Hideo Gosha's name is rarely brought up in discussions of the great directors of samurai films, possibly because of the way he focuses so much attention on the action scenes, which is perhaps too déclassé for movie critics. I would argue that many of his films are meaty enough to deserve comparison with the Kurosawas and Okamotos—but not this one. Don't get me wrong: although Samurai Wolf II is nobody's idea of high art, it is entertaining as hell. And…

Not just terrible, but also bad. And awful. I don't mind a lot of stupid in my movies, or movies that aren't particularly well made—in fact, you may say that I have a taste for that sort of thing—but the combination of dumb and unwatchable just makes for the worst kind of viewing experience. For example, these are the sorts of action scenes featured in this movie: the filmmakers resort not only to the shakiest of shaky cam and undercranking…

I've seen this movie a thousand times. I've watched it on a big screen in front of a yelling crowd. I've watched it in an empty theatre on a Wednesday afternoon. I've watched it on a shitty airplane headrest monitor. I've watched it on road trips, during cab rides, and between subway stops. I've watched it on my phone while walking my dog. I've watched the fan edit on a tablet in an airplane toilet. I've watched it projected on…