LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATH aka Shogun Assassin 2: Lightning Swords of Death / Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades / Lupine Wolf / Baby Cart / Baby Cart in Hades / Sword of Vengeance, Part III / Lend an Army / Lend a Child / 1972 Samurai Movie - Starring: Tomisaburo Wakayama, Go Kato, Yuko Hamada, Isao Yamagata, Akihiro Tomikawa - Directed by: Kenji MisumiThen they threw an army at him, and he threw it back... a piece at a timeIn the third film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, Ogami Itto volunteers to be tortured by Yakuza to save a prostitute, and is hired by their leader to kill an evil chamberlain. These movies were infamous for their incredibly brutal and bloody swordplay sequences, but equally impressive IMHO was the leading actor- Tomisaburo Wakayama a.k.a. "Lone Wolf" was surely the greatest martial arts star ever. The command and authority with which he wielded a sword (and other weapons) was just phenomenal. The blade truly was an extension of himself, and his use of it was the definition of lethal, with none of the unnecessary/show-off flourishes so desperately thrown about by today's wannabes. He had incredible presence and charisma- easily on a par with the likes of say Eastwood or Bronson- with eyes that reflected pure death, and the desolation in his soul. There were moments in the "Babycart" series where you'd swear he was the personification of his namesake, the Wolf. You never doubted for one second that he WAS shogun executioner, masterless samurai, assassin for hire. One look at him in action, and you could readily understand why his enemies trembled at the mention of his name, and ran from him in sheer terror. Alas, Lone Wolf is one with void now, but his legend will live on forever in these films.Impressively violent. Lone wolf is hired to kill a minor official who murdered a madam's sister. He ends up taking on, and killing an entire army. An Incredibly high body count. Very spaghetti western in style. Good if you like lots of swordplay and rapid evisceration.
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