Customer Reviews

Azumi [Region 2]

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Azumi" is a highly recommended film. The fact that it is not available at the present time in (Region 1: USA) should not deter you from trying to obtain a copy of this rollicking and entertaining ninja film. "Azumi" is a wonderful, fun, and exciting ninja adventure film starring the beautiful (Aya Ueto) as the protagonist Azumi. The character Azumi is part of a young group of 10 war orphans, whose Sensei and father figure (Yoshio Harada) has trained them to become assassins, and correct what he believes are the ills of the country: Rampant corruption and war. Moreover, he lost his son in a war many years before, and therefore believes that to prevent further wars, then the ends justify the means. And he has gathered up these orphans for a special purpose.

Furthermore, Yoshio Harada will give these 10 ninjas their first task. An important one at that. One which will test their mettle and prove whether or not they have the will to carry out the dangerous assignments that lay ahead of them. However, this first mission of theirs is most unusual, and if they pass it, they will have passed their most difficult test. And Yoshio Harada knows that if they do this, then they will obey his orders without hesitation. For what awaits these young ninjas is a hard journey, and if they are to embark on their important mission of changing their present day society then they must be willing to sacrifice everything and anything dear to them. I will not give this part away, as it is a very important mission. Let's just say 5 of these young assassins will embark on their journey to rid the country of war.

However, the Sensei's teachings of "the ends justify the means" begin to bother Azumi. Therefore, a change in her core belief system begins to distance herself from Harada's teachings. But not her fighting abilities. She is as lethal and deadly as any master swordsman. There is a terrific character who plays a psychotic and totally demented killer who is set free to capture and kill these marauding ninjas: And he does a really terrific job as the 'sick swordsman'. Take this film with a grain of salt. It is a fun, exciting, and a very long and enjoyable watch. [over 2 1/2 hours long]. Yet, it is well worth the time spent. The cinematography and acting are great. You will be pleasantly delighted. Also, this is the first of two Azumi films. And while "AZUMI 2" is not as good as the first one, it is still a good film and worth the purchase. I highly recommend this film.

Previously, I had heard nothing about Azumi. It was until I saw it that I had discovered a truely enjoyable and violent action film. Based in Japan, Azumi is about a group of assissins in a war between a Samurai sword wielding gang. With an acceptable story and loaded with lightning speed Samurai action, Azumi is a perfect Sunday-stay-in film. With very impressive stunts and deaths, Azumi will not dissapoint. However, it has *subtitles*.
Azumi also has one of the best and most psychotic villians I have seen.

Azumi is a brilliant action film and highly recommended.

"Azumi" is a wild ride. A glorious over-the-top hack-and-slash action film, it is really a star vehicle for 17-year old Japanese pop idol Aya Ueto, whose main talent is posing in bikinis and appearing on variety shows. Director Ryuhei Kitamura ("Versus," "Godzilla:Final Wars") pulls out all the stops, utilizing all the anime/ video game sensibilities that have become his trademark. Based on a popular manga, it is typical of Japanese live-action manga movies. Nothing realistic in anyway, not in the acting, special effects or filming.

The story attempts to have some substance, and is full of pathos in the way that only a Japanese film can be. Azumi is an assassin, raised with a group whose job it is to eliminate dangerous warlords and bring peace to the tormented country. In the opening scene, the assassin's graduation test show their worth and their ability to kill anyone, anytime. From there, the three graduates head out into Japan to fulfill their charter. Encountering squads of Ninjas and villains with such delightful monikers as Saru ("Monkey") and Bijomaru ("Beautiful Rascal"), a cross-dressing, giggling madman who was released from prison to stop Azumi.

But ultimately, the plot is inconsequential, as the real fun is watching the lovely Aya pouting and sword-swinging, taking on hundreds of swordsmen at once and slaughtering them all in bloody vengeance. She spins in the air, does superhuman leaps and basically is a Wuxia character in a Japanese film. Her costume is really cute, and was a big selling part of the film in Japan. Seeing her in action was the main reason I went to the theater!

The only possible draw back is that it is a long film for a cheesy sword-fight flick, clocking in at around two and a half hours. Kitamura keeps things moving along, throwing spectacle after spectacle at you, but a quicker, sharper film would have been more effective.

If you like samurai movies you need to get this one. The plot and sword fights are sick. In the begining she is told by her master she must kill her childhood friend to go on a misson. The rest of the movie only gets better. On her misson she has to hunt down and kill some warlords to maintain peace. Great sword play from start to finish. If your a fan or not of samurai movies this is a must have.

