Blade of the Immortal Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Blade of the Immortal Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 18, 2018

The celebratory aspect of the “Blade of the Immortal” release is the picture’s status as the 100th film from director Takeshi Miike, which is no small feat when considering the man began his career ascent in 1991. He’s an extremely prolific creator of violent entertainment, hitting some potent cult movie highs over the years (“Ichi the Killer,” “13 Assassins”), but he’s always swinging at the first pitch, keeping himself busy behind the camera dreaming up new ways to brutalize human beings. “Blade of the Immortal” is not a significant creative departure for Miike, but it does utilize his gifts for blunt aggression and screen style well, adding touches of the unreal to a samurai extravaganza adapted from a popular manga, which permits the story to generally disregard Japanese history and charge ahead as a lengthy, funky bloodbath.

Long ago, Manji (Takuya Kimura), a fierce warrior, struggled to protect his sister, Machi (Hana Sugisaka), who was eventually murdered by ruthless bounty hunters. Taking on the horde by himself, Manji suffers extreme injuries, only to receive a dose of magical blood worms from spirit Yaobikuni (Yoko Yamamoto), which gives him the gift of immortality, helping to piece his body back together with special restorative powers. 50 years later, Rin (Sugisaka) is left an orphan after surviving an attack from the Itto-ryu, a school of expert swordsman, led by the feared Anotsu (Sota Fukushi). Rin seeks vengeance, with Yaobikuni leading the young girl to Manji, who can’t refuse her request for a bodyguard, struck by her resemblance to Machi. Making their way to Anotsu, Manji and Rin are challenged by various enemies, each possessing special weapons and skills, determined to kill the ageless samurai, offering Manji a permanent rest that’s not entirely unappealing, but the protection of Rin comes first.

“Blade of the Immortal” opens with a black and white prologue, detailing Manji’s horror as he loses Machi, a simple, traumatized soul, to a small community of bounty hunters. It’s a key moment for the character, who learns the limits of his authority, and the film, offering an orgy of ultraviolence right away, tracking Manji’s progress as he takes on the entire group at once, slicing and dicing opponents with ferocity. The gore is a Miike specialty, with the helmer delivering potent visuals before the story even begins, bravely staging what would be a climax for other productions as an opener for his movie. It certainly grabs attention, aided by the strangeness of the blood worms, which are shoved into his gut by Yaobikuni, gifting Wolverine-style restorative powers to the dying man, allowing him to keep going no matter how dire the fight.

Miike isn’t kidding around with “Blade of the Immortal,” which runs a 140 minutes and feels it. The helmer takes his time with the story, which is something of a road picture, following Manji and Rin as they cross the land, getting to know each other as they encounter specialized assassins. The bulk of the viewing experience highlights these deadly encounters, with Manji facing off against strange foe, including a fellow immortal who’s loved and lost so much during his extended years, sharing the pain of his life with Manji, giving the feature the feel of a “Highlander” sequel. And there’s Makie, a woman hiding dangerous blades in a guitar, ready to kill Manji and Rin, but she can’t get past the guilt she carries, conflicted about taking lives while on the verge of eliminating her targets. Personalities are vivid and action is incredibly savage, with amputations a common sight, giving “Blade of the Immortal” bursts of grotesque energy to break through the pacing glaze, while performances are solid all around, best when communicating the fatigue of combat and the agony of bodily repair.

Blade of the Immortal Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Blade of the Immortal" favors sharpness when it comes to showcasing make-up achievements and various locations. Textures on skin, mangled and otherwise, are open for study, delivering aging particulars and sliced flesh during close-ups. The viewing experience remains dimensional, with background information easily accessible, handling the mean glares contained within the large gatherings of swordsman, and village visits preserve set decoration. Colors retain snap and purpose, leading with deep blood reds, and primaries are handled with care on costuming. Painted faces also retain their odd hues. Forest visits deliver evocative greenery. Delineation is satisfactory, clarifying evening encounters. Some mild banding is detected.

Blade of the Immortal Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't as crazily circular as some listeners may be hoping for, leading with more of a frontal charge to best provide action intensity. Surrounds are utilized for atmospherics, which offer the living world of the outdoors, and wooden interiors provide some echo. Periodic acts of violence push outward as well. Dialogue exchanges are sharp and true, handling a collection of strange thespian choices, giving hushed banter and war cries a comfortable balance. Scoring cues register with vigor, leading with heavier drums that provide occasional low-end punch. Sound effects are precise, often favoring the clanging and ringing of swinging steel.

Blade of the Immortal Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Manji vs. 300" (18:24, HD) takes a look at the creation of the two major supersized battles that bookend the feature, with the finale alone taking 12 days to shoot. Interviews are minimal, but star Takuya Kimura shares his thoughts on the "action team" choreography and his struggle to execute complex sword moves with make-up covering one of his eyes. There's also a look at the wire work used in the film. Interestingly, director Takashi Miike is included in the extensive BTS footage, maneuvering around the set on crutches.

• Cast Interviews (56:10, HD) highlight work from Hana Sugisaki, Sota Fukuski, Hayato Ichihara, Erika Toda, Kazuki Kitamura, Chiaki Kuriyama, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, and Ichikawa Ebizo. Actual conversations are minimal (conducted on-set, they're mostly salesman stuff), with most attention put on extensive BTS footage, displaying cast and crew camaraderie, choreography, and the general work ethic of the crew.

• Interview (28:44, HD) returns to Kimura, though the featurette is more of a production diary, following the lead actor around as he works on swordsmanship, creative input, and even celebrates his birthday with a cake he doesn't appear to like.

• Poster Gallery includes seven designs from around the world.

• And American Green Band and Red Band Theatrical Trailers (4:43, HD) are included.

Blade of the Immortal Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Blade of the Immortal" isn't wall-to-wall action, adding some political conflicts which, for obvious reasons, aren't quite as gripping as the physical challenges, though Miike creates a defined mood of unrest as power plays rise up, respect is demanded, and Anotsu clarifies his quest for community authority, taking villages by force. The story offers a few twists and turns to help with suspense needs, finding Rin led by emotion, not good sense, which muddies the water in terms of her allegiance to Manji. "Blade of the Immortal" does build to a battle royal finale which delivers requisite Miike madness, extending butchery as far as it can go, offering a suitable payoff to an epic endeavor, and one that's not shy to display the director's fetishistic fixations on the trials of honor and collection of severed limbs.