After Stray Cat Rock and the Female Prisoner Scorpion trilogy (all reviewed) I was happy to find that the first Lady Snowblood (also reviewed) matched all the thrills from the other two Meiko Kaji franchises. Finding her eye-catching the first time,I stepped in the snow again for a second meeting with Snowblood.
View on the film:
Continuing the standard set with the first, Arrow present a wonderful transfer,featuring a picture quality pure as the driven snowblood and a clean soundtrack.
Having the easy option presented to them of just doing a re-run of the original, the screenplay by Kiyohide Ohara/ Norio Osada and the returning Kazuo Kamimura take the welcomed option of drawing swords from a different direction in their adaptation of Kazuo Koike's Manga, this time clashing to political skulduggery.
Out for her own revenge the first time, the writers build tension on this return by placing Snowblood in the middle of the battle between head of secret police Kikuib and enemy of the state rebel Tokunaga,who brings out a great alteration in the mind-set of Snowblood, thanks to her initial mission to spy on Tokunaga, becoming laced with doubt as she learns who Tokunaga (and the ruthless Kikuib really are.)
Displaying some signs of having been over-ambitious on a limited budget, returning director Toshiya Fujita reunites with cinematographer Tatsuo Suzuki, and fills in on the political battles of the era with drawings and a narration, both of which feel misplaced within the sparkling visuals the rest of the movie is filled with.
Building upon the action in part 1,Fujita & Suzuki true showmanship in the thrilling Pinky Violence Action set-pieces,expanded here to graceful wide tracking shots catching each move from Snowblood, and landing into hyper-stylised first person sword fights (!) jabbed with the spray of red mist scattered across the screen. Entering undercover as a spy, Fujita brings Snowblood onto Tokunaga's side with excellent long panning shots into the hidden surroundings of Tokunaga's life.
Coming back in a blaze of glory,Meiko Kaji gives a exciting performance as Snowblood, whose shoulders Kaji has this time weighed down with the desire of wanting to help the needs of others for the love song of vengeance.
View on the film:
Continuing the standard set with the first, Arrow present a wonderful transfer,featuring a picture quality pure as the driven snowblood and a clean soundtrack.
Having the easy option presented to them of just doing a re-run of the original, the screenplay by Kiyohide Ohara/ Norio Osada and the returning Kazuo Kamimura take the welcomed option of drawing swords from a different direction in their adaptation of Kazuo Koike's Manga, this time clashing to political skulduggery.
Out for her own revenge the first time, the writers build tension on this return by placing Snowblood in the middle of the battle between head of secret police Kikuib and enemy of the state rebel Tokunaga,who brings out a great alteration in the mind-set of Snowblood, thanks to her initial mission to spy on Tokunaga, becoming laced with doubt as she learns who Tokunaga (and the ruthless Kikuib really are.)
Displaying some signs of having been over-ambitious on a limited budget, returning director Toshiya Fujita reunites with cinematographer Tatsuo Suzuki, and fills in on the political battles of the era with drawings and a narration, both of which feel misplaced within the sparkling visuals the rest of the movie is filled with.
Building upon the action in part 1,Fujita & Suzuki true showmanship in the thrilling Pinky Violence Action set-pieces,expanded here to graceful wide tracking shots catching each move from Snowblood, and landing into hyper-stylised first person sword fights (!) jabbed with the spray of red mist scattered across the screen. Entering undercover as a spy, Fujita brings Snowblood onto Tokunaga's side with excellent long panning shots into the hidden surroundings of Tokunaga's life.
Coming back in a blaze of glory,Meiko Kaji gives a exciting performance as Snowblood, whose shoulders Kaji has this time weighed down with the desire of wanting to help the needs of others for the love song of vengeance.