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Blade of the Immortal
'Blade of the Immortal' Reel Asian 2017 Review: An exhilarating take on the samurai genre
November 18, 2017Ferdosa Abdi
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Based on the manga of the same name, Blade of the Immortal sees director Takashi Miike embrace graphic novel stylings for this, his 100th movie, which follows an immortal, Wolverine-type samurai, who has been cursed to live forever unless he kills enough evil men. The Wolverine comparisons are very evident in the character played by lead actor Takuya Kimura, who carries the story as its hero, Manji. Similar to the Logan and X-23 relationship in Logan, Manji is paired with a young girl, Rin (Hana Sugisaki), who he must protect and train. Their interactions bring a surprising amount of humor to the film, which allows the actors to escape the monotony usually found within the genre, and Miike makes every second count, with bloody, wall-to- wall action and a stylistic flare that infuses the narrative with immense energy. Although it is not an entirely groundbreaking entry among the countless list of samurai flicks, Blade of the Immortal is a fun and exhilarating adventure, and it's one that fans of Miike's unique brand of storytelling will certainly be glad revisit to revisit time and time again, hopefully one day in a sequel. |
Blade of the Immortal is receiving its Toronto premiere at Reel Asian 2017.
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