Media Monday.

 
It’s that time again. Time for Media Monday and the final installment in the “Lone Wolf and Cub” series. “Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell.” I really can’t wait to finish this series of posts. I really enjoy these movies and telling all of you about them. So check after the jump for all the info.

“Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell” is the sixth and last installment of the series. It once again sees the return of stars Tomisaburo Wakayama and Akihiro Tomikawa as Ogami Itto and Daigoro Itto respectively. Minoru Ohki also reprises his role as Retsudo Yagyu. We get a new director  this time out. In Yoshiyuki Kuroda. He is the third director to take part in this series. He does a much better job than Buichi Saito.  The new director brings a new visual setting. Snow. There is also another change in the music once again. This time we have a funky 70’s style score.  Unlike in the fourth movie the change in music is not over powering.

And we see that the  baby kart has skis. which mean it can go over land, sand, water, and now snow. It the thing could fly it would be the coolest vehicle ever.

At the beginning of the movie see Retsudo Yagyu being scolded by the emperor. The emperor is asking why it has taken so long for Ogami Itto to be captured. The fact that Itto has alluded the Yagyu makes the Kogi Kaishakunin seem weak. The emperor is being pushed to turn Itto into a federal criminal so that all of the lower lords and their men can hunt for him. If he has to do this than the office of Kogi Kaishakunin will lose even more respect.

Retsudo promises the emperor that this will not happen. He has one child left. A daughter named Kaori. He tells the emperor that she is stronger than her brothers and will finish the job. We see her training. She uses two daggers that she juggles. We watch as Kaori kills three men in quick succession as a form of training.

After the training, we learn that the Shadow Yagyu is down to only two members Retsudo and his daughter. Everything depends on Kaori being able to kill Itto. She is given Itto's location by another man. He ask if she would like his men to accompany her. She declines. He pushes noting that his men found Itto. This maker her laugh. Kaori asks if his men would be able to kill Itto. I found this funny. She thinks she will be able to kill Itto. After everything Itto has done I don't think there is any one person who would be able to kill him.

Daigoro is not happy, but he is adorable.

After that exchange we move to Itto and Daigoro on there journey. The girl is using hidden messages to follow them. Itto and Daigoro make their way to a cemetery. There they visit the grave of Itto's wife and Daigoro's Mother. Itto tells her that he is taking Daigoro into the heart of Edo so that he may finally kill Retsudo and restore the family name. As he prays he senses something. He grabs the baby cart and fires it's hidden guns. In doing so he kills a group of men who had hidden themselves in the walls. Daigoro watches this with a look of anger. I guess he doesn't like disturbing his mother's resting place. Dairgoro's angry face is priceless.

As Kaori catches up with Itto and Daigoro she finds Daigoro playing with other children. Unsure of which one he is she calls his name and soon finds him. He begins to walk off so she juggles for him. Daigoro watches until his father arrives. When Itto is near Daigoro catches on of the beanbags, Kaori was using to juggle with, and ends the show. Itto and Daigoro begin to walk away but stop when Itto notices that the beanbag is filled with iron beads. He asks who Kaori is and she tells him.

She is the daughter of Retsudo Yagyu and is there to avenger the death of her three brothers. They square off against each other in a field. Kaori has the sun to her back and uses it to her advantage. That is until Daigoro ties a mirror to his head, like in the first movie, and sits on his father's shoulders. Itto inches forward slightly but stops when he realizes that he would be close enough for Kaori to use her daggers. She attacks anyway and is killed by Itto. Just like her brothers. For some reason, maybe because Daigoro took a liking to her, Itto and Daigoro go through the hassle of burying her.

"Wait, the guy that killed my three sons, killed my daughter? Damn."

When Retsudo learns that his daughter is dead there is only one thing for him to do. He and a few of his men ride into the mountains. Retsudo finds a hidden place and calls for someone. It turns out that Retsudo had another childe. An illegitimate son named Hyouei Yagyu from a concubine. He sent the child away alone into the mountains. The child was adopted into a tribe and raised as one of their own.

"In summary, Fuck You!"

RetsudoYagyu and most kill Itto for them. He refuses. He sees the tribe, the Tsuchigumo, as his only family and will nothing for Retsudo. He leaves his father and we follow him to a ceremony. Three caskets are unearthed. each holding a man. These men were buried for 42 days. This was done to make them more than mortal. He tells these men they are to kill Itto so that the Tsuchigumo  can replace the Yagyu.

A FUCKING MISSILE!

From here we more to Itto and Daigoro as the continue on their journey. They pass by a toy on the ground. Daigoro notices it but does not try to pick it up. A woman, who had been behind them, retrieves the toy and gives it to Daigoro. After remarking about how cute Daigoro is she continues on her way. When, out of fucking nowhere, a missile blows her up. I am dead serious. Although it may have been a rocket. Whatever it is it comes out of nowhere and blows her the fuck up.

