal (2017)

Blade of the Immortal, which charts one man who gets immortality thrust upon him (he doesn't quite want it but, hey, the supernatural happens sometimes, gosh-darnit), and 50 years later the un-killable Manji sees a young girl who appears to be at least physically a reincarnation of his long lost slain-by-a-tattoed-psycho swordsf***er daughter Machi (now Rin, the two are played by Takuya Kimura and Hana Sugisaki respectively), and who's father and mother were killed by the ruthless Anotsu Kagehisa (a fairly stone-faced and at first seeming to be too cool Fukushi, near the end he sheds some of that). She swears revenge, but since she's all of 8 or 9 and has (limited) throwing star ability, a little help from a bigger, especially jaded-and-tired-of-life killer is the way to go.

This is Miike's 100th movie, and he knows in the best, most bloody and classical badass way. He has learned a lot over this many films - some of them quite masterful, a number of them crap, all of a signature wildman-maverick I'm-a-sick-all-get-out, but-I-love-cinema taste that we do not (genuinely) get much anymore in genre cinema - and the key things to me are that he knows when to show patience in the story, to let a scene or shot breathe between this Wolverine-with-blood-worms Tonin and the girl, to get actors who can do the finest work of their careers, and when to let the choreographers unleash their brilliance. I didn't think 13 Assassins could go farther, but I was wrong. Even the Wolverine connection surprises; dare I say it, but this may kind of be the better Logan movie of 2017 than the actual one (up to a point).

Sometimes, a little late-night epic revenge saga with an 800 year-old immortality-bestowing wizard lady, samurai who use their chopped-off appendages to their advantage (the bones can be weapons naturally), even a little governmental corruption and intrigue, is just what you need. Id like to think it's not so much an homage to 60s samurai movies, both in composition and movement and the high emotions and stoicism of the narrative and characters than it is just that Miike traveling back in time and shooting his with better quality film stock and slightly faster cutting here and there, but not too much. It's professionally made, but from the burning soul of an artist.

This is a blast for the jaded cinephile, and it manages to be a treat for those who are hardcore fans of Japanese samurai/Ronin swordplay films while also appealing to those who may be relative newcomers.

Fmovies: Not much to say except it is clear on every second of the screen there has been so much care and time put into it all. It becomes a satisfying emotionally-driven film by the end, and is no doubt worth your time.

The acting, direction, music, cinematography, and story are all working together to create a truly entertaining experience - and I don't know why someone wouldn't enjoy this film.

This review of Blade of the Immortal is spoiler free

**** (4/5)

Japanese VETERAN WRITER/DIRECTOR Takashi Miike is a busy man. Of course with 100 films to his name you don't expect him to take a break at some point. But as anyone will tell you if you have a dream to pursue or a record to break, then go for it. The latter may be what Miike is aiming to do here, at only 57 years-old who's to say he can't make another 100 features in his future years. To be fair, nobody would blame him.

His latest Blade of the Immortal he shows to have lost none of that signature madcap energy which made the frenetic action from Ichi the Killer and 13 Assassins. An adaptation of Hiroaki Samura's manga of the same name. We open with Manji (Takuya Kumira) a skilled samurai in a revenge battle after the death of his sister, after killing what seems to be an army of swordsmen he's brutally injured in comes a mysterious woman who gives him a terrible curse: Immortality. This, obviously, means he can never die, but this power comes with the ability to heal his wounds, yes, a bit like Wolverine. Though Manji doesn't heal by simply liquid adamantium running through his body, Miike's way to make him heal is more gruesome and more painful. With this curse and his skill with the sword he promises to help Hana Sugisaki's Rin, a girl who wants revenge after her parents are killed by Anotsu Kagehisa (Sôta Fukushi) the leader of a group of swordsmen.

Whereas 13 Assassins was more of a classical tale with samurai fighting behind a backdrop of ancient Japan, Blade of the Immortal is a bit more comical and could essentially be seen as the mutant child between 13 Assassins, Ichi the Killer and X-Men. Unlike the clawed mutant, Manji has to kill a thousand evil men in order to regain mortality. Let the sword fighting begin! Yet, again Miike keeps up his tradition of a rising body count, blood splattering all over the ground and limbs flying everywhere. And with a runtime of 2 hours and 20 minutes that's quite a lot of bodies, good luck counting them.

