Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) and his young son Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa) continue to wander through Edo Japan, messily dispatching various samurai, mercenaries and ninja whenever necessary in this, the third installment of the compellingly violent 'Baby cart' series. While a bit slower paced then the previous adventures, this outing still has the over-the-top bloodletting the series is known for and a couple of rape/attempted rape scenes that are more realistic (and more disturbing) than ludicrously grisly fights. Once again, the samurai code of honour (or at least a cinematic version thereof) is central to the story. I realise that honour and loyalty are complex and often conflicting, but it seems odd that killing three innocent victims of crimes perpetrated by low-life mercenaries was the act of an honorable person simply because the victims' testimonies would have reflected badly on the lord for whom the criminals were working - maybe I just 'don't get' bushido, but that seems a bit of a stretch. The changing world of the (cinematic) samurai again is on display as more guns and explosives show up, wielded both by villains and heroes (a pistol in a Edo-period jidaigeki is like a machine gun in a western - both are harbingers of the end of an era). Once again, Wakayama is excellent as the laconic father and the softer scenes between him and his young son (such as the water fight) are used sparingly but effectively to establish their odd relationship (as fellow travellers on "The Demon Path in Hell" rather than simply a wandering father and son). All in all, a gruesomely entertaining entry in a unique series of jidaigeki sword-operas.
