FORMAT: BLU-RAY
Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance kicks off with a great, long, unbroken tracking shot of Lady Snowblood (Meiko Kaji, who is excellent once again) hacking up a bunch of bandits with her sword without even breaking a sweat. There’s also a similarly breathtaking shot minutes later when she goes toe to toe with some cops. And all this before the title even pops up on the screen! Unfortunately, this is about where the movie tops out, but it still remains a solid sequel through and through.
This time out, Lady Snowblood is arrested for her crimes in the first movie. She is rescued from the gallows by a crooked government official who wants her to spy on a revolutionary. Gradually, she is swayed into joining his cause. Later, when he and his fellow anarchists are found murdered, Lady Snowblood springs into action.
Love Song of Vengeance is a fun samurai flick, but it is a noticeable step down compared to the original Lady Snowblood. The biggest debit is that it’s more or less a political intrigue thriller. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it lacks the punch of a typical revenge flick. Since Lady Snowblood has already satisfied her need for revenge, it’s missing the urgency of its predecessor. Furthermore, it feels like she gets sidelined once the plot focuses on the revolutionary and his estranged doctor brother. Still, the sword fights are fairly graphic as we get a pretty good knife in the face effect and a gnarly punctured eyeball scene.
This isn’t a bad flick overall. Far from it. It’s just that the original casts a long shadow. I also wish Kaji had more to do during the middle section. While the film is bookended with some great swordplay, it certainly loses some spark once she becomes a bystander to the action. The film also sports a fine electronic-inspired score, although I personally missed the theme song from the original.
AKA: Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance. AKA: Web of Treachery.
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