This Essential Japanese Warrior Film Is Available for Free, and Its Message Resonates Today

Much like the first installment, the new offering by Sucker Punch Productions, the action title, honors famous Japanese filmmakers through special presentation modes. While the initial game included only a monochrome nod to the timeless cinema of the legendary director, the sequel includes a joint effort with Samurai Champloo creator Shinichirō Watanabe for a visual style that introduces lo-fi beats. It also includes a Takashi Miike Mode that enhances gore and dirt in fights and positions the view closer to the action.

Takashi Miike has built a varied collection of films, including movies spanning violent gangster tales, family-friendly films, and comic book movies. Yet, when searching for a starting point, viewers enjoying the blade battles of the game needs to check out Takashi's the samurai epic, a superb Japanese film.

A Timeless New Version featuring Intense Drama

First shown in 2010, 13 Assassins updates of the original movie of similar name from filmmaker Eiichi Kudo. The story centers on a band of assassins who, heavily outmatched, embark to kill the cruel the villainous noble (played by the performer) before he can joining the Shogunate Council. Other lords fear that Naritsugu rising to power would trigger civil war due to his a path of noble blood behind him, and his familial ties to the Shōgun have kept him safe from justice.

Due to the lord's deeds and a violent climax, this movie is not a film for sensitive viewers. It opens with a person protesting the lord's rise by taking his own life, the traditional act by slicing through one’s abdomen. His cruel behavior aren’t just alluded to by the cast, viewers see them. He shoots projectiles at innocent people, and attacks a lady before beheading her husband.

The assassins have good reason, to say the least.

The samurai Shimada Shinzaemon (acted by the renowned actor) is tasked with killing Naritsugu. Much of the opening acts of the film is spent showing his menace and the hero finds supporters. The team journey to a location where they set a snare for their target (fending off enemies during the trip). After their arrival, Miike ramps up the action.

The Spectacular Conclusion featuring Well-Choreographed Fight Scenes

The film’s final act demonstrates why this movie has become such a popular Japanese epic. Shinzaemon and his allies are not passive for the lord to walk into their blades. They’re 13 against 200, and must utilize everything at their disposal to take down the enemy army. In particular, converting the location of Ochiai against him. (But not its citizens, who get away and stay out of the bloodshed.) The town itself turns into an advantage; the group build various devices and defenses that could inspire Kevin McAllister jealous, using all means to secure an advantage in the battle to come.

The fight is spectacular — and easy to follow. Viewers avoid the unsteady footage of other thrillers muddying up the scenes, or simple sequences requiring excessive editing. Instead, panoramic angles and masterful direction leave no room for unclear scenes, making an already exciting long fight even more impressive. The action is consistently understandable, when numerous foes pounce on (and are slaughtered by) a single warrior in a field of katanas, to illustrate.

How 13 Assassins Remains Relevant

Revisiting this classic, viewers notice why Sucker Punch connects enhanced violence with Takashi; the characters just get caked in the mess. None comes out unscathed, and the remaining fighters by the conclusion are soiled by the dirt and blood. Plus, it appears very authentic, with few computer graphics used just for blasts throughout the village. The practicality of the outfits, scenery, and fight scenes provide 13 Assassins something of a classic vibe; it’s 15 years old today, but appears as if it could have been released recently.

Whenever the game users need a break from engaging in warrior combat and just want to watch a bit of samurai action, they should view the movie. The director's action movie matches ideally with this title, and is essential viewing for all enthusiasts of the genre.