Bushido Man

I watched Bushido Man with low expectations and boy, was I pleasantly surprised. This is an original film - particularly in its use of camera - it explores the action through low shot-high shot, avoids camera shake, close ups, and jump cuts, and instead actually compliments and augments what are excellent fights really well.

The plot, a pupil returns to his master to tell of his his 8 fights to master all fighting styles, is set firmly in modern Japan - each fight takes place near a city and each fight is preceded by a meal that helps our hero understand his enemy.

There are strong comedy aspects throughout in common with many martial arts, but the fights are well choreographed.

All in all if you are a fan of martial arts films this is a treat - it is not an expensive historical drama it is rather a simple tale, very well made, with surprises, laughs, and ironic twists, this is one that is a rare beast: a low budget martial arts' art film.

As an homage film, this tongue-in-cheek action comedy totally works. I looooove the ode to Zatoichi. I thought the fight with the blind swordsman was the best in the film. My second favorite fight was the yakuza battle. It started out as something kind of silly and then took on a whole new direction for me. I loved it! I love the surprise ending, too. Absolutely fantastic. You have to see it. The master totally channels Dan Inosanto in one scene.

What lost points for me was the ridiculousness of the gunfighter and Millie, the girl with the guns. I would've loved to see something like a Shaolin priest with a three-sectioned staff instead. An ode to Master Killer, perhaps.

Stylized and choreographed fight scenes with a lot of focus on moves and counter moves.

Intertwined with humor both within and outside of fights.

Storytelling enabling active participation by puzzle solving, connecting meta humor and reacting to unexpected and surprising turns of plot and theme.

Sound and music connected to what is on display and its implications.

Delicous presentations and talks about food.

Choreographed challenges.

Refreshing.

The movie is very amusing to watch. Many people are obsessed with the ending. The reason for it may be that they haven't watched the true ending. After the first ending credits starts and after a minute or less they reveal the real ending. So watch out to not miss that.

This is the movie that got me hooked into Japanese action flicks, and cemented my interest in Japanese movies. It features quick, and graceful movements found in Chinese action, combined with humor. The movie effortlessly combines great choreographed fights, with mouth-watering scenes of food, and absurd (spoiler alert: the fight with a nunchunku torn from a minor character's arm for example). One of the most interesting scenario is the fist vs gunfight. In fact, every fight is brilliant in its own right, and has a lesson attached to it. Whatever its weaknesses, it is not necessarily a glamorization of violence, but a true martial arts movie (with its quirks).