Product Details

• Actors: Samuel L. Jackson, Lucy Liu, Mark Hamill
• Format: Animated, Director's Cut, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 2
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Funimation Prod
• DVD Release Date: February 3, 2009
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001LXDGQA
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,217 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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• For more information about "Afro Samurai: Resurrection - Director's Cut" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The feature film Resurrection amps up the adventures of Afro Samurai, the Black warrior who debuted on Spike TV in 2007. Taciturn and deadly, Afro (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) wanders through an anachronistic, post-apocalyptic world, accompanied by motor-mouth Ninja-Ninja (also Jackson). This time, his nemesis is not the maniacal Justice from the series, but Sio (Lucy Liu), an embittered beauty who hates Afro for nearly killing her brother Jinno. She has Professor Dharman (S. Scott Bullock) recreate Afro's father from a jawbone stolen from his grave, a scheme that leads to the ultimate Oedipal showdown. The original series was rendered primarily in brooding grays, accented by spatters of red blood; Resurrection uses brilliant blues, oranges, and reds to underscore the conflicts. Hiphop artist RZA contributes another eclectic, moody score. But the over-the-top action can't disguise that the icy, silent Afro is a very limited character: he lacks the humanity that redeems the equally deadly swordsman Kenshin Himura in Rurouni Kenshin. Resurrection is clearly intended as an installment in a ongoing franchise. Afro kills the warrior Shichigoro (Liam O'Brien) in front of Kotaro (Zachary Gordon), his adopted son. At the end of the film, Afro sees Kotaro clutching his father's sword, tells him, "Anytime you're ready," and walks into the distance. Although the many extras stress that Afro-Samurai: Resurrection was a Japanese-American co- production, the film is presented only in English. (Unrated, suitable for ages 17 and older: graphic violence, violence against women, profanity, sexual activity, grotesque imagery, nudity, risqué humor, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Product Description

Afro Samurai (Academy Award ® nominee Samuel L. Jackson) avenged his father and found a life of peace. But the legendary master is forced back into the game by a beautiful and deadly woman from his past. The sparks of violence dropped along Afro’s bloody path now burn out of control – and nowhere are the flames of hatred more intense than in the eyes of Sio (Lucy Liu: Kill Bill). She won’t quit until Afro is schooled in the brutal lessons he dealt those who stood in his way.  There’s no such thing as final vengeance. The cycle of bloodshed spinning around the Number One Headband must roll on. Featuring the voice of Mark Hamill (Star Wars) and fresh production from The RZA (Wu-Tang Clan), the saga that began in the best-selling anime DVD of 2007 continues in Afro Samurai: Resurrection.

The Director's Cut features:

A limited edition art book featuring forwards from the RZA, Bob Okazaki (creator) and Fuminori Kizaki (director) as well as never before seen images from the anime and the original manga.

Over an hour of exclusive behind the scene featurettes including the making of the anime, the making of the video game, interviews with the cast and crew, RZA in the studio, commentary from the creators and much more!

Stills from Afro Samurai: Resurrection (Click for larger image)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Coming for my dad, February 4, 2009

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Afro Samurai has found vengeance, and has sworn off fighting. You didn't think that would last, did you?

Nope, it didn't. And the past catches up to the silent afroed warrior in a big way in "Afro Samurai: Resurrection" -- a wildly stylized, bloodsoaked, wildly anachronistic tale of what will happen after you get your gory revenge. And Samuel L. Jackson fits into the quiet, butt-kicking titular character like a hand in a fine leather glove.

Afro now lives in a temple where he meditates, carves little statues of Buddha, and thinks on his bloodsoaked past (cue wild flashback scene involving crazy ninjas and a river of blood).

That would make for a boring movie, so suddenly Kumo and the sexy, sadistic Sio appear, and steal both Afro's No. 1 headband and his father's remains. With his sword reforged, Afro sets out to reclaim the No. 2 headband so he can challenge Sio, and stop her from resurrecting his father (just so she can torture him).

But regaining the headband leads to a terrible cost -- a kindly man with a little son, haunted by the headband's bloody legacy. And the path to Sio's lair is riddled with grotesque henchmen who are very interested in seeing Afro dead -- and Sio herself plans to use a terrible weapon to destroy the man she hates above all else.

Like "Samurai Champloo," "Afro Samurai" is a stylized story that wears its hip-hop trappings and period Japanese flavour like badges of honor. Or headbands. Whichever. The actual story is rather thin, but it carries a heavy message about revenge -- one you get it, it will haunt you like a bloody ghost forever and corrupt others along the way. Ninja Ninja provides a little humor ("I'm gonna die, man! Or at least have a stroke... I HATE HEIGHTS!") but it can't lighten the storyline.

