Product Details

• Actors: Sonny Chiba, Kenji Sawada, Akiko Kana, Ken Ogata, Hiroyuki Sanada
• Directors: Kinji Fukasaku
• Writers: Kinji Fukasaku, Fûtarô Yamada, Tatsuo Nogami
• Producers: Haruki Kadokawa
• Format: Color, EP, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Xenon
• VHS Release Date: February 5, 2002
• Run Time: 122 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304396244
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #355,608 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good despite a terrible dub, June 9, 2002

By 

Paul A. Mcdowell (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Samurai Reincarnation [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I thought at first this was filmed for the asian TV market because of the obvious set design and film quality at the beginning(reminiscent of Dark Shadows). However, the film slowly builds in pace and scope until it's climax: a duel in an inferno, the burning remains of the mansion of the shogun. It is easily up to the par of the low budget asian action movies of the period. The mythology of the film is quite interesting, both in the time period it is placed and the characters that are included. The samurai that Toshiro Mifune brought to western audiences, Musashi Miyamoto, plays a key part. The only significant flaw to this film is the previously mentioned dub. Not only are the voices not timed properly but almost all the voice actors are VERY poorly chosen and seemingly refuse to emote with their characters. There are some moments with dramatic overacting but anyone seeking information on a film titled Samurai Reincarnation shouldn't be seeking subtlety. Also of note, many of the key players of this film including Sonny Chiba and the Director himself were involved in the film The Legend of the Eight Samurai, a film much like this one with similar qualities and flaws(including the dub).

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Iga Ninja vs. Rock-Ridge, January 25, 2003

By 

Nicholas Jones (Kent/ England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Samurai Reincarnation [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This film is an essential purchase for all Chiba fans. Most of the cast of this film also starred in 'Ninja Wars'....the English overdubs were highly amusing(they just changed the voices around!!) Story: a homosexual samurai is brought back from the dead, rejects Christianity, worships Satan, gets a possé of suicidal sword-masters, goes on the rampage.....its the same as all the others, however, it a cross between Ninja Wars and that [terrible] Gunslinger flick with Sharon Stone in it. Sonny Chiba is Jubei and the son of a minor noble who succumbs to the [samurai's] magick. Chiba kills all of the possé exept the monk-alcoholic who has fantisies of killing women. The film must have been cut. Only buy this on DVD 'cos the American VHS version had the picture quality of a thrice-pirated '70's porno!!!! ...

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars has a good pace...ends on an abrupt note, January 31, 2005

By 

lucas - See all my reviews

This review is from: Makai Tensho: Samurai Reincarnation (DVD)

Going into this movie, I thought it was going to be an over the top, ridicuously violent samurai fantasy movie. It was actually a lot different than I expected. The story and costumes were at some times over the top, but the director intentially made this movie caring about things like plot/character developement, cinematography, and well done sets. It seems like they put a lot of time and effort into the production of this film. It's pretty interesting and entertaining to watch, but their wasn't as much fighting as I expected. It's a samurai movie with a fairly good pace (although not particularly gory/violent)...until the end, which the entire movie is spent building up and then it just kind of...ends, fairly abrubtly. An enjoyable samurai/fantasy movie (I heard it was a main influence
on the old video game series Samurai Showdown), but I'd suggest renting it and not buying it.