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When Samurai films are done well, they can offer genre fans the most complete, immersive and blood soaked spectacle ever. With that I give you Well Go USA’s Samurai Fury which delivers on pretty much all fronts with sensational battle action design and human grounded characters making this Japanese import a solid entry in a genre that has been shelling out sword slinging carnage for decades. In short…it’s a banger.
Samurai Fury, helmed with intensity and ferrocenes by Irie Yu, deals with a lone warrior who travels the almost apocalyptic wasteland of Feudal Japan that is lying in waste from famine and plague during the 15th century when the samurai reigned supreme. To make matters worse, the stalwart Shogun of this period is steadfast in doing absolutely nothing to quench the problems of the land leading to the inevitable confrontation between those looking for redemption and vengeance and those looking to live off the suffering of others. The main sword wielding expert of this film is Hasuda Hyoe (Ôizumi Yô of I Am A Hero) and to add fuel to the aggression and hostility, Hyoe must confront his onetime friend named Honekawa Doken (the iconic Shin’ichi Tsutsumi of Why Don’t You Play in Hell?) forcing the two on a cataclysmic confrontation where only one or none will walk away from.
In terms of what is best with this Samurai entry, Ôizumi Yô porbably delivers one of the finest performances in an action film this year as the stalwart Hasuda and he takes command of the film every time he is on screen delivering an unapologetic bravado and ferocity while at the same time showcasing empathy and emotion. Hasuda is simply put a bad ass and when the action hits, he takes over with some of the best sword action choreography that fans will see this year.
Hasuda is the quintessential Ronin who wanders the wasteland masterless and when he encounters a younger warrior in who prolific in Bo fighting, he takes it upon himself to deliver the youngster to his master who trains him to be more of a lethal killing machine who, after a year of honing his skills, joins Hasuda on his journey to make things right and make those suffer for destroying the land and the people.
For those expecting a full-on battle royale from beginning to end will surely be disappointed as Samurai Fury spends the first half establishing plot and characters making the audience care about the good guys so when the eventual war happens, we care when those fall to the sword. While the beginning and middle takes its time a little, there is still enough action sequences and training scenes to keep the flow going and when the finale hits, it hits with the savagery of a Samurai sword slicing through limbs and heads. It’s a full-on spectacle of blood, brutality and expertly choreographed sword fights that will satisfy the bloodlust of its targeted audience.
Characters and action aside, the movie also looks gorgeous with lavish landscapes and breathtaking cinematography that only enhances what everyone came to see. I will say one thing about Japanese films; they sure know how to crush it when it comes to making the scenery its own character. Cinematographer Ryô Ohtsuka certainly pays homage to Kurosawa and paints a massive canvas of scope and scale.
What separates Samurai Fury from other flicks of this kind is that time and care is spent in developing the tragic relationship of the film’s primary protagonist and subsequent antagonist in Hyoe and Doken. This is truly a tragic tale as these two elite soldiers were once friends but are now divided due to the politics and ideas leading to the finale and an ending that can only finalize in one way. What also makes the two leads stand out is that even though they are firmly an opposite sides, they still respect one another, and, in a way, the viewer will hope that there might be a much-warranted reconciliation when all is said and done. This only heightens the violence and action and gives the adrenaline-fueled moments meaning. It’s definitely not action for action’s sake.
I mentioned before that most of the bloodletting is reserved for the climax and wow does it deliver. The final battle is jaw dropping and extreme in its execution and even though there is a lot going on, audiences will still savor in the bloody eye candy on screen. The ultimate confrontation is massive in scope and the lightning paced moves and design is a definite cut above what has come in the past. The battle essentially takes up almost the last hour of the film and it feels like a limb severing marathon in the best way possible giving even the most hardcore and jaded of fans exactly what they are looking for. There is also a healthy and heavy helping of glorious dramatic reverence that only seeks to enhance the barbaric nature of the war at hand.
Overall, it’s once again time to polish off those lavish swords to a fine sheen and get ready to take on an army with blood-soaked bravado as Well Go USA has unleashed another banger of epic historical scale and top tier Samurai action. Samurai Fury is filled with enough body limb ripping and ferocious action design and is successful in throwing it back to the heyday of Samurai flicks that flooded cable and video store shelves back when these movies flooded the market trying to meet the outrageous demand from a rabid fanbase.
Adapted from the award-winning novel Muromachi Burai by Ryosuke Kakine, director Irie Yu has crafted a thoughtful, sympathetic story laced with the most savage of action sequences. Stars Oizumo Yo and Tsutsumi Shinichi are perfect in their roles and lend a much-needed degree of gravitas that brings this film to the top of the mountain. A much-deserved entry in a lavish and historic subgenre that only looks like it’s getting better with age.
VERDICT: 4 Out of 5 Stars
Samurai Fury debuts on Digital October 7th, and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD October 28 from Well Go USA Entertainment!
