The Tale of Zatoichi Continues Medium: Film
Director: Kazuo Mori
Country: Japan
Released: 1962
First Consumed: April 6, 2012
Format: Hulu Streaming (via PS3)
Rating: 7.5
Zatoichi Continues picks up a year after the first film. Zatoichi is on his way back to the town where he reluctantly killed his ronin friend.. He stops in another town to give a lord a massage and inadvertently discovers the secret that he is gay (or "mentally unstable"). His minions are sent to kill him. Back in the other town, the yakuza boss is after him and Tane is still on love with him. Then a one-armed man revealed to be Zatoichi's brother shows up looking to kill him too.
At a brisk 72 minutes, this film is much tighter in pace than the first. It also features more action in the form of a couple breathtaking sword fights. But we still have plenty of time for Zatoichi to wallow in his regret of killing the ronin.
This second film is very good, but not quite up to par with the first. I could have used the extra 20 minutes to hang out with Zatoichi. If there is one thing this lacked, I'd say its the wonderful, intangible charm that The Tale of Zatoichi just oozed so effortlessly.
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