Review of Zatoichi (2003) by Jamesm — 11 Dec 2005

Takeshi Kitano's masterpiece. You must see this film.

This review of Zatoichi (2003) was written by Jamesm on 11 Dec 2005.

Zatoichi has generally received positive reviews.

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More Reviews of Zatoichi

Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By Lawrence Toppman (1,654) for Charlotte Observer (1,670) on 09 Jan 2012

I never did sort out the gangsters fighting for control of a 19th-century town, nor did I figure out exactly what happened to the main henchman…

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By Marc Mohan (821) for Portland Oregonian (2,019) on 26 Oct 2006

What really separates Zatoichi from a run-of-the-mill action pic is the sense of humor -- and even more than that, the sense of fun -- that…

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Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By Rene Rodriguez (1,781) for Miami Herald (3,319) on 15 Mar 2016

Because Kitano also wrote and directed the movie, Zatoichi also features all kinds of beguiling, if admittedly bizarre, subplots and forays…

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Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By J. Hoberman (756) for Village Voice (8,525) on 10 Apr 2015

A reasonably good Kurosawa pastiche…

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Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By Sean Axmaker (1,564) for Seattle Post-Intelligencer (2,422) on 28 Sep 2012

More reinvention than remake, this black-humored, blood-soaked adventure is a colorful if impersonal audience pleaser done up in a showy, fluid…

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Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By Roger Ebert (5,190) for Chicago Sun-Times (7,580) on 22 May 2008

The kind of film I more and more find myself seeking out, a film that seems alive in the sense that it appears to have free will; if, in the…

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Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By Michael Wilmington (1,474) for Chicago Tribune (6,211) on 28 Dec 2007

A masterpiece of wry violence and stylized mayhem, The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi turns loose one of Japan's most brilliant film auteurs, Takeshi…

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Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By Liam Lacey (1,725) for The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (4,018) on 06 Feb 2018

It feels like one long non-sequitur -- like closing a Charles Bronson film with a disco medley -- but there's an emotional consistency to Kitano's…

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Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By Chris Barsanti (896) for Film Threat (5,156) on 05 Dec 2005

As entertaining and surprising as the film is, however, nothing can prepare one for its rousing final fight scenes…

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Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By Riren (58) on 30 Jan 2007

An unflinching revival of the Zatoichi series, this movie requires no knowledge of prior films, or even Japanese film history - though every…

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