Red Shadow: Akakage (2001)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Hiroyuki Nakano

Writer:

Mitsuteru Yokoyama (creator)

Release Date:

11 August 2001 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy

Plot:

Aka Kage, Aoi Kage and Asuka are trio of ninjas sent to perform dangerous secret missions for their master...

Plot Keywords:

Ninja | Spy | Japan | Remake

Cast

Masanobu Ando	...	Akakage
Megumi Okina	...	Koto-Hime
Kumiko Aso	...	Asuka
Jun Murakami	...	Aokage
Naoto Takenaka	...	Shirokage
Fumiya Fujii	...	Ranmaru
Shuuhei Mainoumi	...	Rikimaru
Kei Tani	...	Roushi
Ryoko Shinohara	...	O-Rin
Kitaro	...	Roushi, Mura no chourou
Denden	...	Bonnobei
Shigeru Kôyama	...	Kyougoku Kanemitsu, Sengoku-Daimyou
Seizo Fukumoto	...	Sasai
Yoji Tanaka
Kouji Yazawa

Also Known As:

Red Shadow

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | South Korea:12 | Germany:12 | Singapore:NC-16

Company:

Toei Company

Movie Connections:

Spin off from SF: Episode One (1998)

Interesting Re-Interpretation of A Classic TV Series

Based on Yokoyama Mitsuteru's 60's manga series and its subsequent TV Adaptation "Kamen No Ninja - Akakage" (Masked Ninja - Red Shadow; Toei/Kansai TV, 1967), "Red Shadow" is an interesting remake that modernizes Japan's Feudal Past in much the same way as `Wild Wild West' did to American's Frontier History and `League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' did to Europe's Industrial Past. Director Nakano Hiroyuki certainly has a neat sense of style and constructs elaborate and interesting action sequences. While not as over-the-top as the recent `Azumi', `Red Shadow' still is a visual wonder. Masanobu Ando puts in a good performance as the title character but it is singers-turned-actors Hotei Tomoyasu, Jinnai Takanori, Fuji Fumiya and Shinohara Ryoko who impress the most with their performances. Actresses Kumiko Aso and Okina Megumi are stunning as the love interests to Akakage and certainly brighten the screen with their appearances. While Akakage is certainly not in the same league as movies such as `Makai Tensho' (Samurai Reincarnation;1981), `Satomi Hakkenden' (Legend of The Eight Samurai; 1984), or `Jubei Ninpocho' (Ninja Scroll; 1995) I definitely liked the film. `Akakage' is unapologetic in its style and reworking of history but I found its interpretations wonderfully entertaining if a bit flawed.