Zatoichi Challenged

Director Kenji Misumi returns to the series once more to direct Zatoichi Challenged, the 17th installment of the saga. Coming off from Zatoichi the Outlaw, one of the fresher entries, you might be surprised to find out that this movie is back to the old generic roots without much, if any, innovation. The plot is lifted from Fight! Zatoichi! Fight! (also directed by Misumi), except the boy that Zatoichi takes care of isn't a toddler in this case, and overall the film feels very plain, without anything new thrown onto the table.

There's a peculiar sub-plot with the baddies smuggling some dining plates with pornographic drawings on them (inspiring the excellent Criterion artwork), but it doesn't live up to the potential and in fact sounds more like a plot for a Hanzo the Razor film. The kid's acting is pretty bad, and the movie starts off like a musical, with one song after another. Luckily, it quickly abandons this idea. There's also another mystery ronin, this time a bad guy, unlike the altruistic philosopher from the previous film. Here, the movie ends with a duel between him and Zatoichi, and what makes it interesting is that the ronin's fate is radically different from the other bad guys' from the franchise.

The only thing #17 improves as opposed to #16 is the soundtrack. Sei Ikeno's music in #16 is too intrusive and melodramatic (but I forgive him, for he composed one of the best movie soundtracks ever for 1968's Affair in the Snow), while the soundtrack to #17 almost feels like it belongs in a spaghetti western.

Highlight of the film: Zatoichi slices off some guy's eyebrows.