Owls' Castle

I bought this expecting a cheesy excuse to see acrobats in black pajamas fight one another, it's a guilty pleasure, but its one I've had since youth - and I'm entitled to nostalgia as much as any other grown man who still says the original Star Wars trilogy are the best films of all time. Upon watching this film, i became increasingly delighted to find that this is a drama that involves characters that are ninja in feudal Japan, and what a great job they did in producing this. First off, the Director really made this film... every shot is perfect, placed together perfectly and really lets you seep into a believable ancient Japanese atmosphere. The script and story is also top notch with highly involved character development that takes it time to entangle all the players in the same drama and at the same time offer a multiplicity of perspective. All the characters are human, they all have their outlooks and goals concerned in the story, and they all add a little bit of a philosophy to the mix. That being said, there is a lot of dialog, but it always keeps it's focus instead of trailing off and losing context. The acting too, is top notch. Everyone brings something fresh and diverse, and colors their performance with so many emotions and situations. This film focuses on its realism, on putting you there, on letting you know and travel with the characters and the acting is one of the sturdy legs that this formula stands on. I can't help but be reminded of Kurosawa throughout this epic, and for anyone familiar with him... it is a high compliment.

All in all, this is a great film. But it is not a martial arts film, it is a drama thats focus is on story and realism. If you are into good film, and not just 'Revenge of the Ninja' style cheese, then i highly recommend this film. It might be hard to get your hands on here in the states, but if you can find it on e-bay or whatever - got for it.

And it had so much potential. Fukuro no shiro aka Owl's Castle had the budget and story to be a Japanese epic that might have ranked with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. As it is, it fails to even match the Chinese masterpiece, The Emperor and the Assassin. The first thing that grabs you is the beautiful photography and splendid costumes. A very good looking film. But the potentially stirring tale of a Ninja who seeks revenge against a warlord who destroyed his clan is ruined by needless complications including tedious political subtexts, as well as a hair pulling pace. The hero named Juzo underplays his role with too much restraint, thus making it difficult to get emotionally involved with his character. Also frustrating was the underplayed concept of a female Ninja who ultimately becomes the hero's love interest.

But nothing was as frustrating as the restraint placed upon the action. Here we have a tale in medieval Japan with feuding warlords and Ninja's, so you would think we might see some serious mind blowing sword play ala Hong Kong -- but it's as if the action was treated as a secondary consideration. There is some sword play, but the camera doesn't follow the action, as if we were watching the events unfold on a stage. And the final battle, which could have made everything else forgivable, fails to deliver. In the end, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is perhaps the finest example of a film that balances a sweeping drama with jaw dropping action. Too bad the same thing cannot be said of the potential masterpiece that is Fukuro no shiro.

Underrated and often unappreciated, but a hidden gem of recent Japanese cinema, starring the inimitable Kiichi Nakai - with a grasp for comedy and hamming up some moments; acting sublimely at others.

Patience and a better understanding of the period concerned (about to crossover from Nobunaga Oda into the Tokugawa/Edo period in the late 16th Century, when Japan was on the cusp of civil war) also go far.

While some of the background effects are not particularly convincing (the early attack on Iga, for instance, and the decapitated head that spits across the screen), most of the sets are appropriate backdrops for some often inspired dialogue and innuendos.

Musically, too, the movie rings true, opting for traditional instrumentation rather than the J-Pop sounds that have hallmarked a lot of other Japanese period pieces.

Andrez Bergen

Remake of the classic 1963 movie with almost same title, owls castle is a strong ninja story with great acting and choreography and excellent colors but with misplaced soundtrack.

A ruthless warlord, order to kill and wipeout all ninja clans, the way its done is very barbaric even children and wives are killed. But when his daughter dies of flew the warlord get weaker and dying. But that doesn't stop the remaining ninja Hanzo who seek revenge for his clan and mistress. He also meet Gohei a former ninja of the same Clan as Hanzo but despite their friendship he has left his beliefs and now serve as the warlords bodyguard.

Even though I don't like the soundtrack, it's a little too creepy sometimes and there is a shouting man soundtrack that takes you off the movie but despite that the movie is great, a perfect ninja movie a ninja lover should have in their collection. 10/10

As a prologue, ruler Oda Nobunaga, worried by the threat of independent Iga ninjas, orders the killing of everyone in Iga province. Ten years later, our hero leaves a life in hiding accept the difficult job of killing the current ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi for a client who prefers to remain anonymous (presumably the lord Tokugawa Ieyasu). He has to deal with two ninja trained love interests and must fight off an Iga ninja who is trying to advance by becoming a retainer to a powerful lord and well as a band of Koga ninja's.

Ninja picture fans will be unhappy because most of the fighting and killing is offscreen. The plot can be hard to follow in places. The history is bogus and there seems to be too much of it. Less philosophy would have been better too.

Wonderful costumes, especially the mixture of Japanese and Western dress worn by the entertainers and the rich of the time. Some nice sets, such as the entertainment district on the Kyoto riverbank.