Torawakamaru, the Koga Ninja (1957)
During the Age Of Wars (Sengoku Era), Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyoshi are vying for power and each uses their secret weapons in order to try and defeat the other. Momochi Sandayu of the Iga, along with his disciple Ishikawa Goemon are ordered by Ieyasu to assassinate Hideyoshi and get the blueprints for the hidden fortress within Osaka Castle. Meanwhile the Koga group organizes to try and defend the castle for the peace of the nation. Beating off every trick from Sandayu, Torawakamaru protects the drawing, and when Ieyasu figures out a way to hold a match between Koga and Iga the two masters fight the greatest ninja battle ever held. The effects are truly spectacular in this classic ninja film from Toei.
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Not even bad in a good way
The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
An action adventure movie with some decent special effects trickery, revolving around a tale of two rivaling clans in old Japan. There are also a boy and a girl from each clan who meet when the girl is kidnapped and they take a liking to each other. A kid's movie? I guess you could call it that, it sure is harmless enough, but this grown-up liked it, too. Except for that crude ending in which... well, you might want to check that yourself.The special effects are the most fun here; some of it are really pretty good, and some of it is good enough in a (very) cheesy way (the beasts in the sky, for instance). The soundtrack sounds very 'western' (American, European, Hollywoodian?), which seemed fairly unbefitting to me.Doable for sure, but that ending... 6 out of 10, then.