13 Assassins [DVD]

Takashi Miike directs this larger-than-life samurai adventure set in mid-19th century Japan. Koji Yakusho stars as respected samurai warrior Shinzaemon Shimada, who gathers together 13 skilled assassins to bring down the evil Lord Naritsugu (Goro Inagaki), a merciless killer who gets his kicks from brutally murdering women and children. The film ends with a 45-minute battle sequence in which the 13 assassins take on an army of 200 men, dispensing with them in a profusion of inventive and surprising ways.