People are voting emotionally.

Boring

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Across the centuries in far off Japan, there's a series of films which I must admit I never gave much notice to. Here is one which caught my attention. It's called " The Razor " and are you in for a sober awakening when you see it. It's the story of an usual 'Lawman' assigned to a district in Japan. His name is Hanzo (Shintaro Katsu) or 'The Razor.' Although I learned there are several chapters in the series, this one is called "The Snare." Each segment explains he is a officer, but one has to be careful to apply it to our hero as he administers the law according to his own sense of morality. He is ill tempered with both his superiors and constituency. His boss considers him a loose cannon and is essentially correct as all classes within his jurisdictions are fearful of him. When on a case, few things prevent him from investigating all aspects. The corrupt nobility as well as low life thugs are fair game. The women of his cases have heard of his reputation and fear not only his steel, but also his personal sword as he uses both with incredible dexterity. The rich and powerful decide they cannot buy him, and employ their own reputable Samuri called "The Snake" (Magobei Onishi) to stop his investigation. Now Hanzo will face a skilled sword as dangerous as his. The film, the cast and story may have a long way to go before it measures up to American standards, but while watching it, little of that matters as we follow our hero as he assaults, kidnaps, tortures, kills and rapes his way to justice. A far cry from the usual, but a Classic non-the-less. Not recommended for the squeamish or easily offended. *****

It is hard to believe that this film was made in 1974 as it mirrors the circumstances of the US in the last 16 years. The abortion rate under Clinton's Presidency was lower than under the Bush administration. Why the difference? Read the quote above. If the poor can't buy rice, they don't have more children.This all comes out as Hanzo (Shintarô Katsu) is investigating the death of a woman after an abortion. This investigation leads him Monk-style to a Temple where young girls are sold to wealthy businessmen for torture and rape, with an abortion business on the side. He captures the Priestess and tortures her before using the Hanzo technique to get her to talk.His investigation is delayed while he is assigned to find Japan's greatest thief, who rapes and murders his victims. The thief is heading toward Hanzo's village. he hides in the mint to snare him. While there he manages to gather further evidence against the person benefiting from the Temple.A big showdown with many dead at the hands of his sword, and both thieves are captured in fine Hanzo fashion.Can't wait for the next adventure.

This installment of the HANZO trilogy has all the samurai swordplay and rape torture that we've come to expect from our renegade officer - and it's all turned up a notch in THE SNARE...This one starts with Hanzo's attempt to close down a mystical abortion practitioner - and leads to a convent that offers up it's girls for S&M play to the highest bidder. Finally Hanzo's adventures lead him to a mission to bring down a notorious thief, and also a high-ranking and greedy Treasurer who's cutting gold for his own ends.THE SNARE has all the elements that SWORD OF JUSTIC had, it just lays it on a little thicker. More swordplay, more sleazy sex and rape interrogation - basically all the good stuff made a little heavier. Definitely recommended for the series fan, or for anyone who digs martial-arts/samurai/pinky-style films - 8.5/10

More of the same in this sequel to Sword of Justice and it's just hard to believe it's not the same director. Much of the cast is the same, Hanzo is certainly the same and much of the torture, both the bloody sort and the sexual sort are the same and it still all works. We get a lady suffering the blocks this time and a reprise of the lady in the net lowering onto the big man's big.....There is enough that's different to hold the attention and if anything there is more blood and flesh on display in this one. Helped once more by super cinematography, direction and editing, this is another fine mix of activities, plus even more disregard for the Japanese tendency to put up with almost anything for the sake of order and tradition.