Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972)

Don't Believe the Hype

A Major Disappointment

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

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.

This is an example of how hacks can make an action movie an embarrassment for all involved.This is a story about a guy who rolls his son along in a cart, but all they do is just kill what seems like hundreds of people.In fact, everyone seems to be just killing everyone, with one exception. On some transport, there are actually people sitting around, including the title characters and three killers, and the hero throws a blade into a sheath. However, the director can't resist making this another scene for the beavis and buttheads, the crack-heads and zombies, the Al and Peg Bundy, the guffawing monkeys and the psychopaths.For everyone else, it just becomes tedious. It's just mindless killing, with not a bit of motivation. It has the gory scenes designed for the Al and Peg Bundy, the beavis and butthead, and their ilk, to chuckle and claim it is cool. For everyone else, it is stupid.It's truly pitiful when an action movie is directed and written this poorly. The overkill of fighting and killing gets more monotonous than the lack of action in movies like "Equus".In effect, this is "Equus", just the flip side of the coin. If you like one extreme, you will some day like the other.For everyone else, this is supremely dull.

This probably is the best and most entertaining movies out of all the Kozure Ôkami movies. If you already thought that the first movie was action packed, wait until you see this one.It's not just more action filled or entertaining but it's also a better done film as well. The directing and cinematography and all, all seems better in this movie. There are some great looking and wonderfully done sequences and I'm not even talking about the fight sequences then. The movie is basically non-stop entertaining action in which Ogami Itto takes on more bad guys and gals than ever before. He is still as skilled as ever, so often it doesn't take more than one strike with his sword to kill off his opponent. It doesn't mean the fights are boring though. Far from it really. They are greatly choreographed and very over-the-top. It's amazing, the innovativeness they came up with at times. Of course there also still is plenty of blood in this one, when blood sprays out of every wound that gets inflected in this movie.Great entertaining fun!9/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

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