Legend of the Eight Samurai

An absolutely riveting spectacle on a grand scale, director Kinji Fukasaku’s 1983 fantasy epic was clearly inspired by different genres and thanks to its Blu-ray release, it looks more stunning than ever! Featuring an ensemble cast including Sonny Chiba, Hiroko Yakushimaru and Hiroyuki Sanada among others, the complex plot involves a young princess, last survivor of a clan, who becomes a vital player in putting an end to an evil rival clan consisting of ghouls and demons.

The film was a huge box office success upon its initial release in Japan and it’s easy to see why: non-stop action, great performances, brilliant sets and costumes and all sorts of trickery. Ok, there’s also the occasional lousy special effect but hey, can’t have everything. The story is, loosely I may add, based on the multi-volume novel ‘The Eight Dog Chronicles’ penned in the 1800’s, which in turn also inspired Manga (there’s a surprise… not) as well as numerous other films and TV-productions. Director Fukasaku, who already paid homage (some call it rip-off…) with his 1978 intergalactic space opera ‘Message from Space’ which also features Sonny Chiba and revolves around eight magical Liabe Seeds to find protectors while a princess and a young warrior are in the thick of it all.

In ‘Legend of the Eight Samurai’ (aka Legend of the Eight Dog Warriors) we have Princess Shizu (pudgy faced pop singer / actress Hiroko Yakushimaru), the sole survivor of the Satomi clan – a clan that has been pretty much wiped out by the undead Hikita clan. Now that Hiroko is in hiding, evil queen Tamazusa (Mari Natsuki), who really is an old crone who needs to bath in blood to remain rejuvenated, and her grown up son Motofuji (Yuki Meguro) – both undead demons and leaders of the terrifying Hikita clan, send a troupe of henchmen to capture Princess Shizu. Not just because it would mean the last of the Satomi clan would be killed but because the Princess’ skin… well, you just have to watch.

Disguised in boy’s clothes, Shizu has a hard time reaching an uncle in a far away village and is under constant threat from Tamazusa’s henchmen. She feels that all is lost and that the curse of Hikita which has been placed over her family can never be lifted. That is until she makes the acquaintance of Dosestsu (Sonny Chiba), a gravely ill warrior, and his companion Gonnoka (Yuki Meguro). Both warriors reveal the legend of the eight dog warriors to Shizu by means of an illustrated scroll. These are special warriors and skilled fighters who are chosen by tiny crystal orbs bestowed two them and Dosestsu and Gonnoka are two of them. Now they need to find the remaining six dog warriors while Shizu, initially unbeknownst to her, becomes the prime player in a mission meant to destroy Hikita castle and its dwellers for good.

But of course, things get off to a bad start when a young drifter Shinbei (Hiroyuki Sanada), who fancies himself as a warrior, learns that there is a reward for the capture of Princess Shizu and he intends to capture and deliver her to Tamazusa. Which is when the fun kicks in, because there’s more than meets the eye to Shinbei and while Shizu loathes him at first sight, not least because he manages to capture her, we know that they will fall in love. But that’s not until much later in this epic saga and in between, we follow our main players on their quest to identify the remaining six dog warriors, one even being a feisty female. What makes this so interesting is that ultimately, all eight warriors have their own story and their own reasons to destroy Hikita Castle but who will survive? There are twists and turns galore and let’s not forget the giant snakes and centipedes! This really is a fantastic adventure with clever subplots, all played out on a grand scale! The only let-down (in this reviewer’s opinion) is the cheesy rock soundtrack by the late American vocalist/actor John O’Banion, somehow it just doesn’t go with the overall vibe of the film.

LEGEND OF THE EIGHT SAMURAI is released as a Limited Edition 4K Blu-ray disc (2000 copies), presented in an O-card slipcase and collector’s booklet. Further special features include various audio options, new audio commentary, new interview with filmmaker Kenta Fukasaku – son of director Kinji Fukasaku, new video essay, plus trailer.