Ogami Ittō is the former executioner to the shogun (Japanese military dictator), now a ronin living on the road as an assassin-for-hire with his three-year-old son Daigoro.
The fourth film in the Lone Wolf and Cub series, Baby Cart in Peril, while very enjoyable, is showing signs of wear. Here Ogami Ittō must track down a woman named Oyuki, a deadly assassin with elaborate tattoos across her back and left breast. Meanwhile, Ittō encounters a former rival, and the film explores the back-story of the first film, Sword of Vengeance, explaining the motivation for the Yagyū Clan to frame Ittō for treason.
Baby Cart in Peril tells two stories (Ittō tracking down Oyuki and the back-story to Sword of Vengeance), and while they’re both compelling, they don’t always work in the same film. The story about Ittō and Oyuki is full of fun genre staples: a mysterious and stylish assassin, revenge, flaming swords, and a killer final showdown. Michie Azuma as Oyuki is a classic assassin. Out for revenge against her former teacher, she’s not an unsympathetic character, and Michie compelling reveals her mixed emotions. The other half of the film works, considering you’ve seen Sword of Vengeance, but occasionally gets bogged down in political motivations that, while they clarify the events of the first film, feel like what they are: exposition. Still, no matter which story, the film gets the action scenes right.
As I said above, Baby Cart in Peril often feels like the most violent Lone Wolf and Cub film yet. Not only does Ittō takes on a temple filled with Ninjas, a former rival for the position of official executioner, and a slew of Yagyū soldiers, but we get to see Oyuki take on multiple enemies as well. Even some of the flashbacks, and there are many, are full of action. Aside from the action, Baby Cart in Peril also gives Daigoro a bit more to do than in the previous films. At the beginning he gets separated from Ittō, encounters his former rival, and survives a fire. A lot is made of Daigoro’s eyes, which characters says reveal how much death and destruction he has encountered, and young Akihiro Tomikawa is more than up to the task of staring down the rather intimidating adults he’s cast alongside.
AnimEigo’s Blu-ray release of all six Lone Wolf and Cub movies has proved problematic amongst home video nuts, but I haven’t really had a problem with the transfers until now. The majority of Baby Cart in Peril looks fine; nothing exceptional or outstanding, but about as good as any of the previous film’s transfers. Some parts, however, look excessively soft and, occasionally, out of focus. Some of these problematic shots might have something to do with the source material, but others are undoubtedly the result of DNR (Digital Noise Reduction). It’s a shame, because while the might not be the best film in the series, it’s still a ton of fun, with some pretty exciting visuals.
Lone Wolf and Cub – Baby Cart in Peril will entertain fans of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, though this is not a film to watch with people who aren’t familiar with the series’ previous installments. While the Blu-ray video quality is problematic, you’re still better off with the Blu than any DVD. You’ve always got the version of this series edited for English-speaking audiences, the Shogun Assassin series, which is also on Blu-ray courtesy of AnimEigo.
