Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Q: What happens when you put five zombie samurai in the same room as Sonny Chiba?
A: Heads fly, butts are kicked, 1981 rock-disco music blasts in the background (in other words: "cheese").

Director Kinji Fukasaku defined the look of Yakuza eiga (nihilistic gangster genre) with his 1968 film "Black Lizard." After directing films such as "Vigilante in the Funky Hat," "Tora! Tora! Tora!," and "The Green Slime," Fukasaku ventured into the realm of supernatural samurai cinema with this 1981 campfest, "Samurai Reincarnation."

The USA version of "Samurai Reincarnation" is less than 90 minutes long... So what? The original Japanese release was 130+ minutes in length. Obviously, cutting a movie by more than one third its size results in a loose, inexplicable plot. Unfortunately, the West may never find out how the characters got from the beginning to the end, as no plans to release the full version of "Samurai Reincarnation" exist. The following epinion is a review of the middle-less USA cut...

"Samurai Reincarnation" (based on the story by Futaro Yamada) is about an evil spirit named Shiro who rises from the dead in order to avenge the slaughter of his fellow Christians killed during the Shinbara Revolt. In need of aid, Shiro murders four coldhearted warriors with the purpose of resurrecting them as his evil brethren. This gang of five resurrected samurai havocs Japan, causing protests and revolts against Tokugawa's Shogunate rule. Leaving a trail of chaos and widespread panic behind him, Shiro gears up for the vengeance he was resurrected to do - destroy the Shogun.

Our hero Jubei (Sonny Chiba) is the estranged son of Shogun Tokugawa, now living in exile as master ninja of the forest-dwelling Iga Ninja Clan. After Jubei's best student Kenji Muru (Duke Sanada) dies defending the Iga village from pillagers, he is found and resurrected by Shiro. When master ninja Jubei returns to the now destroyed village, he notices that Kenji Muru's body is missing. Suspicious of evil play, Jubei visits a hermit swordmaker requesting a blade that can cut down supernatural enemies, readying for the inevitable showdown with Shiro.

Although Sonny Chiba played his character well, his performance cannot make up for the inadequacies of the USA cut. American audiences are left with this question: despite the mystery disappearance of Kinji Muru, exactly why is Jubei pursuing Shiro's gang? Jubei doesn't care for morality, the conscience he adheres is honor and the way of the Bushido. The only semi-logical motive I can come up with is that Jubei is a curious fellow with nothing better to do than follow a bunch of zombie samurai into the mayhem of his estranged father's fortress. After all, boredom can make people do funny things.

The mood of "Samurai Reincarnation" screams Yakuza-style romantic nihilism. Constant images of a disintegrating society with the "who cares" attitude of all major characters really drive home the point that there is "no point." The bad guys are fighting the equally bad Shogunate, the hero swims around in his own anti-heroicalness, and all share the sentiment that existence is meaningless. I'm certainly not a nihilist, but I enjoy the creativity involved in merging the themes of one genre with the look and plot of another.

So you wanna know about the fight scenes, eh? There are four distinct battles and a few small skirmishes done in typical flashy Chambara (a term for a swashbuckling choreographed martial art, often mistakingly used to define the entire Samurai genre). Director Fukasaku uses his trademark boom-and-zoom camera technique that defined Yakuza eiga, unbridledly punctuating the sword-fight action. The showdowns are beautifully set, blades clashing against the backdrop of beaches, forestry, and fire. Perhaps not as graceful as Fukasaku's other films' gun-battles, but fun to watch all the same.

The soundtrack of "Samurai Reincarnation" features distorted guitar-soloing over disco rhythms. To give you an accurate picture of this oddity, imagine John McLaughlin jamming with a Bee Gees instrumental... you can't, can you? Very awkward audio, especially considering this is supposed to be taking place in 17th Century Japan. Magnifying its crime against taste, the score tends to cue in at odd and ill-fitting moments (ie, whenever Shiro shouts). Keep some plugs handy and your ears just might live.

After what you just read, it shouldn't come as a surprise when I say "Samurai Reincarnation" has a MASSIVE cult following. All the campy elements are there for anyone who enjoys classic b-movies. For the rest of you who don't like idiocy - stay away... far away. Fukasaku is a one genre man (Yakuza eiga) and his ventures away from what he does best only result in tragedy.

2.5 stars for the fact that its a Fukasaku film featuring both mega-star Sonny Chiba and Henry "Duke" Sanada.

NOTE: The back of the VHS box and epinion's information is wrong. Sonny Chiba plays the ninja hero Jubei, NOT the reincarnated samurai Shiro.

Recommended: No

Viewing Format: VHS
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age