Blade of the Immortal

"Blade of the Immortal opens in media res, as Takuya Kimura’s samurai lays waste to his attackers. The sounds of steel and sliced flesh are familiar from Takashi Miike’s previous feudal epics 13 Assassins and Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai. It’s shot in gorgeous black and white. There’s an unfortunate joke about a horse turd."

"The 100th feature by genre master Takashi Miike transcends conventions of Japanese swordplay films with both fantasy and graphic violence."

"Though not nearly as mindful or meaty as Mr. Miike's 2011 triumph, "13 Assassins," "Blade" is creatively gory fun."

"The veteran Japanese director’s 100th film concerns a warrior who is able to grow back his own limbs. It is undeniably gross, but also a lot of fun"

"This film is a rollicking, hilarious, blood-drenched relentless crowd pleaser for pretty much every one of its 141 minutes."

"Miike is on fine form, never losing his sense of humour, or sense of character, even as yet another axe is embedded in yet another skull."

"Miike retains his twisted sense of humour, with mangling and disemboweling deployed for comic effect. And after 99 movies, he certainly knows how to make action memorable."

"The new film is more irreverent than either of those earlier ones, and less memorable, though there are still pleasures to be had..."