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 Dana Stevens (1,435) for The New York Times (9,847) on 27 Jul 2016

Like many musicals, The Blind Swordsman works better in individual scenes than as a whole. Mr…

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Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By Stephen Hunter (927) for Washington Post (9,851) on 25 Nov 2006

The summer's most rousing action picture…

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Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By Chris Kaltenbach (562) for Baltimore Sun (1,823) on 06 Jul 2014

It's a top-notch action film, albeit on the bloody side, complete with decisive action, mysterious characters and a nobility and sense of purpose…

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Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By Keith Phipps (1,177) for The A.V. Club (5,644) on 27 Jun 2013

Like Ang Lee's Hulk, it's a fusion of arthouse and multiplex instincts, and though it seems unlikely to satisfy anyone, it's just as unlikely…

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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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Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By Manohla Dargis (1,909) for Los Angeles Times (12,977) on 20 Mar 2014

Kitano uses exaggerated acting, choreo-graphed violence and, most radically, the rhythms of everyday life -- farmers pounding the earth, the…

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Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By Maitland Mcdonagh (2,150) for TV Guide Magazine (2,375) on 11 Jun 2007

A bravura tap-dancing finale as exhilarating as it is bizarre…

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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 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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Review of Zatoichi (2003)

By Maxpayneisgod (92) on 10 May 2020

Didn't really know what I was getting into. It was OK, but at the same time quite farcical…

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