Much better than the first. And a lot more story driven.

great duel sequences, but the plot is WAY too fucking confusing.

Very good,

Disappointing, but not bad. The characters and their places in the story start to become defined really well, but the story itself seems flawed. Lots of the conflict Musashi finds comes to him indirectly - other characters and situations not immediately at hand - so it seems unfocused. The photography is still good though, and Mifune shows great development in his character (but I didn't like the recasting of Matahachi). Didn't live up to the first, but it might deserve some reevaluation.

More great photography and action. The story's jumbled at first but becomes very strong by the end.

The best and most action packed film of the Samurai Trilogy, the duels in this are vicious and usually end with a single stroke.

A fantastic samurai film. Toshiro Mifune is, as always, absolutely captivating and Koji Tsuruta plays a fantastic role. The action is not brutally violent but feels real as almost every katana duel is over in seconds. Certainly one of the best films I've seen.

Samurai II: Duel At Ichijoji Temple doubles the action, increases the intensity and holds no mercy. Although I like the first one better, This races in at a close second. Also, it offers a lot more variety to the photography, performances and of course, katana duels.

?! What's wrong with Otsu duuuuuude?