Even several minutes into the film you become attached to all ten of the assassins and even their teacher (though you don’t know it yet.) Watching Azumi I felt close to her while she went through so many hardships. Falling in love, betrayal, revenge and a constant urge to keep fighting on, even when it seemed that all hope was lost. I just wanted to stop the movie, give her a hug and tell her that she would be all right.
Music: I can’t really recall too much music. What I do remember is that the music reflected the scene around the characters. It wasn’t too modern or loud. It was quiet, in the background adding to what was going on.
Cast/Acting: I gotta say I blame Ueto Aya for making fall for Azumi. It’s like I said earlier, I just wanted to hold her and comfort her and it’s all because of Ayas intense performance. It seems as if she isn’t just pretending to be Azumi, a female ninja whose heart was torn and turned to stone. It’s as if she is Azumi, fighting on to complete her mission no matter what.
The other performances are just as spectacular but Aya is the star and she is the one you focus on the most.
Rewatch Value: 9
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A Masterpiece from Japan!
This movie is available in several languages, including English...First of all, the cinematography is GREAT in this film! They found geography to make it seem you are back in the days when the movie took place and their wardrobe dept effectively captured the era's common people's attire..
Azumi is an orphan who is found by the master training assassins, who goal is to kill the main warlords who continue killing, raping and plundering the innocent people of the time period. Azumi joins the tough training regime and excels in it.
The only reason I only gave it a 9.5 was when he 'reduced' his assassin team in half and also, their reaction to what was happening in the first village they came upon. Neither were necessary.
The team 's goal is to complete the mission no matter what, and to kill or be killed in its completion.
Tragedy takes two of its members, but the rest continue their mission. Later, two more members and the Master die, leaving Azumi and Nagara (Ishigaki Yuma).
It is pure action from end to end, with tidbits of emotional touches in between.
The choreographer for this movie's swordplay must have worked overtime and deserves his own award for his or her work, as well as the cast, who must have spent hundreds of hours perfecting the fight scenes! A special note of appreciation to the psychotic white-clad assassin, who was released from jail to deal with the assassin squad team formed which was trained to kill the warlords.
I have never seen a movie with Ueto Aya in it before, who played Azumi, but I will definitely look for more of her movies; likewise all of the support staff effectively played their parts and backed Ueto Aya's performance here.
RE-WATCH - you bet!
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A B, better, C movie...
I love Martial arts and Samurai movies, mangas and anime!I wanted so much to like this one…
STORY – the story is very good. Power struggle between 2 factions. The notion of honour and personal sacrifice for a better collective outcome.
Azumi is one of 10 amazing assassins trained in a remote mountain for a mission of preventing a war. She is gorgeous, the best of them and was chosen to accomplish the mission of killing 3 war lords. And there it goes…
ACTING – some of the actors were skilled and agile. Azumi was not the best of them, I think this movie lacked good choreography and it lacked good athletes and performers in the fight scenes…
MUSIC – I really did not pay attention, so I think it was not so special to me.
REWATCH – I do not think I will. Mostly because the fight scenes were not good enough and the plot was not so dense.
OVERALL – I am European, so I thought the Arnold movie Commando was the one where more people were killed. I think this surpasses that one, with not so good choreography or acting. There are some interesting characters and that’s it.
In 2003 there are excellent technology and choreographers. Maybe they were on vacation...
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In memory of the original 10
This is actually good! It's slow at first, building the story of the group of assassins. Then it picks up and showed us amazing sword choreography. Great acting by Ueto Aya and even though she looks beautiful and pretty, she was able to exude her character's fierceness and one-mindedness of a true assassin. I can not help but compare her to Battousai whenever Azumi the Assassin shows up.In memory of the original 10, and the perfectness of the production, story, and cast, I give this a perfect 10.
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