Films/DVD Asylum

Zatoichi: I like the genre but this one

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(A)

is as dull as a week-old razor.
Standard revenge fare, with a bit of transexuality, traditional Japanese singing, and the most striking anachronism in modern film: a 5-minute bit of tap-dancing to what seemed like a disco/electronica/hip-hop beat, played upon traditional Japanese instruments (somewhat).
Mind you, I'm a huge Beat Takeshi fan but this was a waste of his considerable talents. His young nemesis conveyed strength, brutality, and tenderness but couldn't overcome the weak script, either.
Later tonight on cable, Kill Bill 2 is on: I'll watch it for the umpteenth time. Tarantino is an artist, the director of Zatoichi is a hack.

Follow Ups:

The tap dancing is an updated take on traditional Japanese Kabuki dance.. - PCL 19:37:22 08/24/05 (2)
..with clogs called 'takatsuki'.
- Didn't you find it disturbingly anachronistic and that it - tinear 07:39:47 08/25/05 (1)
  interrupted the story (both it and the two interminable musical sequences before it)?
  - In all honesty.. - PCL 10:00:07 08/26/05 (0)
    ..no. The film felt pretty run-of-the-mill (although enjoyable) to me until that moment, and that scene was what reinvigorated me and my appreciation of it. That bit of cheek was really the high point for me. Anachronistic, yes, but no more so that the bleach blonde hair and various other cheeky tweaks. The other high point for me was the scene in the tavern, after the old waiter 'accidentally' uncovers Zatoichi's sword..that set up where he re-sheaths his sword and the resultant snap was very smart.
I absolutely freaked over the Big Tap closing . . . watched it 8 or 9 times! * - mr grits 18:35:45 08/24/05 (0)
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