Satisfying remake of Zatoichi with a gangster double feature
Zatoichi was one of the classic period piece franchises in 1960s-70s Japanese cinema with over 20 releases and a TV series. Since so many older films were being re-made in the 2000s it was only natural that someone would do Zatoichi. That resulted in The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi by director Takeshi Kitano featuring himself in the classic role.<br /><br />Every original Zatoichi film had some basic elements. First, there were some Yakuza (gangsters), because that was the crowd Zatoichi ran with. Next there were the gambling dens that the gangs ran, which Zatoichi would always frequent. Third, common people were always featured instead of the samurai and upper class that most Japanese films focused upon. There was always a woman that had fallen on hard times that Zatoichi tried to redeem. Finally, there was swordplay with Zatoichi killing numerous Yakuza and usually a ronin (a masterless samurai). The 2003 version used all of those elements.<br /><br />Director Kitano also had some really beautiful shots such as farmers plowing away on their field with the sounds of their tools making the beat of the background music.<br /><br />While I enjoyed the remake I thought the one major flaw was that Takeshi Kitano didn’t bring more character to Zatoichi. The original actor Shintaro Katsu had a real way with Zatoichi in how he looked and how he interacted with people. He was always happy and playful until a conflict emerged. Takeshi Kitano is more quiet and reserved. Still, this was a fine adaptation and a good story.<br /><br />This actually comes as a double feature with Takeshi Kitano’s Sonatine. Here he plays a gangster. He starts off knocking off a couple people and then travels to Okinawa where there’s a war going on. He gets there and stays in a dump. He’s told there’s no real conflict going on, and his men sit around in cars and go out to eat just waiting for something to happen. Finally, a bomb goes off to let them know the other side means business.<br /><br />The movie actually focuses more upon the downtimes. Takeshi and his men go into hiding. They get so bored they start playing games and tricks on each other. Still, there are little flashes of violence like when Takeshi comes across a man trying to rape  woman. He ends up shooting the man whose last words are “This is a bad joke.” This is supposed to compare the two sides of the gangsters, their violent criminal side with their human one. The ending relates to this as Takeshi seemingly gets his way in the gang war, but is not fulfilled.<br />C
The movie title "The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi / Sonatine [DVD]," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.6 from 1192 reviewers. 
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This title falls under the categories of Movies & TV, Studio Specials, Miramax Home Entertainment and All Titles. 
The additional details include the following in key-value format :
 {"Genre": "Action & Adventure", "Format": "AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC", "Contributor": "Michiyo Ookusu, Akira Emoto, Ittoku Kishibe, Makoto Ashikawa, Ben Hiura, Suji, Hideboh, Yui Natsukawa, Tadanobu Asano, Yoshiyuki Morishita, Daigor\u00f4 Tachibana, Yuuko Daike, Saburo Ishikura, Kohji Miura, Takeshi Kitano, Noriyasu, Kosuke Ohta, Edamame Tsumami, Gadarukanaru TakaMichiyo Ookusu, Akira Emoto, Ittoku Kishibe, Makoto Ashikawa, Ben Hiura, Suji, Hideboh, Yui Natsukawa, Tadanobu Asano, Yoshiyuki Morishita, Daigor\u00f4 Tachibana, Yuuko Daike, Saburo Ishikura, Kohji Miura, Takeshi Kitano, Noriyasu, Kosuke Ohta, Edamame Tsumami, Gadaruka\u2026  See more", "Language": "French, Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.1)", "Runtime": "3 hours and 30 minutes", "Is Discontinued By Manufacturer": "No", "MPAA rating": "R (Restricted)", "Product Dimensions": "7.5 x 5.5 x 0.75 inches; 2.88 Ounces", "Director": "Takeshi Kitano", "Media Format": "AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC", "Run time": "3 hours and 30 minutes", "Release date": "November 9, 2004", "Actors": "Takeshi Kitano, Yuuko Daike, Akira Emoto, Hideboh, Ben Hiura", "Subtitles": "English, Spanish", "Studio": "Miramax", "Number of discs": "2"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : ZATOICHI: THE BLIND SWORDSMAN stars Japanese screen legend Beat Takeshi in an action-packed, award-winning film that has been compared to "Kill Bill Volume One." SONATINE also stars Beat Takeshi in a fast and furious gangland thriller with an edgy "Pulp Fiction" attitude. Both of these films include bonus DVD features, including an introduction to SONATINE by Quentin Tarantino, acclaimed director of such film favorites as "Pulp Fiction" and "Kill Bill" Volumes One and Two..