Rating: 
Summary: Swordfighting lover's must
Review: ...only good!!!! Very entertaining (and somewhat implausible) epic version of the real Musashi Miyamoto's rise to Samurai prominence. The trilogy is best seen in succesion (preferably on the same day, if you have time). The final duel in part three alone, is worth the price of "admission!"
Rating:
Summary: Like a Samurai Soap Opera....
Review: ...only good!!!! Very entertaining (and somewhat implausible) epic version of the real Musashi Miyamoto's rise to Samurai prominence. The trilogy is best seen in succesion (preferably on the same day, if you have time). The final duel in part three alone, is worth the price of "admission!"
Rating: 
Summary: See Kurosawa's Samurai Films First
Review: Although the cinematography, locations, and costumes were all first rate, I found this to be more of a samurai soap opera than a samurai epic. I know, I know,...this trilogy may seem slow to unenlightened individual's who can't appreciate its depiction of the spiritual struggle of the samurai. Hogwash. Mifune's performance is wooden, the script is overly melodramatic, and the storyline and direction are okay at best. The female lead characters are depicted as pathetic whiners whose lives aren't worth living without a man by their side. This whining begins early in Samurai I, and continues until the end of Samurai III. I found Samurai II to contain the best action sequences, and I consider it to be the best film of the trilogy.Inagaki's trilogy isn't even in the same league with Kurosawa's samurai films. Don't buy Inagaki's trilogy until you've experienced Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai", "The Hidden Fortress", "Yojimbo", and "Sanjuro".
Rating:
Summary: I'll have to see the other two
Review: As I have heard, this film is first in a trilogy that is a landmark in Japanese cinema. This first installment is pretty slowpaced and the sword fights unimpressive. The motives of the Buddhist monk is not clear nor is the reasons for Mifune's character's decision at the end of the film. I'm sure it would have the emotional impact it deserves if these threads of sense were woven in. Well, until I see the other two, I won't be able to make much sense of the first movie which on the whole seems like a downer. usally there is some build to a catharsis but the expected one here seems anticlimatic because the moment is understated without plot. This is a commonality among Western interpretations of Japanese cinema to imply understatement but here it is really evident. Instead of "flowing like calligraphy" the plot is predictable and the scene changes often seemingly random. I'll post reviews when I see the other two but for now all I can say is don't see just one of the films. There were intended to be together so watch them together. This way, one won't run into the same confusion as this reviewer did.
Rating:
Summary: Great film, bad transfer
Review: As the other reviewers have said, Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy is a fantastic example of the genre. These films trace the development (both physical and moral) of a headstrong young Samurai-to-be. However, the transfers on these discs are rather bad. All three of the discs feature pitting and scratching, as well as bothersome color shifts and faded prints. A strange glitch early in this first film is a digital "wave" of some sort which runs through a scene of two men sitting in a tree. These films are excellent and I highly recommend them to samurai film fans and film fans in general. They probably won't be reissued at any time soon, either. Be warned, however, that the prints are quite bad (although they are certainly watchable).
Rating:
Summary: Great film, bad transfer
Review: As the other reviewers have said, Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy is a fantastic example of the genre. These films trace the development (both physical and moral) of a headstrong young Samurai-to-be. However, the transfers on these discs are rather bad. All three of the discs feature pitting and scratching, as well as bothersome color shifts and faded prints. A strange glitch early in this first film is a digital "wave" of some sort which runs through a scene of two men sitting in a tree. These films are excellent and I highly recommend them to samurai film fans and film fans in general. They probably won't be reissued at any time soon, either. Be warned, however, that the prints are quite bad (although they are certainly watchable).
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Beautiful storyline. Sticks close to the book without losing it's essence. Good rework of a B/W film.
Rating: 
Summary: A stunning Samurai epic!
Review: Fantastic! A classic true to form. Mifune is(as always) wonderful as the Samurai to be in the first of three classics. I'm glad I bought all three of these movies at once. I couldn't wait to see the next part! Excellent.
Rating:
Summary: SAMURAI I MUSASHI MIYAMOTO
Review: FIRST OF ALL I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES I'LL REFER TO THIS FILM AND THE SEQUELS SAMURAI II AND III AS ONLY ONE FILM...AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN RELEASED AND PACKAGED AS ONE FILM. IS THIS A GOOD FILM?...NO! IT IS A GREAT FILM!!! THE FILM IS MARVELOUSLY DONE! THE STORY IS GOOD ALBEIT YOU CANNOT FOLLOW WITHOUT WATCHING THE SEQUELS..HENCE MY COMMENT ABOVE. THE CLARITY, COLOR... AND THE OVERALL DYNAMIC MAKE THIS A GREAT FILM ON DVD! THE STORY, FOR THOSE OF YOU FAMILIAR WITH YOSHIKAWA'S MUSASHI, ADDS DEPTH TO THE CHARACTER..IT DOESN'T ALWAYS FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE BOOK...WHICH I ALSO RECOMMEND..BUT YOU CAN REALLY GET A FEEL FOR THE CHARACTER..ONCE AGAIN TOSHIRO MIFUNE DELIVERS..IT COMPLIMENTS THE NOVEL QUITE WELL THOUGH AGAIN THERE ARE CHANGES IN THE STORY.ANY COLLECTION WOULD NOT BE SO WITHOUT THIS FILM. AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT FINDING A BETTER MEDIA THAN DVD IS POSSIBLE.BUT IN ALL SINCERITY THESE 3 SHOUOLD HAVE BEEN OFFERED TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY REALLY ALL MAKE UP JUST ONE FILM!
Rating:
Summary: Mifune at his best!
Review: Going into this I was slightly apprhensive since I read the book by Eiji Yoshikaw, I didn't think it would be able to live up to the incredible story of Musashi. I was wrong. If you are expecting to find a perfect book-to-film in this (or any other for that matter) then, you are looking for something that dosen't exist. It's not possible to take a book and make a movie that has the same level of detail. You just can't do it. That aside, this is a truly geat movie. For the 50's, the visual quality of the the film is amazing. Mifune and the entire supporting cast do a superb job in portraing the characters brought to life by Yoshikawa. I must say though, if you buy one film then you have to get the next 2 and watch them in succession in order to be able to truly appreciate the story.
| 
