Zatoichi
Seen it?2003 | 116 min | Adventure, Drama, Action
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It earned strong reviews (87% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it made about 14 times its budget, despite little lasting buzz. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for action fans. If you loved Road to Perdition, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Exciting.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 56 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
Blind traveler Zatoichi is a master swordsman and a masseur with a fondness for gambling on dice games. When he arrives in a village torn apart by warring gangs, he sets out to protect the townspeople.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
87% on Rotten Tomatoes, 75 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.2 out of 10
- AwardsWeak
1 win and 1 nomination from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$34 million worldwide on a $3 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 40K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Takeshi Kitano
- Takeshi KitanoZatoichi / Ichi
- Tadanobu AsanoHattori Genosuke
- Michiyo YasudaTante Oume
- Yui NatsukawaOshino
- Guadalcanal TakaShinkichi
- Daigorô TachibanaGeisha Seitaro O-Sei Naruto
- Yuko DaikeGeisha Okinu Naruto
- Ittoku KishibeBoss Inosuke Ginzo
- Saburo IshikuraOgi
- Akira EmotoPub Owner