Samurai Princess – DVD Review

The Film:

Oh, what are we going to call this sub-genre? Stemming from 1989 Cyberpunk masterpiece, Tetsuo, Machine Girl exploded onto the scene with a mix of some tech-noir sensibilities that was infused with some incredible, insane gore. This gonzo mentality spread into Tokyo Gore Police, and now in Samurai Princess, yet it remains nameless as a genre. How about Tech-gore? Or Gore-punk? Hmm. Regardless, these people, this team, behind the films are truly out there, like beyond where ever Takashi Miike is.

And for Japanese grindhouse fans, that’s an awesome place to be.

Written by the Tokyo Gore Police screenwriter, Kengo Kaji, Samurai Princess feels used and unpolished. The opening scene is ripped from the fun intro to Machine Girl, and the gore seems deceptively repeated from the gonzo-gore-masterpiece that was Tokyo Gore Police, making this film feel like a throw away exercise. I wouldn’t have minded this, if there was something more to the story. Despite all of the insane mayhem in Machine Girl and TGP, there was subtext, characterizations, and a heart behind it all. That’s one of the reasons why those films are a lot of fun, instantly watchable, and why Machine Girl went on to become a worldwide cult hit. Samurai Princess lingers, and feels stillborn.

There’s not much here going on. Taking someplace in a Feudal futuristic Japan, a young woman is nearly killed, after a group of Mechas rape and kill her friends to create a body-mutilated art. Some sort of white-haired goddess gives her the gift to form into this uber-Mecha killing machine to exact revenge. The problem is, that is it as for story. We get samurai swords and cell phones. Huh? At times, it feels like they’re just shooting random scenes to string a reel for the FX team to craft some crazy kills. It’s a shame, because Kaji crafted such a paranoid future in TGP, Samurai Princess because the FX team was bored waiting for Tokyo Gore Police 2 to get written.

Oh, what am I rambling on about? Story? Who cares when we go boobies that launch grenades, feet scissors, and fireballs sprouting from the feet of our heroine! It’s low rent, but if all you are in for is the midnight madness of gore, gore, and gore, Samurai Princess is filler to RoboGeisha or TGP 2 is released from these Tech-Gore crazies.

The DVD:

Audio/Video: Arriving from Well Go USA, the DVD the film was shot on Digital cameras, and looks like it. The image is fine; details are okay, colors look good, yet don’t expect a superb transfer. Edge enhancement issues are a key problem, but I doubt those this appeals to, will care all that much. It’s a standard looking picture, only as good as the source. It’s fine.

The audio is quite shrill and bland, coming on a Japanese stereo track and a new, yet horrendous English dub.

Behind-the-Scenes: Running 20 minutes, we get interviews with the director Kaji about the film and his influences, and also the star, Aino Kishi. In between these, are set footage and it’s a decent featurette, especially if this Tech-Gore stuff is up your alley.

Trailer and a Photo Gallery round out the extras.

Conclusion: While a tag line like “from the team that gave you Tokyo Gore Police” sounds exciting, sadly, it’s not that good. Despite some fun gore gags, and finally some nudity in this sub-genre, it feels like filler until RoboGeisha is released.

The Film: Rating:

The DVD: Rating: