Plot: What’s it about?
Although he has kicked ass on countless evil doers, sorcerers, and undead minions, the services of Jubei Chan are not retired just yet. Of course, Jubei is a swordsman of unmatched skill and mastery, he slays all those who cross him and with relative ease, even those who call upon the dark arts to support their own sword based skills. This time, Jubei must once again battle the forces of darkness, but this task is loaded with more danger, more lethal enemies, and more outlandish situations than ever before. A man named Yorinobu has kidnapped a female ninja, Ohiro and unless Jubei intervenes, Yorinobu will become the Lord of Darkness and all this happens right before the end of the world, just to add even more pressure. In addition to all this, he must go face to face with Necromancer Shosetsu Yui and his undead forces, which means there’s a whole lot of heads to chop off and not much time to do it within. Can even Jubei manage to secure this kind of mission, with so much on the other side, including a lethal, irresistible female assassin?
Just as the back of the case claims, Jubei is back for another round of Samurai action and if you enjoyed Samurai Armageddon, you should be pleased with this sequel. I don’t like this one as much as Samurai Armageddon, but it is fun to watch and has some memorable moments & characters, to be sure. Jubei faces legions of the undead as per usual, with some ninja chicks, a man who wishes to become the Lord of Darkness, and a woman so fine that no man can resist her, in addition to tons of sword clashes, of course. I think the main draw is just the offbeat nature of the movie, filled with unusual events and characters, which make you want to watch to see what pops up next. As with Samurai Armageddon, this installment has blood laced sword battles around every corner, so if you’re a fan of blood & gore via blades, then Jubei’s Revenge is not to be missed. You’ll also see assorted other scenes of violence, supernatural happenings, and of course, some naked young women to spice up the whole mess. It isn’t for everyone, but if you like bizarre samurai pictures, then Jubei’s Revenge is more than recommended.
Video: How does it look?
Jubei’s Revenge is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. As with Samurai Armageddon, the image is not too impressive, but I didn’t expect it to even look this good. Although soft and worn at times, the print remains clean enough for the most part, all things considered. The colors look solid, though not as vivid as I would like, while contrast is firm and stable, but not too sharp overall. The main issue is the softness, as the image lacks fine detail and such, but is by no means terrible. Yes, it would be cool to have a restored & remastered edition, but I suspect this is as good as it will get for Jubei’s Revenge and in truth, the image is not too bad.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc houses acceptable, but not too memorable audio tracks in both English & Japanese, just press your “audio” button to switch. On Samurai Armageddon, this was not the approach used and this method is much better, without a doubt. The audio is basic, but effective and I never had any real problems, so fans should be satisfied. I found the battle sounds to be well placed, while dialogue is clean and easy to understand, although the English dub is hilarious, thanks to some of the worst voice talent ever used on a language dub option. You can also enable English subtitles if you’d like, but they are optional, just as it should be.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some liner notes, which provide additional background information on elements from the picture.
