WILLIAM FLANIGAN Viewed on Streaming. Production value = eight (8) stars. Director Youjirou Takita unleashes a dynamic period fantasy that seems to be targeting just about all ages. This is a spectacular Shochiku Company production loaded with foreground/background CGI effects and samurai-style sword swinging. It is also spectacularly plain silly (and boringly repetitious) rarely rising above the level of a cartoon populated (for the most part) by actresses/actors (vice digital composites thereof). The Director seems to have given his cast free rein resulting in uniform melodramatic and hammy performances. Cinematography (semi-wide screen, color) is excellent and editing is crisp. But scene lighting can be a bit on the dark side (perhaps to disguise digital shortfalls?). Sound field is good. Subtitles are okay and use multiple colors for translation clarity (there is also a bit of expository information (in white) at the top of the screen regarding demonology during the Edo period of history). Fun to watch for almost 30 minutes. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

Naomi Chiba Unbeatable, baleful, and sinister Ashura, Queen of the Demons, has a plan to dominate this world. The Japanese film "The Eyes of Ashura's Castle" is set in the chaotic nineteenth century Edo (later Tokyo) where humans, demons, and evil spirits coexist. The Demon Wardens, a secret society, is beating invincible undead in the city. In the midst of the war between human beings and demons, Ashura's assistant Bizan notifies demon slayers about the rebirth of the impregnable queen Ashura in Edo. The story revolves around the ghostly, heartrending love relationship between dandy Kabuki actor Wakuraba Izumo and a beautiful thief named Tsubaki. He is a former star demon slayer, and she is graceful and fierce. While developing their romance, they cross a border between this world and the next, which triggers a disastrous outcome. Ultimately, their love and fate unfold by insinuating a common memory of the past that is the dramatic relationship between killing and being killed. Professional Kabuki actor Somegoro Ichikawa plays Wakuraba Izumo. He is the scion of the most famous Kabuki families whose tradition is much respected by many and recognized as one of the chief Japanese traditional art forms. His skillful and flamboyant swordplay is admirable. Rie Miyazawa, a popular Japanese actress, plays the mysteriously attractive yet ferocious Tsubaki. Directed by Academy Award winning film director Yojiro Takita, "The Eyes of Ashura's Castle" features a timeless range of cultural references to Japanese popular culture from romanticized eighteenth century Kabuki theater and its playwright Tsuruya Namboku IV's ghost stories to contemporary playful video games and computer graphics. Besides, the film skillfully adds exhilarating zombies with kimono costumes to Japanese pop music. A psychedelic mixture of old and new epitomizes the richness of Japanese popular culture. The prologue is particularly an eerie collection of some Japanese myths and ethereal symbols. For instance, a fireball is approaching to Edo while Emish, an ominous demon, is singing a parody of children's tune, "Toryanse." Further, signposts for ogres such as bridges, borders, and twilight are effectively employed. A ghost emerges at the edge of a bridge connecting this world and the next. Additionally, seas, rivers, and mountains demarcate the two worlds. Finally, the opening scene is twilight, which is a brief period of ambiguous time. It is a time of transformation from one being to another. Indeed, the times of uncertainty are chances for ethereal beings that are roaming around the human world. Furthermore, a parody of legendary horror playwright Tsuruya Namboku IV (1755-1829) plays a crucial role to unite the whole eclectic Japanese national and cultural symbols: Kabuki theater, Izumo's crimson thread magic, Tokubei's giant frog, stylized actions, and the undying Japanese ghost story, "Oiwa." Namboku produced many ghost stories for Kabuki plays, and also wrote about Tokubei's story. These cultural references from the early nineteenth century add an exotic character to the film.Consequently, the story unfurls a series of Namboku's fantastically weird tales, which include comedy, apparitions, love, tragedy, and disgust. A dreadful opening and a wonderful ending are key components of his story. Blurring this world and the next in the film, Namboku says 'which world you live in, the world has its own paradise.' The poignant story, where the lovers cannot fulfill their love in this world, clearly follows Namboku's traditional Kabuki taste.Overall, the film is entertaining and worthwhile watching.

cucina Underneath the dense green glop of computer graphics there gleamed the astounding art and skill of Ichikawa Somegoro. Alas: it got lost in all the goo. The scenes of Old Edo -- with the courtesan, drifting on the Sumida, rehearsing and acting in the Nakamura-za -- were all exciting and engaging, taking you back to an interesting and rich era. The action on the Kabuki stage, in which Somegoro excels and excites, was more enriching than any of the absurd high jinks that followed. The skill, the energy in the audience, the colors of the sets, were far more satisfying than all the nonsense that took over plot and performance. What a wasted opportunity! One of the best kabuki actors alive, and he gets lost in the dreck.

benoitlelievre I went to see Ashura as 2005 Fantasia Festival Kickoff. Man, that was one cool kick off. The director was supposed to be in Montreal for the Canadian premiere, but due to health reasons, he's still in Japan...oh lord I hope he gets better and makes plenty of other movies.The plot is pretty simple, but somewhat original...the demons are roaming in Edo in Japan and Swordsmans called "Demon Wardens" are slaying them and fearing the rebirth of Ashura, the demon goddess who's sleeping and supposedly is very kick-ass.It brings us to Izumo...some kind of elite swordsman called "Demon Slayer" and his buddy Jaku who's the typical violent jealous asshole...Seems boring? Well now it thickens....Izumo took his retirement from killing demons since he slayed a young kid on the "impression" that he was the demon, he never knew, but he did killed her. So Izumo went on with his life and recycled himself in Kabuki theater. In a boat joyride on a nice night, Izumo spots a girl hiding on a bridge and it changes his life and restart to slay demons...for the good cause, the cause of love...and damn...the guy knows how to handle a sword and to pull an entertaining massacre.Izumo carries the movie as far as playing goes...he is the total package...he knows how to fight(hell yeah he knows), he's witty, he's intelligent and he has that grit. You never have to yell :"NO IZUMO, IT'S A TRAP" The guy already knows it he has that common sense. He's really the perfect hero.As far as cinematography goes, the esthetics are pretty interesting. It's by far, the movie that looks the most like a manga. It's creamed full of special effects and nothing, at all cost will prevent this movie to look realistic...it's pretty amazing. Lots of colours an "unreal" photography, other than that...it's pretty straightforward...but like I said, the main character is carrying the movie A must see, a tale lead by masterful hands