"Afro Samurai: Resurrection" doesn't hold itself back on the fights -- neatly sliced bodies, fountains and rivers of blood, savage beatings and some really creepy cybernetic/masked baddies who are unafraid to get dirty. The highlight is a balletic nighttime duel between Afro and Shichigoro, surrounded by deadly chains and glowing lanterns, and framed by fireworks reflected in the water.

And it leaves the way paved for a third "Afro Samurai" story. I'm waiting.

Most regular actors are terrible at voice-acting, but Samuel L Jackson could easily make a living at it if he wanted to -- both the deep, gravelly voice ("Watch... your damn... MOUTH") and the annoying jabber of Ninja Ninja. And Afro serves as an excellent anti-hero, who does some truly terrible things but is willing to pay for them.

Lucy Liu does a solid job as well, giving Sio both sensual viciousness and tenderness, and even a sort of moral core ("History will mourn the atrocities you now commit"), while Yuri Lowenthal and Mark Hamill have good small roles. And Liam O'Brian's gravelly/soft voice gives poignancy to his small but memorable role as Shichigoro.

The two-disc edition has a cluster of extras, mostly in featurette form -- a two-part making-of documentary, an interview with the creator, music composition, video game, commentary, and assorted other stuff. Mainly interesting if you really love the movie.

"Afro Samurai: Resurrection" is a solid sequel that shows what happens when revenge is swung back at you. A good, bloodsoaked anime that opens the way for more.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun, but nowhere near as good as the first one., February 7, 2009

By	Finalnight - See all my reviews

If you could compare the original Afro Samurai to a innovative new game, Resurrection is more of an expansion pack than a sequel. It opens up with a cliched depowering of the hero Afro and rehashes the original's plot with some twists. The quality of the animation is superb as well as the art. The music is good, but doesn't seem to be as good of an effort as the first one. Afro really doesn't go through any significant character development and by the end of the movie is right back where he was at the end of the last movie. Its fun for a rental but I regret buying it. Make sure you watch till the end of the credits for a teaser scene.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I'm coming for my dad, January 31, 2009

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Afro Samurai: Resurrection (Spike Version) (DVD)

Afro Samurai has found vengeance, and has sworn off fighting. You didn't think that would last, did you?

Nope, it didn't. And the past catches up to the silent afroed warrior in a big way in "Afro Samurai: Resurrection" -- a wildly stylized, bloodsoaked, wildly anachronistic tale of what will happen after you get your gory revenge. And Samuel L. Jackson fits into the quiet, butt-kicking titular character like a hand in a fine leather glove.

Afro now lives in a temple where he meditates, carves little statues of Buddha, and thinks on his bloodsoaked past (cue wild flashback scene involving crazy ninjas and a river of blood).

That would make for a boring movie, so suddenly Kumo and the sexy, sadistic Sio appear, and steal both Afro's No. 1 headband and his father's remains. With his sword reforged, Afro sets out to reclaim the No. 2 headband so he can challenge Sio, and stop her from resurrecting his father (just so she can torture him).

But regaining the headband leads to a terrible cost -- a kindly man with a little son, haunted by the headband's bloody legacy. And the path to Sio's lair is riddled with grotesque henchmen who are very interested in seeing Afro dead -- and Sio herself plans to use a terrible weapon to destroy the man she hates above all else.

Like "Samurai Champloo," "Afro Samurai" is a stylized story that wears its hip-hop trappings and period Japanese flavour like badges of honor. Or headbands. Whichever. The actual story is rather thin, but it carries a heavy message about revenge -- one you get it, it will haunt you like a bloody ghost forever and corrupt others along the way. Ninja Ninja provides a little humor ("I'm gonna die, man! Or at least have a stroke... I HATE HEIGHTS!") but it can't lighten the storyline.

"Afro Samurai: Resurrection" doesn't hold itself back on the fights -- neatly sliced bodies, fountains and rivers of blood, savage beatings and some really creepy cybernetic/masked baddies who are unafraid to get dirty. The highlight is a balletic nighttime duel between Afro and Shichigoro, surrounded by deadly chains and glowing lanterns, and framed by fireworks reflected in the water.

And it leaves the way paved for a third "Afro Samurai" story. I'm waiting.

Most regular actors are terrible at voice-acting, but Samuel L Jackson could easily make a living at it if he wanted to -- both the deep, gravelly voice ("Watch... your damn... MOUTH") and the annoying jabber of Ninja Ninja. And Afro serves as an excellent anti-hero, who does some truly terrible things but is willing to pay for them.

Lucy Liu does a solid job as well, giving Sio both sensual viciousness and tenderness, and even a sort of moral core ("History will mourn the atrocities you now commit"), while Yuri Lowenthal and Mark Hamill have good small roles. And Liam O'Brian's gravelly/soft voice gives poignancy to his small but memorable role as Shichigoro.

"Afro Samurai: Resurrection" is a solid sequel that shows what happens when revenge is swung back at you. A good, bloodsoaked anime that opens the way for more.