1972 continuation of "Lone Wolf and Cub" series (#4)Rating: 14/20
Plot: Itto is hired to kill a tattooed female assassin who is on a bit of a killing spree. While searching, he defends himself against the ever-present Yagyu clan and encounters a blast from his past, a guy who once beat him in a fight.
This had a different director, and although the story is one with lots of potential, the result is sort of a mess compared to the first three in the series. Positives include real peril (see title) for the title characters, lots of quick fight choreography, no slow moments at all, nudity (heck, the first shot has a waxy nip in it), cool characters, and terrific cinematography. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough character development, and the story with its side plots and twists doesn't really get a chance to gel. This is the only entry in the series so far that really could have used some stretching. It was entirely too jumpy. Real oddball of the series so far, too, with a guy who can light his sword on fire, the woman who exposes her breasts before killing people, blue ninja-looking guys, people with baskets on their heads, weird style choices, and tacky music. Enjoyable stuff, but my least favorite of the series. The final fight amongst the rocks was full of bloody goodness though with the final body count even higher than the ridiculous body count of the last entry.
Note: This is the only one of these I can't get at my library. I blame the nipples. The version I was able to download wasn't the best with one scene almost too dark to see and subtitles that didn't make much sense at all. That may have soured the experience.
The return of Samurai Friday!
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