Kamui Gaiden

I enjoyed this film quite alot, i liked the action scenes despite the some what corny cgi. the action scenes are something i had to suspend
my desbelief but did not take away my enjoyment from the film after all he is a Ninja.The majority of the action
is in the beginning of the film and the end of the film.
The story revolves KAMUI a ninja constantly being hunted for leaving his clan, struggling to find a place to call home where he is safe.
Through a series of events he is taken in by a small fishing village, where he might finally find what he is looking for.
I enjoyed this story as well though there are some slow points in it and can be a little bit confusing half way through the film at first
*SPOILER* (pay very close attention to the old man who likes to paint.) then you will have a better understanding of whats going on.

To some it up i really Ilked it,
if your skeptical of the cgi and the plot i recommend renting it. but if that does not bother you and your a fan
of Japanese films like me, I say buy it its worth it.

Thank You for reading i hope it's helpful.

From its very beginning, the story of the renegade ninja Kamui has been political. Created in 1967 by leftest-artist Sanpei Shirato, Kamui was a symbol of Japan's rigid social classes and rules, and the woes that befall those who try to rage against the machine. Sanpei used Kamui to tell tales of discrimination, oppression and the exploitation of workers. Since the characters first appearance in Garo magazine, Kamui has been adapted into anime and continuing manga series, but this 2009 movie is I believe the first Kamui live-action film.

Directed by Yoichi Sai (Quill, Blood And Bones), "Kamui Gaiden" (translating as something along the lines of "A Supplemental Biography of Kamui," to distinguish it from Sanpei's original "Kamui Den"), this version of the Kamui story retains the political nature of the character while thrusting him into an action-packed ninja spectacular. In this film, Kamui is not only an outcast ninja but a member of the hinin-caste. Hinin, which translates as non-human, were the Japanese equivalent of the Indian Untouchables, a caste so low that they had no legal rights or dignity. Discrimination against the hinin caste continues even today, known by the term burakumin.

From birth, Kamui (Matsuyama Kenichi, Death Note) faces horrendous abuse and discrimination, like all of his caste, and his experiences causes him to harden and dedicate himself to becoming strong. He is adopted into the Iga ninja clan, where as a young boy he takes part in the assassination of Sugaru (Koyuki, The Last Samurai), a woman seeking to escape the clan. It is one of their rules; no one leaves the shinobi. Years later, now a ninja of some strength himself, Kamui finds the hunter/prey role reversed as it is Kamui who flees the shinobi and is pursued. He fights and fights, and eventually finds some sort of shelter with a fishing village on an island far from the known cities. There he meets a man Hanbei (Kobayashi Kaoru, Princess Mononoke), who offers him a life of peace and the hand of his daughter in marriage However for a man like Kamui there can be no peace, as Hanbei's wife is none other than Sugaru, still alive, and both Sugaru and Kamui find that there is nowhere they can run from their troubles.

As befits the character, "Kamui Gaiden" is a pretty dense story. Those looking for some light ninja action might find themselves with a little more plot than they bargained for. You can enjoy the film without the political background of the hinin and Japan's Edo period caste-system, but some of the finer points might be lost, as well as some of the motivation of the characters. Especially at the beginning, when a young Kamui rages against the children who pelt him with rocks asking "What is so different about me?" and in classic Shakespeare style shots "Prick me, will I not bleed?"

But the film does a good job of lightening its heavy moments with some over-the-top ninja wire-fighting. Sadly, this is something Japan has just never done as well as China, and the fight-scenes are never really more than decent. This is the first CGI-heavy film that Yoichi has done, and that is his weakness. In his films like "Quill" and "Blood and Bones," he has shown he can do intense human drama, but he is not really an action director. There is a particular rubbery shark in one scene that ruined my suspension of disbelief.

Funimations release of "Kamui Gaiden" is superb, with other 45 minutes worth of extra features including a "Making of" and "Behind the scenes."

Kamui Gaiden is a quite an enjoyable film if look past at the cheesy CGI effects and a farfetched story. Kamui Gaiden is loosely based of the popular manga series in Japan and developed a anime series in the late 60's. It's starts off slow but gradually picks up to explain some of the characters' motives. Or you looking for a movie to blow off the weekend then this movie for you.