Rating: **
Review Date: 11/22/25
Cast: Tomisaburo Wakayama, Tomoko Mayama, Minoru Oki
After being taxed to the point of starvation, the farmers of Enoki Village plan to revolt and take refuge in a fort while they appeal to the capital and await an inevitable attack. Somehow, bounty hunter Ichibei Shikoro (Tomisaburo Wakayama) gets dragged into helping the farmers, and he turns the tide of battle by unveiling a gatling gun and mowing down dozens of surprised soldiers in hilarious Spaghetti Western fashion. Of course, the violence escalates and the film ends with a complete massacre that Ichibei and Kagero (Tomoko Mayama) barely survive.
This film is remarkably different from the previous "Killer's Mission"(1969), and Ichibei Shikoro isn't the same character at all. He's still a bounty hunter, but he's not a spy, he doesn't use outlandish gadgets, and he's not in the service of the Shogunate. Curiously, in this film he's primarily a doctor, who just works as a bounty hunter on the side to pay the bills. However, he's still romantically involved with Kagero, although it's not entirely clear if they're married, since she's a ninja and they seem to live apart. It's also strange that Kagero is played by Tomoko Mayama in this film, because she played a different character in "Killer's Mission" that died, which makes things a little confusing.
Tomisaburo Wakayama gives an excellent performance, but he's noticeably gained weight in this film. It also feels like a vanity project for him, and his ego leaves a bit of a bad taste. The humor is awkward and misplaced, and much like the previous film there's a goofy sidekick who tags along for no apparent reason. Except that this time there's no hidden agenda, and the running gag is that he has gonorrhea. Because STDs are always good for a laugh. And like Kagero, it's also confusing because he's played by the same actor who played the goofy sidekick in the first film, except that he died. The fight scenes are toned down in favor of excessive gunplay, which is considerably easier to perform and film, but ultimately less interesting to watch. And after seeing so many people get shot, it quickly becomes boring. The blood effects are decent, and there are about a half dozen slow motion close-up shots of exploding wounds that are laughably gratuitous.
Overall, despite the heavy-handed drama, I was never engaged in the story and didn't really care how it turned out. It looks good and is well-made, and the music score has a unique Italian flair to it. Even more than the previous film, the Spaghetti Western influence is intentionally obvious. It's more of a remake and a standalone film, and Kagero is the only hint of any continuity in the series. I'm curious to see how the third film plays out.