Review of 'Sword of the Stranger'

This tells the story of a young boy that “hires” a mysterious man in feudal Japan. It turns out that the boy is the target of a group of priests from China (where the boy used to live) that need to sacrifice him to give imortal life to the emperor. The animation here is superb and the animation also very good. This is largely an understated movie up until the climatic encounter at the end. I did find the boy a bit grating at times leading to a bit of over-sentimentality but largely this is an enjoyable movie. Note that is also a bit of a blood-fest with many scenes involving copious amounts of it never mind flying heads, limbs, etc. The animation is very good indeed with a romantic and often minimalist approach. Quite enjoyable all-round.

Rating: “Really good but I have some issues”

Review Date: 2008-10-05

Directed by: Masahiro Ando

Studio: Bones

Year: 2007

Length: 103 minutes

Genre: Animation

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1121794/