Samurai Warrior   Starring: Yuma Ishigaki, Suzunosuke, Kengo Oguchi, Sorami Iguchi and Hidekazu Ichise MVM RRP: £15.99 MLA2016 Certificate: 12 Available 27 February 2012

During the warring states period of civil unrest in Japan, even children dream of becoming warriors. Three friends Ryu, Gon and Yonesuke, tired of their monotonous rural lives, practice with wooden staves, even going so far as to engage with some of the smaller threats to their village. When a real Samurai arrives he teaches them the true way of the warrior...

Samurai Warrior (2010 - 1 hr, 05 min, 27 sec) is a film vignette directed by Kenichrio Nishiumi and written by Masao Iketani, another in the series of short films set in Japan's civil war period. Shot with a digital camera, with naturalistic light, it’s another cheap and cheerful Samurai flick for a relatively undiscerning audience.

Kenichrio Nishiumi made his filmic bones as an assistant director to Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition), so he is not exactly a novice at film making and although the film looks decidedly cheap, it does contain a certain amount of directorial flair, as the film blends in a little romance and humour to the generic Samurai plot.

The film stars Yuma Ishigaki (13 Assassins) and Suzunosuke (Crows Zero 1 and II; Cyborg Girl). The acting, like the film quality, has a guerrilla quality about it. These movies are shot quickly on miniscule budgets and the final product reflects this. However, the relative low cost of the film means it’s a useful means for directors and fans who want the filmic equivalent of a convenience meal.

The film is presented with a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen picture and audio for Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Japanese, with English subtitles. The only extra on the disc is the Trailer (1 min 26 sec).

5

Charles Packer