Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo

The 20th film in the Zatoichi saga, Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo is one of the most well known and features a great performance from the legendary Toshiro Mifune as Yojimbo (bodyguard). Katsu and Mifune play off each other brilliantly and are what really helps keep the film entertaining over it's nearly 2 hour running time, the longest in the long running series. The film is numerous in it's twists and turns and there are many characters and sidestories to keep track of as well, so while tedious to keep track of at times, there is still a lot to like here. Both the dialogue and battle sequences were well done and both hilarious and serious in parts, which helped with the uneven script. Still Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo is a good film overall and Mifune makes for a great contrast to Ichi and delivers as usual.

Love the movie Wonderful movie

A complex plot, a variation on the original Yojimbo but with a heavy Zatoichi treatment... ...one thing that tantalizes me is the word "monster" as it was used by the character Yojimbo to describe Zatoichi, especially late in the film, per the subtitles. The spoken word *sounded* phonetically like "bogeyman" to me, but I can't verify it. Can a Japanese speaker help with this? Thanks!

Mifune plays a Yojimbo (bodyguard), but it really isn't the 30 year old (insert name of plant) who's actually almost 40 from the Kurosawa films. That guy was funnier and smarter (and didn't talk so much). The movie fails, though because it isn't very good, despite shedding or modifying some of the formulaic elements of the Zatoichi series. It just doesn't live up to it's ambitions. Has my favorite Zatoichi quote, though; "I'm done with Hell." Should'a moved that from the beginning of the film to the end.

Oh, had this been made a few years prior, when Mifune was in his prime! Still a great and enjoyable plate of (bloodied) hash I'd be proud to eat any day. But hold off on those poisoned rice balls that thankfully Zatoichi missed out on--just saying.

The expectations are just too high for this film, can't blame the fans if they hoped for the best. Instead Zatoichi and Yojimbo seems to be out of character. Yojimbo seems more crooked than usual and he didn't even demonstrate any superb fight scenes or any tactical advantage. Zatoichi on the other hand, is more funny than usual. Because of this, he has become a cheesy comic relief, it's a bit too much for Ichi. Now talking about the story, it's not the usual Zatoichi story, it's similar to the Yojimbo story in which gangs are being manipulated by Yojimbo, this time however Zatoichi is added to the mix and comes out victorious in the end. They added a government conspiracy to the plot but this doesn't keep my interest at all. And for the moment that any fan is waiting for, Yojimbo and Ichi clashed their swords! Yes they did, but it's quite short and ended as an even match. Nobody really knows which swordsman is better than the other. LOL. Forgetting the lapses of the film, it's interesting to see the two epic characters of chambara are showcased in one film.

Beast vs Monster. ... yet they are among the few who have hearts of gold. Several inside jokes if you know the genre.

Mifune and Katsu in a Fun Bloody Chambara Flick--A Very Dark Comedy!!

While it is a huge treat to see two of the greatest Japanese screen legends play off each other brilliantly, there seems to be a large amount of potential unrealized. The story is thin and flat but there are still a few great action scenes and hilarious moments.Overall, Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo a pretty good chanbara film. However be warned that the title is very misleading. Mifune actually doesn't play his iconic nameless samurai character, although he is a very similar character. It's a big disappointment, but at least Mifune's performance isn't.

This was slow in some spots and I feel like some parts could have been cut out. This is a must see for all fans of Zatoichi!