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Released by: Animeigo
Released on: 9/15/2009
Director: Satsuo Yamamoto, Kazuo Mori, Tokuzo Tanaka
Cast: Raizo Ichikawa, Yunosuke Ito, Shiho Fujimura
Year: 1962 - 1964
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The Movies:
Animeigo has previously released the first four films in the legendary ninja film series, Shinobo No Mono, individually but has also collected them into one handy collector's set. Originally released to Japanese theaters in the 1960s, this series was the one that was really responsible for kickstarting the ninja film explosion that would follow in its wake. The films are often unflinchingly violent and almost perpetually exciting but they also manage to tell some pretty interesting stories underneath all the intrigue and secrecy.
SHINOBO NO MONO (1962)
This first entry, directed by Satsuo Yamamoto, introduces us to a young man named Goemon (Raizo Ichikawa) who is the most talented of all the ninjas in his province. When the local evil warlord, Nobunaga Oda (Katsuhiko Kobayashi), decides he wants to enslave the population and take everything he can for his own, Goemon becomes involved in a secret ninja plot to assassinate him. It won't be an easy task though, as Goemon is being watched everywhere he goes and there are literally gangs of enemy ninja coming the countryside in search of him.
This first film is a great introduction to the series and to the culture of the ninja as well. Like their samurai brethren, there ninjas subscribe to their own code and belief system and while it's certainly more lose than the Bushido Code, it does cause those who go against it great shame. This is one of the problems that our hero runs into as he goes about his task. He's conflicted as to what he should do and how he should do it while at the same time he has to cover his own ass or one of the enemy ninjas will surely hand it to him.
Ichikawa, best known for the Sleepy Eyes Of Death films, is great in the lead. He's suave without being too much of a stud and his unlikely 'pretty boy' good looks make him and interesting choice to play a ninja. He handles it all rather well, however, and once you get used to him in the role you can't really imagine anyone else doing it with quite the same sort of flair. There are a lot of great fight scenes and scenes of ninja subterfuge here, but it really just sets the stage for what's to come. The film also features a small supporting role from the legendary Tomisaburo Wakayama, best known for his work in the Lone Wolf And Cub films.
SHINOBO NO MONO 2: VENGENACE (1963)
The second film in the set, directed again by Satsuo Yamamoto, basically picks up where the first one left off. When the movie begins, Nobunaga Oda believes that he has been successful in eradicating all of the Iga Ninjas, therefore making the country his for the taking. This would be a crappy sequel if he were right, however. Goemon, now the last surviving member of his clan, just wants to live out the rest of his days in peace and quiet with this lovely bride and his young son, but that's not how it's going to happen. The fickle finger of fate points at him and due to circumstances outside of his control, he's forced to go back to his old ways and once again, Goemon is back on the hunt.
This second film is a more intense one than that which came before it. Here Goemon is on a mission of vengeance of sorts, and once he puts his black pajamas back on and gets into it, anyone who stands between him and completely his quest is going to find themselves very sorry. Ichikawa is once again very good in the role, playing the more brooding aspects of the character quite well and doing just fine in the combat sequences. There's a lot of emphasis here on the ninjas' techniques, their sneaky ways and their ability to hide pretty much anywhere, which helps to differentiate it a bit from the first movie though it ups the carnage and bloodshed quotient noticeably from the earlier picture.
SHINOBO NO MONO 3: RESURRECTION (1963)
This third film brought in a new director, Kazuo Mori, but retained Ichikawa in the lead. Again, it picks up where the last film left off, just as Goemon was about to be boiled alive and sent to a horribly painful death. Of course, you can't keep a good ninja down and he makes his way out alive. Thankfully he's able to hook up with none other than Hattori Hanzo who helps him get back on his feet so that he can bring down the evil warlord that tried to kill him in the last picture.
This is another entertaining film in the series and while the whole 'he escaped the boiling death' explanation that we're giving is more than just a little bit hard to swallow, the film offers Ichkawa plenty of opportunity to hide in the shadows and cleverly assassinate people. It doesn't have quite as much flair or style as the second film in the series does but it's still a ridiculously entertaining movie that stays close enough to the formula that was starting to develop that it can cater to the film's fan base while still trying to stretch out a bit and try some new things (not all of which work - Goemon should not have a sidekick!).
SHINOBO NO MONO 4: SIEGE (1964)
The last film in the collection was directed by Tokuzo Tanaka and when it starts, Tokugawa Ieyasu (Ganjiro Nakanmura) has almost completely succeeded in taking over all of Japan - but there's still one considerable thorn in his side in the form of the Totoyomi Clan who have holed themselves up in a castle. Ieyasu isn't going to let them just hang out in the castle and cause trouble, however, he's going to gather up an army of ninjas to do his bidding and to lay siege to the castle and kill those pesky Totoyomi's. Or so he thinks. He obviously hasn't counted on the interference of our hero, Goemon, the toughest ninja in all the land who will stop at nothing to prevent Ieyasu from getting what he wants even if it means allying himself with the Totoyomi Clan. As an army of samurai warriors move in, Goemon finds himself in a very sticky situation that will require all of his cunning and ninja training to escape.
The boxed set ends on a high note with the most epic of the four films. The finale of this picture is fantastic, as Tanaka captures the siege of the castle with style. There are some rather epic battle sequences here that contrast nicely against the more intimate and clandestine ninja maneuvers resulting in a film that is loaded with some pretty serious action. Ichikawa plays a double role here and so it can be a bit confusing if you don't automatically figure out who is who, but aside from that, this is a pretty wild ride with some very impressive scenes of orchestrated violence and loads of atmosphere.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Animeigo's 2.35.1 anamorphic widescreen progressive scan transfer is solid enough. Some mild print damage and noticeable grain is present but it's never too obnoxious or distracting, it simply reminds us that this is a film sourced transfer. Contrast for the black and white image is usually strong as are black levels though sometimes things look a bit flat and there are some scenes where shadow detail gets lost. Despite that, for a collection of older black and white films, the picture quality is generally very good here.
The Japanese language Dolby Digital Mono track, which includes optional English subtitles, is well balanced and free of any hiss or distortion. Dialogue is clean and clear and while there isn't an abundance of channel separation to note, there aren't any problems here - the movie sounds pretty good though there are times where the high end is just a little bit shrill.
Extras are light on these discs, limited to trailers for a few other Animeigo releases, some cast and crew bios, some insightful program notes that explain the historical and cultural context and importance of the film, a still gallery, menus and chapter stops. The second disc in the set, however, does contain a commentary from Ric Meyers that does a pretty solid job of explaining the historical significance of the films in this series and also at providing some welcome background information on the people who made them.
The Final Word:
Animeigo has done a fine job bringing the first four films in this iconic Japanese series to DVD in style. While the extras are a bit on the light side, the transfers are strong and the audio is decent enough. The movies themselves, however, are endless entertaining. Full of drama, intrigue action and mayhem it's hard not to get wrapped up in this addictive set of films.