Indeed, Miike isn't shy to introduce new techniques during the swordfights, one particular standout is a woman wielding a kind of hand-held corn plough, and other than that standout he loses a point for lacking originality as most of the fight scenes including the long finale often feel repetitive. However what the film lacks in originality he gains the point back for the kinetic thrills and his characterization of the heroes and the villain, their performances are incredible. Despite the high body count, Blade of the Immortal is both extremely warm and funny and is perhaps one of his best films yet, it's big, it's bloody and it's brilliant. Congratulations, Miike on your centenary!

VERDICT Frenetic action meets healing powers Miike's 100th film is filled with more, madcap energy and more kinetic thrills than most Hollywood actioners.

Blade of the Immortal fmovies. It takes a lot to get me to leave a review (over 1000 titles rated, just 25 reviews). A film has to really be overrated OR on the other end of the spectrum. Blade of the Immortal is just that, an underrated film. Just to name some of the rare ones I felt an obligation to write about: V for Vendetta, Collateral Beauty, The Big Short, and Concussion.

Blade of the Immortal is an adaptation of a popular Japanese manga (comic) released in 1993. Having little familiarity with both the manga and TV adaptation, I will not give my opinion on how this compares. This is purely based on the way the story was told as well as the actors within.

This is a film with an outstanding cast. Takuya Kimura and Hana Sugisaki steal the show with performances that were beyond believable and packed to the brim with emotion.

Manji (Takuya Kimura) is a battle-hardened samurai who committed quite heinous crimes in a past life. A mysterious 800-year-old nun introduces a bloodworm into his body which will regerate/heal any damaged part of his body, thereby being cursed with immortality. In order to be freed from this eternal life, he has vowed to kill 1000 evil men.

Manji crosses paths with a young girl named Asano Rin (Hana Sugisaki) whose parents were murdered in front of her by a gang of elite fighters. He promises to help her avenge their death.

This film has both incredible choreographed fight scenes as well as great cinematography. I hadn't heard about it prior to viewing this and was quite taken aback. In all honesty, by having no background information of the movie I was able to truly enjoy this one. It's been hard these last few years to find new films that blow me away. Blade of the Immortal is one such film. Do yourself a favor and go watch it. Well worth the time.

Having read the manga for close to 20 years. The live adaptation of the film is a fulfillment to witness. As a fan of the original, I have preconceived notions as to how the characters behaved and voiced in between panels.

Therefore the performances for bringing Manji, Rin, Anotsu and all the other casts to life were satisfactory. Compressing 30 volumes into film, means that there were major trimmings made in order to fit this medium. Most notably are the back stories and developments for all characters depicted. Some characters in film are relegated to cameos, while others lack the motivational complexity of their respective arc that were spanned across the years. And yet, I still found myself intrigued by the story presented to me here on film.

The actions are brutal. Not as gory as how I would like it to be though. The original format was way more gorier in certain aspects. But I can understand why it was needed to be toned down for live adaptation.

If one is into cinematography, feudal Edo era, a story of revenge, filled with action sequences of samurai swordplay - this is a film that I would recommend. It fulfills on all those aspects. It had heartfelt moments and dashes of fun sprinkled perfectly into its pacing.

However if one is into enriching character developments, motivations for all their arcs and more; I would suggest to visit the original manga instead.

Overall, it is still a very remarkable effort from everyone involved.

The most anticipated film for me for 2017. As a film writer, I look out for the quality of script and production. After watching the film 7 times in Tokyo, I can say the film's production was world-class. Cinematography, film editing, sound design, sound editing, production set design, costume design, hair and makeup, music are other aspects to die for. Miike had done an excellent directing job on the cast, especially its leading role, Manji (Takuya Kimura). Miike had successfully brought the best out of Kimura, shedding his KimuTaku's branding. In the film, Kimura portrayed Manji through and through. I almost forgot I was watching an idol actor who used to characterize squeaky-clean images in TV dramas. The role was so deep that you believed it was Manji's story and his immortal life that you really care about. Of course, the film will not be complete without the fine acting skills from co-stars. Hana Sugisaki, Sota Fukushi and Erika Toda had put on their ultimate to-die-for performance. The fighting scenes were artistically choreographed. The sound of swords clanging made your heart beat in sync with its rhythm. The script was well paced. There were moments of thrilling fights and there were moments of quietness. Lighting played a key role here in telling the story effectively. The cinematography told another story on its own. Every frame was a postcard. In my opinion, it was a successful adaption from the manga. What a great way to celebrate Miike's 100th film.