Origin:

Synopsis:

The first in a series of six films based on the long-running manga concerns Itto Ogami (Tomisaburo Wakayama), a shogun's executioner who is framed by the Yagyu clan and forced into exile as a wandering assassin for hire. After the killing of his wife by the Yagyus, Ogami gives his young son Daigoro the choice between instant death (a ball) and the life of the ronin (a sword). As the child reaches for the sword, father and son's fate is sealed to a life of violence and tragedy. Wheeling Daigoro through the countryside in a baby cart rigged with deadly weapons, Ogami comes to a town held hostage by brigands, where he is to stop a planned assassination. The final duel between Ogami and the Yagyu man at dawn is exhilarating and beautifully filmed. Although extremely violent and gore-drenched, the series remains highly stylized and remarkably intelligent. The first two episodes of the series were edited together and released in the U.S. as Shogun Assassin.

© Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Prequels, Sequels and Follow-ons:

Lone Wolf and Cub - Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972) Director: Misumi Kenji. Starring: Wakayama Tomisaburo, Ohki Minoru, Tomikawa Akihiro, Matsuo Kayo

Lone Wolf and Cub - Baby Cart in Peril (1972) Director: Saito Buichi. Starring: Wakayama Tomisaburo, Tomikawa Akihiro, Yamamura So, Azuma Michi, Endo Tatsuo

Lone Wolf and Cub - Baby Cart in the Land of Demons (1973) Director: Misumi Kenji. Starring: Wakayama Tomisaburo, Tomikawa Akihiro, Akira Yamauchi, Shuju Otaki, Taketoshi Naito

Lone Wolf and Cub - Baby Cart to Hades (1973) Director: Misumi Kenji. Starring: Wakayama Tomisaburo, Tomikawa Akihiro

Lone Wolf and Cub - White Heaven in Hell (1974) Director: Kuroda Yoshiyuki. Starring: Wakayama Tomisaburo, Tomikawa Akihiro, Hitomi Junko, Ohki Minoru, Isao Kimura

Lone Wolf and Cub - A Pack of Wolves (1997)

Lone Wolf and Cub (2006) Director: Darren Aronofsky