646f9e108c Fifth film in the Lone Wolf &amp; Cub Series. 5 warriors challenge Ogami to duels. Each has 1/5th of Ogami&#39;s assassin fee and 1/5 of the information he needs to complete his assassination. His mission is to kill a mad Daimyo before he destroys his clan! Five warriors challenge Ogami to duels. Each holds a part of information needed to complete the assassination of a mad clan leader. The fifth film in the Lone Wolf and Cub series takes a decidedly bleak and harsh turn, with Ogami (the formidable Tomisaburo Wakayama in fine form) accepting a thankless assignment in which he must kill a dangerous monk carrying a letter that could bring about the destruction of an entire clan. Moreover, Ogami must confront and defeat five warriors who all contain both payment and information that&#39;s vital to Ogami&#39;s mission. <br/><br/>Director Kenji Misumi relates the complex and compelling story at a steady pace, maintains a tough tone throughout, and stages the exciting swordfights with flair and skill. While this movie does deliver the expected copious amounts of graphic blood-spurting carnage, it&#39;s the potent and powerful themes of honor, loyalty, and betrayal which give this picture an extra poignant and provocative edge. Moreover, a nice subplot has Ogami&#39;s son Daigoro (adorable Akihiro Tomikawa) being set up by a notorious pickpocket Quick Change Oyo (well played by the fetching Tomomi Sato). The downbeat ending packs a devastating punch. Dark and despairing, this film rates highlyone of the crowning achievements in the whole series. These movies were infamous for their incredibly brutal and bloody swordplay sequences, but equally impressive IMHO was the leading actor- Tomisaburo Wakayama a.k.a. &quot;Lone Wolf&quot; was surely the greatest martial arts star ever. The command and authority with which he wielded a sword (and other weapons) was just phenomenal. The blade truly was an extension of himself, and his use of it was the definition of lethal, with none of the unnecessary/show-off flourishes so desperately thrown about by today&#39;s wannabes. He had incredible presence and charisma- easily on a par with the likes of say Eastwood or Bronson- with eyes that reflected pure death, and the desolation in his soul. There were moments in the &quot;Babycart&quot; series where you&#39;d swear he was the personification of his namesake, the Wolf. You never doubted for one second that he WAS shogun executioner, masterless samurai, assassin for hire. One look at him in action, and you could readily understand why his enemies trembled at the mention of his name, and ran from him in sheer terror. Alas, Lone Wolf is one with void now, but his legend will live on forever in these films.<br/><br/> Forget Toshiro Mifune. Forget Takakura Ken. Forget Sonny Chiba. Forget Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, and any of those wire-reliant ballet dancers from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. And CERTAINLY forget any American martial artists that you could care to name. Tomisaburo Wakayama was, is, and forever shall be, THE MAN!
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