ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Stephan Hammond It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Edison Witt The first must-see film of the year.

Sean Lamberger Disgraced former executioner Ogami Ittō continues his brooding storm through the Japanese countryside, his three-year-old son Daigoro along for the ride in a booby-trapped carriage. Now some distance into their march to vengeance, the pair have drawn so much notoriety that they risk ambush and assassination at every turn. It's not paranoia, either: Ogami dispenses with blade-wielding enemies at nearly every chapter break, downing at least two-dozen men and women before the film is through. The opportunity isn't abused. In true poppy '70s samurai fashion, each challenger (or cluster of challengers) wears a distinct identity and a unique fighting style, like a colorful garden of deadly blossoms. They all bleed day-glo red, though, often in a towering arc of spray that paints landscape and fallen comrade alike. In Baby Cart at the River Styx, for the first time, we see vulnerability from the master swordsman and a little headstrong personality from his young child. We also see uncertainty from a prominent rival, another first, and restraint in the midst of a bloodlust. Some of the fighting is a little awkward, and the formula is threatening to wear thin, but overall this represents a wonderfully stylish, entertaining continuation of the journey that was so well-established in the first film. An excellent genre-definer.

Tweekums This, the second of the 'Lone Wolf and Cub' series of films, sees protagonist Ogami Itto, an assassin who travels with his young son Daigoro, being hunted by a group of female ninjas who are working for the Yagyu clan. This clan wants revenge for events that took place in the previous film. As well as dealing with these assailants Ogami has been hired by another clan who want him to kill a traitor who intends to give the secret of their lucrative indigo dying process to the shogunate. This man is being escorted by the three Hidari brothers… a trio of killers who is each a master of a lethal weapon; one has a spiked club, another has spiked gauntlets and the most deadly has a claw-like weapon.I came to this without seeing the first film in the series but that didn't really matter as it was easy to figure out what was going on. The action starts almost immediately and gives the viewer a fair warning of what is to come… Ogami is attacked and one assailant ends up with a sword buried in his head and a second sprays vividly coloured blood after he is speared. There is plenty of similar violent action throughout the film with just enough quieter moments to lets us know what is going on. Ogami is an interesting protagonist as he isn't really a good person; he kills for money and without remorse… it just seems to be the case that most of the people he kills are worse people who are trying to kill him and are endangering his son. It is the relationship between Ogami and Daigoro that makes the film so memorable… the idea of an assassin who pushes his son around in an armed cart is original to say the least. The foes are interesting; the Hidari brothers are formidable and the female ninjas, known as the Gods of Death are as deadly as any of their male counterparts… as we see when they hack one apart to prove what they can do. As said before there are lots of fight scenes but they are varied so never feel repetitive. Overall this was a solid samurai action film; it is pretty violent but fans of the genre should enjoy it.These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.

juan_ice I've been watching the TV series (imdb says it was released in 2002, but it looks a lot older than that, don't know if it's just my copy). This is the one directed by Kôjirô Fujioka. I love the writing and casting and, since I haven't seen the films yet, cannot imagine anyone else playing Daigoro with as much charm and quiet grace as Tsubasa Kobayashi. The writing credits still include Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima. I know I should've seen the films released beginning 1972 but I didn't know about these until recently. Is there continuity between the film and the series or is it a for-TV remake? Hard to believe this was for TV though--it's got nudity.

Ky-D I love the entire 6 part series, but this one is my personal favorite with it's grand collection of action, emotion and gory dismemberment.Time has passed since the Yagyu clan framed Ogami Itto as a traitor and murdered his wife, but the wandering assassin is as determined as ever. The Yagyu clan is active as well in seeking to eliminate the former Shogun executioner; they enlist the aid of one of the clans sects, the Asuki Yagyu women, to kill Itto and his son. At the same time, Ogami has just accepted a job to assassinate dye maker.Arguably the bloodiest of the series, but also the most methodical. Story elements are presented in slow, stiff dialogue exchanges, only to be off-set by quick, bloody bursts of violence. Much of the film is silent as well, there is very little talking for the whole picture. Once swords are drawn, however, the movie becomes a whole other beast entirely; the action is fast, it's gory, and it's ever so fun to watch.Story wise, this one doesn't do much for the overlapping plot of the series. Despite clashing yet again with the Yagyu clan very little is resolved on that front. It ends pretty much were it started, but while the story lacks a grander scale, it makes up for it with interesting characters and a well told (if ultimately unimportant) side story involving the dye maker hit. Inparticular, the three 'Gods of Death' are a nice addition; Ogami's fight with them is the best of the series in my opinion.Nothing much to say on the technical front, it's no better or worse then any other film in the sub-genre. Sound, lighting, direction, acting are all sufficient enough to get the job done.A classic of samurai film and another hardy addition to a great series.9/10