Review of The Princess Blade (2001) by Jy S — 25 Apr 2009

Shinsuke Sato struggles at creating a live action adaptation from the comic known as Shura Yukihime.The plot is weak and the pacing is pretty slow, which makes this 90 minute picture feel much longer. The first 15 minutes or so actually moves by fairly quickly, but the movie soon comes to a halt.

There is a side story that is happening with Hideaki Ito's character, however it almost feels like a waste of time, since it hardly has any connection between the main character's plot.The setting takes place in an apocalyptic future, but other than the initial introduction and very very few shots of the city, there is nothing to see.

Almost all of the film takes place in a rural setting with no other people, except for the characters themselves.Donnie Yen, while not in the movie, steps in to coordinate the action. Thank you Donnie.

The swordplay is fantastic, however it is too few. Other than the first 15 minutes, there is nothing much until 10 minutes near the ending. It is a shame, since the action is the highlight of the film.

There isn't much to the acting. It isn't necessarily bad, since EVERY character is bland and emotionless. It may be part of the story, but it makes for a real uneventful film.The Princess Blade is a disappointing live action adaptation.

Yes, the action is great, but it isn't enough to make this a worthwhile watch.