Next we see Itto and Daigoro pass by a man selling candy. Itto buys Daigoro one and they continue on their way. Later, while refilling their canteens, Daigoro notices something floating in the water. It is a drum. Right behind the drum is the hat the man selling candy was wearing. In the hat is the man's arm. When Itto sees this a voice begins to speak. The voice tells Itto that wherever he and his son go innocent people will die.

The voice is from one of the three men. We see them, after this, digging into the ground. Once they have dug a large enough hole they push themselves through the dirt like worms or moles. I guess they have the ability to travel underground due to their 42 days in a casket. It makes about as much sense as the FUCKING MISSILE.

As night falls Itto and Daigoro make their way to an Inn. They  rent a room and are told that food will be brought to them. The woman who was caring for them tells them that the food is prepared and she will bring it to them. She tells them this from outside their room. Even though all she has to do is slide open the door something prevents her from doing so. A few seconds pass and Daigoro investigates. He opens the door to reveal the woman dead with an arrow through her head. Itto runs through the Inn and finds everyone dead. Someone, without Itto noticing, entered the Inn and killed everyone there. Itto rushes Daigoro out and hears the voice from earlier again. It tells him that anyone he speaks to will be killed. Itto fires on the men, who are just outside the little town. They appear to float into the air unharmed.

After this Itto and Daigoro do their best to stay away from people. They buy food after dark in secret. Taking from stands and leaving money for the owners. They also take offerings left at statues. Even with this it is obvious that they are hungry.

We see the two in an open field. Itto is burying something in the ground while Daigoro uses the baby cart and a make shift bellow to heat a fire. Itto is working on something. We don't see what it is but we do see just what he buried. The three men, having watched Itto, throw a piece of meat into the open field. This attracts a bird who lands and is promptly blown up. Itto planted minds around the camp to keep Daigoro and himself safe.

"In summary. Fuck You."

As they continue on their way Itto finds that he is wanted to a job. He waits at an out of the way spot for whoever it is who wants to hire him. Eventually a man arrives. He tells Itto that he is a samurai from the Zeze clan and that he wishes to rescind his offer. Itto asks why he would even appear if that was the case. The man makes a few excuses but Itto has his doubts. The way the man carried himself and handled his sword showed that he was not a true samurai. In fact he is Hyouei and is there to kill Itto for the Tsuchigumo. He and a number of his men attack but the attack goes badly. Hyouei escapes during the battle with Ogami hot on his heels.

Even half buried in mud Itto is still dangerous.

Itto chases him but  falls into a trap. He is at Hyouei’s mercy but talks his way free. He fools Hyouei into facing him in a one on one dual. He agrees and is beaten. Although he is not killed his is close to death. Itto allows him to leave. Hyouei rushes to see his sister. He finds her in the bath and begs her to carry his child. He wants an heir to lead the Tsuchigumo as a final insult to his father. He forces himself on her only to be found by Retsudo. The sister asks that the father kill them both and he agrees.

"In summary, Fuck You"

With his last child dead Retsudo tells the tribe that they are under his command. The three men, from the caskets, tell Retsudo that they will follow their dead leaders last wishes and not him. It shows just how weak Retsudo and the Yagyu are becoming. I actually really like this scene, incest rape aside, because the men stand up to Retsudo and show no fear.

They decide to take on Itto by themselves. Itto leads them into deep snow knowing they would not be able to travel underground due to the cold. The three men attempt it anyway only to come to the same conclusion. With that way cut off to them they crawl on the snow covered in white cloth. Itto is able to hear them and attacks first. He shoots them with the guns hidden in the baby cart. Even after being shot multiple times each they continue to attack. Itto stays behind the baby cart and uses the hidden blades to impale all three. One of the men laments about how scary Itto is before they die.

Samurai on skis. Is there anything more awesome?

With them out of the way all that is left is for Itto to kill Retsudo. Retsudo, knowing this, attacks first. Since this is the end of the movie that mean it is time for Itto vs. an army. In this installment that battle is fought on snow which means Itto fights skiing samurai, skiing tribesmen, skiing ninja, sleighing samurai, and Retsudo in an armed sleigh. This is insane and ridiculous but so god damn entertaining. Itto slices and shoots his way through wave after wave of skiing bad guys.

"Damnit! He even killed the Ski Ninjas. Do you have any idea how much they cost?"

Until only Itto, Retsudo, and on last Yagyu man are left. Retsudo and the Yagyu man escape leaving Itto the last man standing. During the battle Itto lost track of Daigoro and the baby cart. Now, that the battle is over, he searches for it. The baby cart had crashed into some trees and Daigoro is nowhere in sight. Itto yells for him as he searches the woods and after a moment of anxiety Daigoro answers back. Itto calls for his son and throws his arms out. Daigoro, bundled up for the cold, walks to his father but falls a few times. The movie ends with father and son together.

This may just be my second favorite movie in the series. The first is still my favorite but this one is right up there with the second and third installments. In fact I would recommend this one above most of the other entries.  Maybe because of all the great fight scenes. Itto kills more people in this movie than any of the others. This movie is full of action, cool stunts, and great visuals. It is just so much fun. This entire series is nothing but fun. If you haven’t check it out yet than please do. You owe it to yourself.

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