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Movies / On DVD / The Princess Blade
The Princess Blade

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The Princess Blade (2003)

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Reviews Counted:26

Fresh:15

Rotten:11

Average Rating:6/10

Consensus: The action is fast and tightly choreographed, but The Princess Blade never draws its disparate elements into a compelling movie.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong violence

Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:Aug 8, 2003 Limited

Synopsis: Model and rising pop star Yumiko Shaku stars as Princess Yuki in this thrilling Japanese martial arts actioner based on comic-book characters created by Kazuo Koike and Kazuo Kamimura. Yuki is the... Model and rising pop star Yumiko Shaku stars as Princess Yuki in this thrilling Japanese martial arts actioner based on comic-book characters created by Kazuo Koike and Kazuo Kamimura. Yuki is the last surviving royal of the House of Takemikazuchi, who arrive in a futuristic post-apocalyptic isolationist world where they use their skills as former Mikado guards to become hired assassins. Essayist and actor Hideaki Ito plays Takashi, leader of the rebel movement, who offers Yuki a chance at revenge--and perhaps love. Theater veteran Yoichi Humata is excellent in the key role of the wise old sage Kuka, who gives Yuki information that changes her life--and her destiny. And Kyusaku Shimada is appropriately villainous as Byakurai, who has a dangerous connection to Yuki. With THE PRINCESS BLADE, Shinsuke Sato has crafted an impressive feature-film directorial debut, with able assistance from action director Donnie Chen and special effects master Shinji Higuchi. The settings of many of the fight scenes are cast in gloomy grayness and foggy shadows. Taro Kawazu's cinematography beautifully matches the mood of this classic tale of good versus evil. [More]

Starring: Yumiko Shaku, Hideaki Ito, Shiro Sano, Yoichi Numata

Starring: Yumiko Shaku, Hideaki Ito, Shiro Sano, Yoichi Numata, Kyusaka Shimada, Yoko Maki

Director: Shinsuke Sato

Director: Shinsuke Sato
Screenwriter: Kei Kunii, Shinsuke Sato
Producer: Sato Shiho, Taka Ichise
Composer: Kenji Kawai

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Nov 18, 2003

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Princess Blade

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/26/09
Derek Elley
Derek Elley
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A fine remake of "Lady Snowblood," with Donnie Yen fight choreograpy to boot

comment Comment
10/22/05
Pete Vonder Haar
Pete Vonder Haar
Film Threat

the film's opening action sequence is the first of several that are likely to have you thumbing the backscan button because they look so damn cool (and are so damn fast).

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
02/21/04
Brian Mckay
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Herald | comment Comment
02/02/04
Paul Sherman
Paul Sherman
Boston Herald

Action directors take note: This is how it’s done.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
10/05/03
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle

Sato seems to be trying to make several different movies at once, and none of them comes through strongly enough to carry the film.

Full Review Source: Las Vegas Weekly | comment Comment
09/25/03
Josh Bell
Josh Bell
Las Vegas Weekly

[Yumiko Shaku] doesn't project the confidence or menace that the role requires. Trying to pass her off as a stone-cold assassin is like casting Britney Spears as Marie Curie -- it just doesn't jibe.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
09/20/03
Gary Dowell
Gary Dowell
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A brooding atmosphere -- which is critic-speak for 'everybody wears black, and the whole thing was lighted with a single 40-watt bulb' -- permeates this dystopian thriller.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
09/19/03
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

It has stylish fighting, but the story doesn't live up to the talent of the fight choreographer.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
09/19/03
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
09/13/03
Boston Phoenix

Its corny streak brings the movie too close to cut-rate Chinese Opera epics than should be allowed.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
08/22/03
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Great movie, mediocre script.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
08/22/03
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The cast, in its quiet, iconic way, is superb.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
08/22/03
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

By turns violent and brooding, it's stronger on style than on substance, but genre fans might find it at least sporadically amusing.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
08/17/03
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

The beautiful, elegant swordfights are filmed clearly and poetically, and even the down-time between battles doesn't drag too badly.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
08/15/03
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

The Princess Blade would have been better off forgetting the love story and concentrating on the kick-ass action.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
08/08/03
V.A. Musetto
V.A. Musetto
New York Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Has all the makings of a cult film.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
08/08/03
Kevin Thomas
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A stylish Japanese effort adapted from a popular manga that blends the thematic substance of a Toho Samurai epic with the quicksilver visceral assault of a Shaw Brothers Wuxia swordsman saga.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
08/08/03
Wade Major
Wade Major
Boxoffice Magazine

The Princess Blade boasts some of the most dazzling fight choreography in recent memory.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
08/08/03
Timothy Knight
Timothy Knight
Reel.com

Adventurous viewers will find this unusual genre hybrid an intriguing experience.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
08/07/03
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide
 
 
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