The U.S. release of Azumi is almost an exact duplicate(including special features) of the Korean and Thai theatrical release(minus DTS audio). It runs for 128 minutes, I have both the Korean and the Japanese director's cut that runs for 143 minutes. Why? Because I love this film, both versions are worth owning. I will write the difference between the two after the brief description.

In 19th century war-torn feudal Japan, a master samurai takes on the task of raising ten orphans and training them to be assassins. Their ruthless purpose: to do the bloody work of the state by silencing rebellious warlords. After a decade of inconceivably harsh training and discipline, Azumi and her comrades are ordered to assassinate the powerful warlords Nagamasa Asano and Kiyomasa Kato. But burdened with a cruel assignment that means killing friends and enemies alike, Azumi begins to question herself, her master's--and her country's--objectives. Still, Azumi remains determined to see her mission through to the bloody end.

The print of the Japanese/Korean version is a bit superior to the U.S. release. The color palette leans towards earth colors. The missing scenes in the U.S. version are:

1) First encounter with Kanbei. The extended fight scene was cut down. It is missing the significant scene wherein Kanbei observes Azumi in action, he sees her superior skill in combat. Explains in a way how he became obsessed with Azumi.
2) Some scenes overlap to the next scene. Dialogue gets carried over to the next.
3)The scene(memory) with Nachi that sthrengthens her resolve to complete the mission.
4) The Japanese version is a bit bloodier than the U.S version.

Technical Specs:
Video/audio: The Japanese/Korean versions are superior to the U.S. release. Video is slightly sharper and the U.S. release lacks the DTS-ES audio, however, with the original 5.1 Japanese track, it is loud. Avoid the English dubbed track.
Recommended: This is one of Ryuhei Kitamura's best films. If you have multi-region capability, Get the original Japanese region-2 version if you don't mind spending $ 55.00 for it, Korean region-3 version is an almost exact copy for $ 29.99. In my opinion, the Japanese extended cut is the best version.

This film is phenomenal, I don't care which version you get, you need to see this film if you enjoyed ARAGAMI, VERSUS and Shinobi Heart under blade.

JAPANESE EXTENDED CUT(143 mins)-HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!!
KOREAN and U.S. DVD releases- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
This film is a ROCKIN' GREAT TIME!!

I already have the Japanese version of Azumi which is IMO a 5 star film, I perchased this "Collectors Edition" cause I thought it may have some deleted scenes, but much to my suprise there were a few scenes that were missing, and some of the subtitles are incorrect. If you have never seen this film I would pick it up, but for someone who already has the Japanese version it is a waste of time.

Azumi is a nice action flick with a B-movie feel to it. Yeah, it gets boring in some parts, but it delivers kick a.. action, a beautiful lead and samurai swordfights, which are always welcomed and fun was amused by the story. Nothing too simple, nothing too terribly difficult. Pretty straight forward plot. (Read the synopsis on the main page). It was enough to keep me entertained and, in these kind of movies, if the plot doesn't hold up, the action will keep you in you're seats.

This movie was full of hordes of baddies, charging at Azumi and her counterparts, while she kills as many as one can count. It is said that "Hard Boiled" carries the award for most on-screen deaths. Nope. That award goes to this title. Many people die, so if you're planning to show this to your significant other, think for a minute. It is a very graphic movie. Very much like the classic samurai movies you remember. Blood spray, dismemberments, and plenty of slices. The battles were choreographed quite well considering the size of them. But, was the lead actress up for them?....O yeah!

The actress who plays Azumi, Aya Ueto, who is also very beautiful, seemed kinda out of place. I do not, however, know anything about her past history. I can guess that she is new to this genre... The costume on her seemed out of place but very interesting. Others do quite well, and fit with the tone of the movie, especially Bijomaru (the white robed one). He made this movie even more for me.

Azumi, based, apparently, on a manga is just what you expect from an adaptation. Expect cooky characters, like the dog impersonator, and Bijomaru. Also expect that over-the-top violence. A very manga-esque movie. Kitamura, so far from the two movies I've seen (Versus), he doesn't fail to entertain. He does his job and I'm very grateful see it by all means. Thanks Sir Night for putting this out there!

WOW! I bought "Azumi" on a lark not knowing anything about it. I was so impressed I am now writing a review! This review is based on the November 2006 release of the "Two Disc Collector's Edition" of "Azumi".

