Lone Wolf and Cub (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

I love this series, so when I found it at a great price, I had to add it to my collection. The Blu-ray presentation is excellent, and it's a fantastic release to own. If you're a fan of Lone Wolf and Cub or are looking to experience this classic series, the Criterion Collection edition is a great addition to any Blu-ray collection. Very happy with my purchase!

Great film series. You definitely see where Mandalorian got their inspiration from.

What started with the 1980 release of Shogun Assassin started my life-long love of Samurai movies. Lone Wolf and Cub is a series of 6 films made in 1972 and 1973, which elevated the levels of gore and violence in the genre to unprecedented levels. Along with the blood, slicing, and dicing came unforgettable characters. So now there is a Criterion collection of these films, annotated, cleaned up, and presented in high def, blue ray, level up, super-duper, hydromatic, hyperspacial, extra special format with commentary, extras, making-of documentaries, and all the usual "more stuff than you'll ever need to know about these films" stuff that Criterion is known for. Reviews of this set have been rave, and nothing but. Nobody hates it! Yes -- it even has a high def presentation of Shogun Assassin, which is an American dub and edit of the first two films (sort of a "Best of" Lone Wolf and Cub) that first introduced American Audiences to it. Great for drinking games -- just drink a shot for every kill Ogami makes, and you'll get drunk within the first 10 minutes. Tomisaburo Wakayama is Ittyo Ogami, the perpetually disheveled and unshaven hero who sliced up a body count of biblical proportions, and who was the inspiration for John Bellushi's Samurai character. The kid, Daigoro, (played by Masahiro Tomikawa) has no dialog at all, but says volumes with his eyes (or at least his constant, penetrating stare). Lone Wolf Ogami had a falling out with his insane emperor, and wanders Japan selling his services as an assassin -- provided that he's killing bad guys. One could say that this avenging lone wolf is a grittier update to the Zatoichi films, where a blind swordsman does essentially the same thing -- killing all the bad guys to save people and whole towns from being screwed over by Yakuza and other baddies, but with all the severed limbs and buckets of blood gushing from bloody stumps to make it more realistic. As a result of Lone Wolf and Cub, Shintaro Katsu resurrected his blind swordsman character, to make a couple more Zatoichi films, but in full color with blood and gore because post-Lone Wolf and Cub audiences demanded it. The whole genre of Samurai films was never to be the same from that point. Even Akira Kurosawa had to up the gore levels in his post-Lone Wolf and Cub movies like Kagemusha and Ran. Nearly every big budget and low budget Samurai flick to this day seems to have almost obligatory bloodbaths, or at least some degree of blood and gore. My Blue Ray DVD copy should be waiting in the mailbox for me when I get home. I got it for about half price. The only drawback? I never hooked up the free Blue Ray player I got for Christmas when I got my new TV. But well, now it's time for the old DVD player that I haven't used since moving in to my house, to get replaced. I think we used it a total of 2 or 3 times before going with streaming. Almost every movie we want to watch is available streaming -- but these films have eluded the streaming networks, or only crappy copies can be found online. If you've never seen Lone Wolf and Cub before, all you need to know is that you will watch them over and over, because in spite of being more or less a live action Manga, the level of action, storytelling, and WTF scenes will keep you entertained for years to come.

This includes ALL of the original Lone Wolf and Cub movies AND the full release of "Shogun Assassin" and quite a bit of additional content of interviews with those involved (who were still alive at the time). The quality of the video is very good. Subtitles (or non-subtitled Japanese) ONLY for the "Lone Wolf and Cub" movies and the "Shogun Assassin" was dubbed in English with other options. If you enjoyed the original "Shogun Assassin" you will find a significantly different experience here with much more in the "Lone Wolf and Cub" saga. All very well done and a great addition to any Manga-Lover's collection. Wear the blood splatter proudly. As a single father.. this is tops.

I originally owned this series on VHS, then on DVD. Both were dark and hard to see. This Blu-Ray set by Criterion is perfect. Much brighter, easy to see. I love having this set, a worthwhile purchase. If you like Samari movies, this is full of action. It’s not dubbed into English, so you’ll have to read subtitles. I prefer this, as the subtitles are usually a better translation than if the English audio is forced to match the lip movements. Next I need to save up and purchase the Zatoichi Blind Swordsman collection!

Loving this set! Finally an excellent HD remastered edition, with the original version and American version and and others! Was waiting for a long time to add this to my collection! Very satisfied with it!

Blue rays are out of style, but in this case they contained everything I wanted in this film series. The seller did a great job and the content is great too.

I first watched the Lone Wolf & Cub series 20 years ago, on VHS. I watched it multiple times, having found a home at an independent video store (when the still existed). A home for classic Samurai Cinema and Kung Fu theatre, and breathtaking Anime. It was through these genres I learned an amazing respect for other cultures. Comedy, drama, mystery, horror, and romance exist across all film, but each culture has unique perspective on all of them. I looked for some time to find some of these aazing films, like Mizoguchi Kenji's 47 Ronin, or Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. Jet Li's Fist of Legend, or Jackie Chan's Half a Loaf of Kung Fu. I could go on and on. The one thing that was consistent was who they were. His name is Ogami Itto. Just as Bob Smith is Bob Smith, the main character of Lone Wolf & Cub is Ogami Itto. He is not Itto Ogami. Yet for some reason as part of the remastering of this excellent work of art, the distributors felt it was important to Americanise his name in the subtitles. My name is given then family, but other cultures give the family name first, then the given name. We should not change that in our subtitles, but adapt and learn. That do otherwise is culturally disrespectful, and just plain wrong. I would have given this a 5 start save for that flaw.

Es una verdadera joya. Insuperable. Lo único raro es la profundidad de plano, a ratos parece sin editar. Parte de cualquier colección digna de cine

I can't fairly say something about this product as it came in region code A and I live in region code B so...I can't use it....and I don't understand why the hell you didn't said anything about this before you cash in my money...and I don't understand why the hell you need to put a region code on a movie which I purchased and more than that a movie made in 70's...I've purchased this as a gift for my birthday and I'm very disappointed because I can't see it...and wasn't cheap at all...shame on you

wicked movies and look good on blu ray

今年の初めに、同じくクライテリオン・コレクションの『LADY SNOW BLOOD（修羅雪姫）』 を購入して、その画質と音質の良さに感激していたので、こちらも購入しました。 さすがクライテリオン・コレクション、画質・音質とも申し分ありません。 以前から、国内盤のDVD-BOXの購入を検討していたのですが、けっこう値が張るものだったので、 購入を躊躇っていました。 シリーズ6作品収録、3枚組でこの価格は嬉しいです。

Well worth it.