Plot: What’s it about?
Japan has become a dark, imposing place of late, a nation where freedom and individual rights have been abandoned. The government has moved into the trade of repression, in order to serve its own interests and control its citizens. As always, some residents followed behind their leaders in the government, just to avoid a conflict. But some weren’t so eager to surrender their freedoms, so rebellions soon surfaced. Even as these rebels and other rogue forces cause chaos throughout the lands, the government fights a bitter war to keep them under control, which is not a fruitful effort. The House of Takemikazuchi was a band of assassins who served the government, taking out key rebel figureheads and ending some standoffs. But the lure of added riches and a better cause soon forced a rift between the two factions. Now the House of Takemikazuchi runs as a freelance service, one which has a traitor in its ranks. Yuki (Yomiku Shaku) is a beautiful young woman that works with the group, but she is not just a pretty girl, instead she is one of the most lethal assassins in their stable. Now she is given the task of revealing the traitor, then dealing with the scoundrel in vicious fashion. But as she delves deeper into the assignment, she must battle not only her enemies, but also her own past…
I had heard a lot of positive hype on The Princess Blade, so I was eager to check out this release from ADV Films. The case seems to promise action overload, with more sword battles than you shake a katana at, which sounded good to me. And with a hot chick in the lead role, the slice and dice action could only be that much cooler. As it turns out, The Princess Blade is not the wild, non stop slash festival some claim, instead it is a slow moving drama bookended with two wicked, epic battle sequences. I have no problem with a slow pace, but this movie begs to be cut loose and comes off as dull at times. The focus should have been placed on the action, as whenever the heat is cranked up, the movie is ten times more enjoyable. I could understand if the drama was well crafted and woven into the action theme, but that isn’t the case. Instead, the film grinds to a halt whenever the drama kicks in, which is a real disappointment. The acting is more than solid, but this just seems like two productions thrown into one picture. When it is good, The Princess Blade is very good, but it is unable to maintain that level of entertainment. I wouldn’t call this a bad movie, as it has some great moments, but this could have been much better. ADV Films’ release is passable, but has an inferior transfer and none of the supplements found in other regions. But if you can’t import, this edition of The Princess Blade is worth a rental.
Video: How does it look?
The Princess Blade is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. The case lists the aspect ratio as full frame, but that is just a misprint and the transfer is indeed widescreen. But the good news doesn’t last, as this edition seems to be taken from a video source, as opposed to actual film elements. This results in a soft, unrefined visual presentation and that is a let down. The image is still more than reasonable, but lacks the crisp and sharp presence of imported versions. The colors and contrast seem in good order, though blacks levels are lessened by the overall softness. I do think ADV Films has given us a solid treatment, given the lack of original elements, but I think fans would have rather waited until those elements were available, in order to have an improved visual effort.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original Japanese soundtrack is preserved here, though it isn’t given the same level of attention as the English dub option. The English track is in full Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, while the original Japanese is presented in 2.0 surround. So we have a superior altered soundtrack, when almost fans will opt for the original, intended language track. The Japanese track sounds good, with a good level of surround presence and such, but lacks the overall impact and range of the full on 5.1 English soundtrack. Even so, I won’t complain too much, as the audio is more than solid, though a Japanese 5.1 option would have been excellent. This disc also includes optional English subtitles, should you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
