A typically intense – not to mention insane – example of a Japanese B-movie, that actually feels like an EPIC thanks to its non-stop action, carnage, chaos, and plenty more besides. The plot is one of those simplistic one sentence ideas you can just imagine some powerful executive in an office had "let's see a war fought between samurai soldiers and modern army officers!". The execution is splendid, gory, violent, and everything else that you could hope for. The time slip itself is hilarious, a plethora of cheap flashing lights and plenty other weirdness which set the time of production firmly within the 1970s.
Once the action starts to beef up it doesn't let up at all, right until the climax. The last thirty-forty minutes depicts a war between modern and ancient soldiers and is as gratuitous, exciting and adrenaline-pumping as you could ever hope for. Top-notch choreography by martial arts legend Sonny Chiba and some outstanding makeup effects/costumes help add to the realism. Hard man hero Chiba also stars as Iba, the tough, power-hungry lieutenant who leads the modern day army, and his acting skills are as good as ever. I love the scene where he turns into a hard-ass at the end of the film, riding horses and kicking backside all over the shop. It's one of his best performance and I would put this up there with THE STREET FIGHTER as his two best movies. "Don't cry – fight!" is one of the many classic lines he gets to deliver at the film progresses.
Those of a squeamish disposition note, this film is full of gory bullet hits and some damned explicit decapitations which seem to come out of nowhere! Gotta love those arrow hits, though, which are truly hilarious. Anyone who has seen a '70s Japanese samurai film will know the level of violence to expect from this one. The war itself is the best part of the film, a truly frenetic and often horrific experience showing the true terrors of warfare; the action and death is often enhanced by an experimental soundtrack in which moments of dead silence add to the viewing experience. Animal-lovers would also be well advised to look elsewhere as the film has dozens of violent horse falls, where the horse's legs are yanked out with wire leaving the horses crippled and likely to be sent to the knacker's yard. No wonder this was extensively cut – in an extremely bizarre way – for its 18 certificate UK release. Cut or not, this is an outrageous and dramatic movie which despite being downbeat offers up an amazing good time. Check it out!
NB: Since I wrote this review, I've bought the DVD under the better title, G. I. SAMURAI. Seen in a widescreen print, with an extra thirty minutes added to the proceedings, I'm now convinced this is a masterpiece which belies its B-movie budget. The cost of kitting out the hundreds of Samurai warriors must have been huge and the authenticity is spot on throughout. The opening time-slip isn't too bad and in fact is the only moment in the whole film that the thing feels cheesy. Elsewhere the viewer runs the gamut of emotions from A-Z, from happiness, and outlandish joy, through to sadness, and downbeat misery. Suspense is top-notch throughout and great performances from an entire cast – especially the actor who plays the samurai commander ally. I love this film to bits.
Once the action starts to beef up it doesn't let up at all, right until the climax. The last thirty-forty minutes depicts a war between modern and ancient soldiers and is as gratuitous, exciting and adrenaline-pumping as you could ever hope for. Top-notch choreography by martial arts legend Sonny Chiba and some outstanding makeup effects/costumes help add to the realism. Hard man hero Chiba also stars as Iba, the tough, power-hungry lieutenant who leads the modern day army, and his acting skills are as good as ever. I love the scene where he turns into a hard-ass at the end of the film, riding horses and kicking backside all over the shop. It's one of his best performance and I would put this up there with THE STREET FIGHTER as his two best movies. "Don't cry – fight!" is one of the many classic lines he gets to deliver at the film progresses.
Those of a squeamish disposition note, this film is full of gory bullet hits and some damned explicit decapitations which seem to come out of nowhere! Gotta love those arrow hits, though, which are truly hilarious. Anyone who has seen a '70s Japanese samurai film will know the level of violence to expect from this one. The war itself is the best part of the film, a truly frenetic and often horrific experience showing the true terrors of warfare; the action and death is often enhanced by an experimental soundtrack in which moments of dead silence add to the viewing experience. Animal-lovers would also be well advised to look elsewhere as the film has dozens of violent horse falls, where the horse's legs are yanked out with wire leaving the horses crippled and likely to be sent to the knacker's yard. No wonder this was extensively cut – in an extremely bizarre way – for its 18 certificate UK release. Cut or not, this is an outrageous and dramatic movie which despite being downbeat offers up an amazing good time. Check it out!
NB: Since I wrote this review, I've bought the DVD under the better title, G. I. SAMURAI. Seen in a widescreen print, with an extra thirty minutes added to the proceedings, I'm now convinced this is a masterpiece which belies its B-movie budget. The cost of kitting out the hundreds of Samurai warriors must have been huge and the authenticity is spot on throughout. The opening time-slip isn't too bad and in fact is the only moment in the whole film that the thing feels cheesy. Elsewhere the viewer runs the gamut of emotions from A-Z, from happiness, and outlandish joy, through to sadness, and downbeat misery. Suspense is top-notch throughout and great performances from an entire cast – especially the actor who plays the samurai commander ally. I love this film to bits.