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Great Film overall

Disappointment for a huge fan!

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

As always, Zatoichi never disappoints. I enjoyed Samaritan Zatoichi even though it didn't try too hard to tread new ground. Yet somehow they always manage to present the Zatoichi films in such a way that its fresh and not a complete replicate of the previous films.There are a few things the viewer should look out for, I'll try and describe them without giving away the story:1) The outcome of the dice game is unexpected and isn't consistent with what we have learnt from Zatoichis' abilities in the previous entries in the series. I was puzzled by this scene... 2) In the final fight of the movie, Zatoichi's opponent makes the funniest most unexpected grunt right before he places the rag in his mouth! 3) Zatoichi's last sword move in this film is the fastest move I have ever seen in a Zatoichi film, I replayed that 3 second scene almost 20 times to actually try and figure out how he cut his opponent. Shintaro Katsu is the man! A worthy addition to the acclaimed Zatoichi series.

This film contained the best Zatoichi one on one fight for me yet. Mainly because the fight lasted more than a few minutes. Of course, the fact that Ichi was deafened at the time probably is the reason the fight lasted as long as it did. In this film, the fact that Zatoichi is Yakuza is made clear, but he seems to belong to a band of bumblers. Zatoichi is very serious in this movie. It seems that among the hundreds of people Zatoichi has killed only once did he kill someone under false pretenses and boy does he regret it. His efforts to make amends with the sister of the man he killed come across more like stalking, but he saves her from a horrible fate. This movie does have one unusual thing - a government official that isn't corrupt! It figures that he doesn't last long. Zatoichi's fights aren't as good in this one, though the plot was more complex than the standard Ichi flick. The problem that I had is that it seemed Shintaro Katsu just can't muster the enthusiasm he has had in his other films. Highlight - trussed-up Ichi and armed only with a hairpin still manages to fend off his attackers, the above mentioned bumblers, but still fun to watch.

I love the Zatoichi movies, though I have found that because they made so many and the plots tended to blend together so often, it is hard to distinguish them apart. I would give all of them about the same score of a 7 or an 8--with a few exceptions (the return of the original in 1989 was a TERRIBLE and depressing movie, while the new Zatoichi movie starring Beat Takeshi is probably the best of any Zatoichi movies).The main theme of this movie is Zatoichi's attempt to undo the wrong he supposedly committed by killing the man who wants to earn the reward money to buy his sister out of prostitution. However, given that Ichi has no choice but to kill this guy (it was a fair fight), it is inexplicable why he feels so much remorse for this death. I mean, if you total together all the people killed by this blind swordsman in all his movies, it probably would have resulted in the extinction of feudal Japan!! Despite this, it's a great movie to watch--full of life and action. Plus, it's one of the few films in which Zatoichi actually gets hurt--he ISN'T "the man of steel" in this installment.

I have enjoyed Samaritan Zatoichi from the first viewing. If you enjoyed Zatoichi's Cane Sword, I believe you will like Samaritan Zatoichi as well.There is a great combination of drama, action, and humor. Very early in the film, we are introduced to another traveling yakuza named Shinsuke. Shinsuke is a real lively, interesting guy and the only character in the series who is easily identifiable as a person from Kansai (Osaka region). Early on in the film we also learn that Zatoichi does not have infinite patience. Don't call him a blind bastard more than twice!But the main attraction in this film is the complex and emotional story between Zatoichi and Sode. Zatoichi kills Sode's brother. He soon regrets the part he played in the killing and takes on a guardian role to Sode as she makes her way back to her aunt's home.The action scenes in Samaritan Zatoichi are good, but not the best you will see in the series. Zatoichi also does more than simply running his usual scam in the gambling scene. Did you know that he also carries a pair of loaded dice? Zatoichi comes close to paying the ultimate price for such behavior, but manages to pray to the right buddha as he is all bundled up and manages to escape. Samaritan Zatoichi is a fun journey full of twists and turns that leads to the requisite showdown with a samurai. A quick word of warning to the samurai. Zatoichi is most dangerous when he is on the ground!