Zatoichi, cert 18

JOEL SAWYER

ZATOICHI is the best thing in crazy subtitled Japanese movies since sliced bread.

Based on a cult action anti-hero, Zatoichi follows the adventures of a blind master swordsman as he saves a village from the clutches of the Ginzo gang.

This is a quirky, often hilarious and thoroughly violent film that tries - and succeeds - to touch base with as many film genres as you can shake a stick at.

There are enough fight scenes to keep Matrix fans happy, some superb slices of well-choreographed slapstick comedy to keep Laurel and Hardy fans amused and emotive tales of murder, prostitution and revenge to keep everyone else ticking along nicely.

And to round it all off, the film ends with a wonderful dance sequence.

What really made this film something special for me were the tiny details - such as the way a group of farmers batter out a complex and funky rhythm as they work a field, and the mad neighbour who runs around in not-much-at-all, screaming his head off, pretending to be a samurai warrior.

Zatoichi, for all his seemingly feeble and old man ways, is an evil so-and-so when he gets angry and is forced to put his lightning-quick sword skills to use.

Slowly, he works his way through the gang to get to the ringleader, which is when he dishes out some revenge on behalf of two geisha friends, whose parents were killed by the mob.

A fantastic romp that is well worth tracking down for a special night out. It is now showing at Bolton's Valley Centertainment UGC cinema.