Well I think that's the shortest plot summary that I've ever written; though it's a simplistic plot outline there is much chaos and deception that topples over the level found in Yojimbo. I mean simply put Sanjuro is, along with a few other examples that come to mind, the WAY to make a sequel.

Mifune settles back into the role that he practically owns/created yet here he seems to have a bit more fun with it: Sanjuro retains his trademark deadpan manner yet it times he lets it go and gives it a more comedic twist. Mifune appears to have given Sanjuro a sharper anti-violence mentality than in Yojimbo. Tatsuya Nakadai, as Hanbei Muroto, kept reminding me of his character in Yojimbo Unosuke because here also he's not only the villain but is drawn towards Sanjuro. It's not a good or bad thing really but just left me shrugging my shoulders.

The double crossings and back stabbings, literal and figurative meaning both implied, within the clan are even more a delight to watch unfold than the two gangs being played in Yojimbo. Ryuzo Kikushima and Akira Kurosawa were able to add a sense of danger and suspense into the film though to give anything away would be wrong. Whatever you do don't get the Mei-Ah version. The picture and audio transfer are quite nice but the English subtitles are mess. Not only does horrible spelling and grammar make it unbearable, even confusing, but the fact that all of the characters names are changed into Chinese from Japanese is annoying.

The film has considerably more action than its predecessor but it's just a thrill to watch vintage Mifune move through a whole group of people, that he just tricked/PLAYED, without getting touched. The swordplay choreography here is short, sweet, and realistic. The standoff at the end is quite bloody, shocking, and yet through Kurosawa's lens beautiful. Speaking of which another flaw with the DVD is on the back box it gives away the ending in all it's detail.

Watching the film fans of Kurosawa will notice his one of many trademarks: a hilarious montage of Sanjuro trying to sleep while being interrupted while edited together with Kurosawa's infamous screen wipes. The cinematography is highly impressive including the track shots through the forests or towns, the wide shots in the buildings, and the quiet intensity of the characters at the end captured on celluloid.

I know I might have my "good" name slandered for this closing statement but simple put Sanjuro was more enjoyable than the excellent Yojimbo. It concludes on a dramatic even poetic note and ends the Yojimbo and Sanjuro storylines nicely.