Okay, now that’s something you can only solve with the “personal taste”-argument. For example, I could watch the end-fight in “Versus” more than once and it still would seem cool to me. In the “Ultimate Edition” this fight has been enhanced for about 2 Minutes: there are some great shots in there, where they both stick their swords into the ground and continue to fight each other with martial-arts. Then they pick up the swords again, but this time each one grabs the weapon of his opponent. They fight a little more, and then switch them in mid-fight and . . . continue to fight! 
With other movies I agree, you gotta have substance to make it a pleasurable viewing-experience, but Ryuhei Kitamura is the only guy in the business who can fuck around so much with my mind, and still get away with it. I just have a knack for him, you know, he’s special and thats why.
[quote=“diceman”]
I just have a knack for him, you know, he’s special and thats why. [/quote]
Yeah, I know that. 
Maybe I should check out that “Ultimate Edition”. I could watch it till the showdown kicks off, then go to the cinema, get something to eat from the local supermarket on my way back, eat, wash dishes, do my homework, and then watch the last thirty minutes of the showdown.
But for now… let´s get back to topic.
Just as quick note, saw this movie the other day and it was awesome! That girl is one serious killing machine!
I have to post my comments on this movie… It’s great! What else can you say??? I’ve seen it 4 times and i will not try to quess how much i’ve watched some scenes. It’s interesting to look at the backround events when you watch it many times. There are some nice thing you don’t necessarily see the first time you see the movie. It seems that everytime i watch it again i like it even more. And as i loved it from the first time i don’t know how many times i can survive watching it without dying…
Okay so this movie’s only just got round to being released here> Q: My friends arent too into Japenese films or Kung-fu fighting flicks (shame on them :o), so should I just check this movie out by myself, or is the movie diverse enough that they’d enjoy it?
[quote=“Jot”]
Okay so this movie’s only just got round to being released here> Q: My friends arent too into Japenese films or Kung-fu fighting flicks (shame on them :o), so should I just check this movie out by myself, or is the movie diverse enough that they’d enjoy it?
[/quote]
I think your frinds might like it. Some people have actually accused Azumi for being too mainstream (probably from japanese point of wiew). Azumi is a pretty simple kick ass action flick with humour, great soundtrack and lots of cool fight scenes. You don’t need to know the japanese culture or japanese movies in general to enjoy it.
Cheers, I’ll drag them along to it then 8)…the advertisment for it just looks so cool, I cant wait to check it out!
[quote=“clown”]
anyone knows what the budget was for azumi 1 and what the budget is for 2?
[/quote]
I watched Azumi ( with Hung Fist and Eke ), and yes, I enjoyed the film for what it was - a kick-to-the-bones sword-buster starring a very ( let me put some heat on the word VERY ) cute actress. Yeah - if I ruled the world, I would put a picture of Aya Ueto under the word “Cute” in every dictionary around the globe. Yet… Even with my grand words, I am nowhere as crazy as these afore-mentioned friends of mine. First of all, I don’t own a life-size poster of the girl ( I am not going to admit how much I’d like to, though! ), nor am I searching the net for every bit of information about the beautiful actress. I am just a normal guy having a normal crush - nothing more, nothing less.
It’s going to be in japanese theaters around March, so we won’t have to wait much longer for the DVD, I hope. I just hope, it will be as long as the first one and tightly packed with action and swordplay. I’m not sad, that Ryuhei Kitamura isn’t going to direct this, in fact, I find it a refreshing idea to see another filmmakers approach to the theme. But pleeeease don’t lose the adult audience, because japanese kids aren’t the only ones who like to watch Samurai-Chicks on a Rampage. ;D
AAAAHHHH!!! Please give us subs!!! I won’t survive this, otherwise.
[quote=“diceman”]
AAAAHHHH!!! Please give us subs!!! I won’t survive this, otherwise.
[/quote]
Believe me, I’m feeling even worse than you. And there’s still no news about the japanese release :’(
But I won’t buy a version with no subtitles either. I’d like to know what’s going on, and if it’s just Aya and Chiaki chatting about lipgloss. If the japanese version hasn’t got subtitles, either, that maybe a sign, that a western release will be coming. They did the same thing with “Cutie Honey”, and I’m still waiting. Warner-Brothers, get moving! “Godzilla - Final Wars” also will have a western release, so there’s no subs on the asian dvds. Bastards. But there’s another point for waiting a little longer: Remember, how every non-japanese release of “Azumi - Part 1” has been butchered for about 20 minutes? I don’t wanna own something like that, so I keep waiting.
There’s UK dvd release coming out 22/08/2005. But like diceman said, it may be cut. I also heard that the UK release for Azumi 1 was poor quality compared to the japanese release (which was excellent).
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Sweet!!!
Now let’s hope this isn’t a butchered version, but the original and the original only.
“Azumi 2” is perhaps one of my most anticipated movies this year, directly behind “Sin City”. And there’s already talk about a third part. Could become the greatest series of action-films in foreign movie-history.
Sweet indeed, unless if this means there’s no subs on jp disc. The japanese release will almost certainly be better quality than UK. But on the other hand, now we can be sure there will be a subbed version. 
I voted 4, but it´s more like 4,5 for me. I really dig this movie.
Hope to see Azumi 2 as soon as possible, although it is from an other director.