You would think that a movie that has more swordfighting than its prequel would be a little more interesting. Unfortunately, this sequel falls prey to issues that we still see today, in the department of pacing. Instead of good character moments, we get 20 minutes of trudging through a swamp while another character refuses to assist. By the end, it feels lousy and anticlimactic.
This movie isn't bad, and it isn't without great swordfight moments, but it feels like the same storyline 3 times in a row, with no changes. Of course, the same issues from the first film are present (overacting, boring/unsatisfying female presence, general soap opera qualities), but you'd think that a little more attention would be paid to the better elements here.
When it's time to draw swords, put the drama away. Yeah, we should see the other characters to lend weight and stakes to the battle. But don't stop the fight to have two characters on the sides have a conversation that doesn't change the story at all. These are issues we still see today, in movies like the modern Godzilla flicks (when the monsters come out, the people ought to disappear for us to watch the monsters).
By the end, I found myself hating all the females in the film. The lead, Otsu, was pretty good in the first. Her acting was the best of the women, and she was genuinely interesting. But this one she just blended into the operatic nonsense of it. The Geisha character was in the film for 10 seconds before having an overacted departure scene.
This film was the Star Wars 8 of samurai movies.
This movie isn't bad, and it isn't without great swordfight moments, but it feels like the same storyline 3 times in a row, with no changes. Of course, the same issues from the first film are present (overacting, boring/unsatisfying female presence, general soap opera qualities), but you'd think that a little more attention would be paid to the better elements here.
When it's time to draw swords, put the drama away. Yeah, we should see the other characters to lend weight and stakes to the battle. But don't stop the fight to have two characters on the sides have a conversation that doesn't change the story at all. These are issues we still see today, in movies like the modern Godzilla flicks (when the monsters come out, the people ought to disappear for us to watch the monsters).
By the end, I found myself hating all the females in the film. The lead, Otsu, was pretty good in the first. Her acting was the best of the women, and she was genuinely interesting. But this one she just blended into the operatic nonsense of it. The Geisha character was in the film for 10 seconds before having an overacted departure scene.
This film was the Star Wars 8 of samurai movies.