First, I have to admit I have always been a fan of the Japanese hack-and-slash movies. There is a magic in them that I can't explain. When the hero throws a dart over his shoulder, without even looking at the villain, and hits him dead center in the forehead, it sounds cheesy. In "Azumi", the way the director pulls off this kind of stunt, it is pure magic. "Azumi" is full of magic moments.

This is not a film for everyone. Do not show this flick to your under 16 year old kids. Even though it is not rated, it is for a mature audience. Almost every scene has some gore (arms flying off, heads rolling, and blood squirting). On the surface, that sounds awful and will turn lots people off instantly. In this film, the director has inserted his magic and you look past that and buy into the scene.

The conversion from Japanese to English was superb. Five minutes into the movie, you forget they are not speaking English. You watch Aya Ueto's (Azumi's) lips, and you think she is speaking English. I can't speak for the earlier US releases, but the November 2006 release is excellent.

The magic of the director comes through scene after scene. Ryuhei Kitamura (the director) is a genius. The camera angles and the speed up/stop action effects are outstanding. Stop action and live action are melted into one wild ride. The scene where the villain and the hero are fighting on a plank blows your mind. You have to see it to experience it.

"Azumi" is pure non-stop entertainment in magnificent Japanese hack-and-slash magic.

Most action movies are all about the testosterone, and most action women are basically sexy parodies of their male counterparts.

Not so in "Azumi." This blood-spattered Japanese action film is all about the girl who becomes the deadliest assassin. The movie is short on plot and high on death, blood and dismemberment, but admittedly it does an outstanding job with its strong points -- and particularly with the moral complexities of the heroine's whole purpose in life.

After losing his son in a bloody war, a samurai (Yoshio Harada) brought together ten children -- nine boys, and the girl Azumi (Aya Ueto) -- and trained them to become the ultimate assassins. When their training is over, he orders them to each slay their teammate. With their best friends dead and their home in ashes, the young warriors are taken out into the unfamiliar world, and are confused by their master's contradictory commands.

He is intent on having them fulfill their "mission": to take out the three rebellious warlords Asano Nagamasa, Masayuki Sanada and Kiyomasa Kato who may end up plunging Japan into another horrible war. But his followers' faith in him has been badly shaken, and Azumi is further confused when one of these supposedly evil men treats her with paternal kindness even as she kills him. As she and her friends continue their bloody quest, she must grapple with the losses around her -- and with a very effeminate mercenary coming after them.

You have to admit, there aren't a lot of movies that feature the heroine killing her love interest only a few scenes into the movie, and then going on a blood-caked quest to eliminate even more people. Especially if you're meant to like her. So unsurprisingly "Azumi" nudges at the morality of what the characters do, and the desperate need to not face the question: Is this mission really a good thing?

But these moral questions don't really drive "Azumi." The plot is as straight and thin as Azumi's sword, and while a few clever twists are thrown in (Kato's body double) it's more or less a steady stream of exceptionally nimble fight scenes and graphic gore. Throats are cut, chests are slashed, heads are impaled, and blood sprays in every direction, while Azumi and her pals go spinning and jumping through every fight scene with dying bodies flying through the air. Yet even the fight scenes have a hint of artistry and sadness -- just look at the young warriors fighting each other.

Interestingly, this thinnish plot is very loosely based on actual history -- the warlords that Azumi's band kills were real people -- and it does a solid job with the costumes and weaponry. And the scenery is full of utterly stunning shady forests and mountain-filled skies, serving as a stark contrast to the bloody horrors of the human world.

Ueta does what she's supposed to do in "Azumi" -- look pretty and troubled while spinning around and hacking down dozens of ninja and samurai with her sword. She's not a great actress -- some of the scenes are downright wooden -- but she does give Azumi a sense of naive pathos that you wouldn't expect an assassin to have. She's particularly good when Azumi is forced to either kill the man she loves or be killed by him, and when she sees a little girl watching her mother die.

The other actors do better jobs -- Harada gives a suitably stiff, painful performance as a man whose obsession with crafting the ultimate assassins leads him to use these innocent young people for his own purpose. And Azumi's teammates all have their own individual personalities -- for instance, one of them refuses to consider that their enemies may not be evil people, while another keeps asking the master "why?" and never getting an answer.

"Azumi" is full of savage grace and brilliantly choreographed fight scenes, and admittedly not a lot else. But as a solid action flick, it's a bright little cult flick splattered in more blood than you'll find in virtually any other movie.

Azumi is a movie that everyone must see. It isn't the best of it's genre nor does it really excel in any other area except maybe in production or death toll lol This just is a movie that everyone should at least see once. Full of action, a little drama, humor and heartache.