Zatoichi: The Last

Excited at first to see a new Ichi movie, I was very disappointed as the movie dragggggged on. Having seen I believe every movie in the series, and some of the TV shows from the 70's, I can say with some validity that this movie has very little in common with any of them. Character name and cane sword, yes, but that's about it. The humanity, pathos and occasional comic touch, as played by Katsu (the original Zatoichi) is almost totally absent.

The script and plot are very hard to follow (and this from an avid follower of Japanese films). If you're not familiar with the feudal Japan of a few hundred years ago, and the role played by the yakuza there, you'll be totally lost. The movie is probably at least 30 minutes too long, with many scenes screaming for a less self-indulgent director/editor. I found myself frequently hitting fast-forward to shorten lengthy scenes of just walking, sitting, etc.

To top it off, Zatoichi films have at their core the singular hook of a blind swordsman prevailing against multiple foes. Unfortunately, the swordplay is very weak, and not staged very well. The actor playing Ichi looks as if he spent a few weeks learning iaido for the first time. Katsu's Ichi was heroic and larger-than-life, and there's just never a sense of that essential quality in this movie.

Finally, without giving anything away, I will just say the ending is arguably the worst ending I have seen in many decades. Watch ANY other of the dozens of Zatoichi movies, or the 100+ movie-quality TV episodes, and you'll be much happier.

I don't understand what "The Last" stands for in this movie's title. Maybe its predicting that this is the very last Zatoichi movie that will be made ? Who knows, but it's unlikely that this would be the last time popular character of Zatoichi will ever appear on screen.

Shingo Katori's version of Ichi lacks the creepiness of Shintaro Katsu, and Takeshi Kitano's version, but has much more modern looks and feel to it. Consequently, he appears too nice, and couldn't infuse enough menacing character to the role. The fault in my opinion is not with Katori, but the casting director who've cast Katori for this role. Katori is a good actor, but his strength is in more modern roles, or if he was 10 years older, he would have looked more the part.

The story wasn't so intriguing either. It didn't have to be a Zatoichi's movie to tell this story. The grittiness of the original is missing, and lacks the feeling of the downtrodden in the society. The transformance from the downtrodden to the super swordsman of usual Zatoichi movie is also lacking. What's too many of in this movie is senseless thrashing of people by the bad guys..

So while acceptable, the movie turned out to be mediocre in many ways, and can only be recommended for viewing by a die hard Zatoichi fans.

I am a huge fan of the original Zatoichi movies, played by the late great Shintaro Katsu. Anyone who is familiar with his take on Zatoichi, will remember the wandering masseuse with a penchant for gambling, and cutting down hordes of opponents with his lightning fast cane sword. Katsu's Zatoichi was boisterous, funny, lonely but possessing a big heart, always willing to stand up for the little guy.

This movie is a very different take from the Zatoichi that most of us are familiar with. Shingo Katori plays him as a family man, with a wife, a home and community to go back to. He is still standing up for oppressed victims, still able to fight against incredible odds. The big difference there is a lack of humor or swagger, not as many fight scenes, mostly a depressing story. The plot is a bit confusing as times, whereas in the original series and movies, the story was simple and straightforward, with clear villains and victims, and a clear path to resolution of conflicts (by killing all of the guilty parties).

I have enjoyed the other Zatoichi films (2003 Takeshi Kitano's version, and the 2008 Ichi female rip-off) for they were similar to the old movies (at least in spirit) but I felt that this movie had taken the series into a more dramatic and serious path, much different than from the lighter and flashier type that most of us are used to and comfortable with. Do not watch this movie if you are expecting the same chanbara of the old Zatoichi films. But if you don't mind a more grown-up and realistic version, then give it a shot.

I can't imagine why this film was made ,if your a fan of the early Zotochi's from the 60's or the brilliant film made in the early 2000's it's actually flabbergastingly bad .No plot no story no fun no nothing I was warned but didn't listen so I'm warning you give it a miss you'll regret nothing

The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (2003), where the leading role has Takeshi Kitano is everything which this movie isn't. It has an interesting story, we can enjoy more than impressive scene of the samurai sword fighting, every move is so precise, so 'Zen', so awesome. We follow three stories at the same time and they 'melt' into one, because the people in them meet each other, their life paths meet each other. This movie has everything: humor, fighting scenes, drama, crime, justice..., a complete movie. You can really laugh, you can really relate to every character and find the reason 'why' for she or he, every character is so greatly founded.

But the sequel, 'The last', is everything but not above mentioned. A very weak story, a weak characterization, there is nothing in Ichi's swordsmanship, he is so clumsy, that even the final fight is like a big joke. It is not even a the worst copy of the final scene from the last part from 2003. We can't feel the pain of Zatoichi, when his woman is dead, he uses his sword as it is the stick for killing flies. I don't even to bother what the director or the screen writer wanted to convey, because the movie didn't say anything. No drama, no humor, it is very boring story, dark, and very risky thing to make a sequel,a 'different' story after so great movie in 2003. I don't know what you are going to do and think, but me, after a big expectation to see more Zatoichi, because it is one of my favorite movies, I saw nothing.I tossed my copy and I am going to see Takeshi Kitano and this is the only Zatoichi for me. I know that there are tons of movies about Zatoichi even before Kitano, but I am sure that nobody can't top the 2003. version.