Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (Japan - 2005)
Director: Shimoyama Ten
Cast: Joe Odagiri, Nakama Yukie, Tomokawa Kurotani, Shun Ito, Tak Sakaguchi
I have extremely high hopes for this ninja epic. This could even be something equal to Azumi. The film stars Joe Odagiri, who played Bijomaru in Azumi. I’m a bit surprised to see him in a ninja movie again, because last time (when filming Azumi) he said he doesn’t really care about the action scenes. He is more interested in serious acting. However, I thought he did pretty good job in Azumi in terms of action. And he’s acting was great. That’s why I’m so happy to see him in Shinobi. The female lead is played by the beautiful Nakama Yukie (G@me).
Official Site: http://www.shinobi-movie.com/index2.html
Review: <LINK_TEXT text=“http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/get … 0930a3.htm”>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?ff20050930a3.htm</LINK_TEXT>
[color=red]dvd topic: http://www.tarantino.info/forum/index.php?topic=5270.0
I watched this movie yesterday… twice… in a row. Why twice? Because after the first viewing I was slightly disappointed. The film looks and sounds fantastic, but it didn’t have much to offer in terms of action. I kept waiting for a big swordfight showdown, but it never came. Just lots of cqi assisted action scenes with not much “real” fighting. I still loved everything else. The visuals were beautiful, the soundtrack was excellent and the actors were good (though maybe not in thems of acting). On the second viewing I knew not to expect so much from the action scenes, and suddenly the whole film (including the action scenes) turned into one wild, kick ass ride. It’s nothing more than big budjet mainstream entertainment, but it works like a dream. So, lower your expectations and get ready for a big, dumb and fucking entertaing popcorn flick. This movie rules. 8/10
If you’re saying it’s similar to Azumi, you have just made me lose ALL interest. I thought Azumi was the most over-polished film I’ve seen in a long time. Maybe it’s just me not liking that type of samurai film.
I think I might still give this a go though
I’ve heard many people saying Shinobi succeeds in what Azumi failed. Personally I don’t think so. Shinobi is great entertainment, but Azumi was superior in every way. Shinobi is more fast paced and unfortunately more cgi filled.
“Universal Pictures has acquired remake rights to the 2005 Japanese action hit “Shinobi” from Shochiku and set Max Makowski to write the script and direct.
Redo is a co-production of Circle of Confusion and Spitfire Pictures.
The Hong Kong-based Makowski first popped onto the radar when his Asian gangster pic “One Last Dance” premiered at Sundance last year. Since then, he has made a deal to develop a drama based on an idea he devised at Paramount with producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura; Dave Callaham is writing.
Makowski will begin scripting the “Shinobi” remake immediately in hopes it can begin production early next year. While the original pitted two rival ninja clans against each when members from each fall in love, Makowski is modernizing the Romeo and Juliet premise and resetting it in Hong Kong. There, the victor of a 160-year-old feud between two multinational security forces is being decided, with a love affair complicating matters. Makowski will infuse the film with elements from Asian gangster and ninja genres.
Pic will be produced by David Alpert, David Engel, Rick Jacobs, Nigel Sinclair, Guy East and Tobin Armbrust. If the film shoots in Asia as planned, Makowski’s company Film Orient will be involved.”
This is an alright movie, but i hated all the futuristic bullshit and cgi. For instance the costumes, the guy that can almost not die and the guy that can steal peoples faces. What bugged me the most though were the fight scenes, it would have been a million times better with regular fighting not cgi.
But i do agree that the visuals were great and i did enjoy the fight when all the ninjas attacked the male lead, although it was a bit cheesy. I have a feeling that ill enjoy this more on 2cd viewing.
[quote="KÅ
[quote=“Angel”]
The film is about Shinobi. I don’t know what you are talking about when you say futuristic bullshit. Those kind of powers that the characters had are major aspects of the representation of Shinobi in fiction. It’s not dissimilar to Wuxia where Shen gong powers range from lightning bolts from a character’s hands to the ability to fly (often it is simply leaping long distances in mainland films). Also like Wuxia, the powers are represented as powers that in a certain time with proper training one was able to acquire, but are now lost. For example, the ingestion of small amounts of poison over a long period of time to create the poisonous woman in Shinobi. That’s a similar idea to being able to focus chi to certain parts of the body or to the skin to develop impenetrable or nearly impenetrable skin.
[/quote]
Well if i knew that then i probly wouldnt have said futuristic bullshit and may have enjoyed it more. Thanks for the insight.