Lone Wolf and Cub - Sword of Vengeance (2003, DVD)

In 1970, Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima began a manga series that defined the samurai genre: Lone Wolf and Cub.
In 1972, Tomisaburo Wakayama starred as Ogami Itto, assassin Lone Wolf and Cub, in the first of six movies based on the popular series. This movie was called "Sword of Vengeance."

As an adaptation of a manga, this is essentially a comic book movie. But this is more "Sin City" than "X-Men" or "Daredevil."
Scenes are taken carefully from the books and recreated word for word, piece by piece. It is a truly faithful adaptation from paper to film.

Given that this is a '70s samurai picture, the special effects are far from mind-boggling.
At times, you can easily make out the tubes that are pumping red paint from underneath an actor's shirt.
This obvious fakeness is more a product of our eyes being used to hyper-realistic modern CGI effects.

Also, the sound effects leave something to be desired, even by the standards of the 1970s.
Some sound effects are completely ignored and absent from the film (commonly this is things such as rain falling, river water rushing, or swords being drawn).
The dialogue, however, is intact and in pristine condition.

Speaking of which, the dialogue is in Japanese, and there is no option for English dubbing.
There are fine English subtitles which easily get across the messages of the movie.
Some even follow the English translations of the manga word-for-word.
If you are looking for a Lone Wolf And Cub movie that is dubbed in English, you will want to get Shogun Assassin (the re-edited version that combines L.W.A.C. 1 & 2) instead of Sword Of Vengeance.

A note to the faint of heart or the parents of small children: There is lots of violence in this movie.
Further warning: There are decapitations and dismemberments.
Even though the violence is obvious fakery, this is not a kiddie movie.
Fake blood or not, the body count is relatively high (as are the number of female breasts seen in the movie).
Again, this is NOT a movie for children.

Given the rich background that Sword Of Vengeance has to draw upon, the plot is top-notch.
It involves revenge (as the title implies), conspiracies, corrupt politicians, honor, and everything else a good movie needs.
I won't spoil the plot, but the rundown is: Ogami Itto was the shogun's righthand man. Someone got jealous and framed him for a crime, forcing him to abandon his position and live the life of a wandering ronin (masterless samurai for hire).

The filmmakers easily follow in the footsteps of Koike and Kojima, creating a believable depiction of Edo-era Japan.
Historically accurate attire, weaponry, and sets abound.
Footnotes accompany the subtitles onscreen to explain particularly important Japanese terms of the era, as well.

--In summary:--
"Sword of Vengeance" is a classic piece of historical fiction based on an excellent manga series.
While the audiovisual special effects are far from modern standards, they are quite bearable, especially given the strong plotline.
This movie -- and the five that followed -- have something to offer just about everyone: action, intrigue, horror, and history.
So long as you keep in mind the 1972 production date on the cover and don't expect to be blown away by big-budget effects, you'll enjoy this movie.
Just remember, it's not for children.