 |   Format : Color, Content/Copy-Protected CD, Dolby, DVD, NTSC Publisher : KOCH VISION Company : Koch International List Price: Our Price: $9.37 You Save: $10.61 (54%) Used Price : $7.97 |
Description
In 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry anchored his fleet in the shadow of Mount Fuji in Yokohama Bay. His arrival awoke Japan from a sleep of centuries.In a feudal society torn between those who wish to move into the modern world and the rebel clans sworn to the "old ways," Perry pushes for a treaty to open the country, which the Shogun agrees to sign. But before the signing can take place, a fanatical group of samurai abducts a gift from the Shogun intended for the U.S. President. It is a national treasure of sacred significance to the Japanese – the great sword known as the Bushido Blade. The treaty cannot be signed until the Blade is recovered. It is an urgent and dangerous quest.
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Customer reviews
A Cut Above 
by .. James Bond 007 (Ft. Worth Texas)
I enjoyed this film a lot. Of course I'm a Toshiro Mifune fan, not to mention I've always liked Richard Boone. This isn't Macbeth, but it doesn't try to be or need to be. It's simply a good story with good acting. If you enjoy Shogun you will probably enjoy this as well.
Toshiro Mifune and Sonny Chiba, two greats, together for a fleeting moment 
by .. Master Killer (Island of Misfit Toys, USA)
What attracted me to this movie in the first place was the chance to see my two favorite Japanese actors on the screen together, sadly Mifune and Chiba only have one brief scene together. So this leaves the rest of the film to stand on it's own, and I must admit, I was suprised that it turned out to be an enjoyable piece of entertainment, but nothing more. The important thing to remember here is that this is an American movie, not a Japanese film, so you can't compare it to the great Samurai films of Kurosawa or Hiroshi, and disapointingly, Mifune is not the star, and dose not partake in any of the sword play or battles. What we do have is an entertaining attempt by westerners to make a samurai movie with truely mixed results, too many westerners in swordplay when what we really want is samurai on samurai action, but the cast dose have a showstopping scene-stealing appearance by James Earl Jones. Sonny Chiba, who has a slightly larger role than Mifune, dose get a little bit of swordplay in towards the end of the movie. Frank Converse as the film's main hero, is just okay, but Richard Boone is in here in his last role. So, it's safe to say that the cast is what makes this movie, love it or hate it, or just enjoyed it, as I did, the cast can't be denyied it's brillance. It is important as Mifune and Chiba's only film together, sorta like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood being together for us westerners, still in many ways a weak movie. It wants to be James Clavell's SHOGUN, and is in some ways similar to Ed Zwick's THE LAST SAMURAI, years later, but not as classy or as well put together as those ones. Ultimately, I would say see it if you can, buy it, if the price is right, just remember it's an American movie.
Bushido Blade 
by .. David Elmore (Arkansas)
This is the single most entertaining and moving film I can recall seeing in recent years. This film was unbelievably pathetic on so many levels, ie: historical accuracy, writing, acting, plot, theme,etc., I can't begin to comment. It was entertaining in the sense we were throwing things at OUR screen while correcting all the inaccuracies, poor writing and just plain bad acting. I was moved through a variety of emotions while watching this film, including, anger, disgust, nausea, and shock. No mortal is perfect and we all have to eat but how they EVER got the great Toshiro Mifune involved in this film (and role) has to be the ultimate cinematic mystery of our time. My words may sound "..spiteful.." but they are as true and accurate as I can make them about this embarrassment of an American film.