Rating: 
Summary: One of the best samurai movies of all time.
Review: Sanjuro follows the travels of our favorite scruffy samurai (Sanjuro, last seen in YOJIMBO) but this time with a humorous twist. After inadvertently becoming involved in an intricate plot to thwart the take over of a small villages governing council, Sanjuro constantly is one step ahead of "the bad guys" while keeping his overzealous young partners out of harms way. This darkly funny film is enjoyable and entertaining to watch. The duel at the end of the film has to be seen to be believed. A must see for all samurai enthusiasts! and to me, one of the best samurai films of all time. Watch and enjoy...
Rating:
Summary: Not YOJIMBO.
Review: SANJURO reintroduces us to the hero from YOJIMBO, the invincible mercenary portrayed wonderfully by Toshiro Mifune. This movie was apparently made at the insistence of the producers, due to the overwhelming success of YOJIMBO. While amusing, the plot is contrived, often silly, and does not have the cynical power of the script of the previous film. Mifune is creditable enough in recreating the character, but it just doesn't work as well. Still and all, it's Kurosawa at work, so it remains a fun movie to watch. Just don't waste your time trying to compare it to YOJIMBO, for it won't measure up.
Rating:
Summary: Very entertaining
Review: Sure it isn't as good as Yojimbo, but that doesn't detract from it in the least. Mifune swaggers with the best of them, and watching him trying to keep his over-eager swordsmen in line is very amusing. Sanjuro comes across as being tired and bored, but still on the look out for a "good time". Massive bloodletting at the end.
Rating:
Summary: Criterion Disappointing - Kurosawa/Mifune brilliant
Review: Technically the translation of this movie onto DVD should have been made with a minimum of respect to the original masters. Unfortunately it didn't occur.The original Tohovision aspect ratio is cut down to a semblance of widescreen, evident by the partial kanji lines at the edges of the movie screen in the beginning of the movie. This may only be annoying to an afficionado and fanatic such as myself, but when you factor in the mastery over the medium that Kurosawa displayed again and again, regardless of genre, you have to feel cheated at the missing slivers of the edges. If you've seen the movie in the theater, a good art house, with a love for the medium, you will feel unbalanced when reviewing this downsized version, although it isn't as bad as Criterion's butchering of 'Seven Samurai' which is cut down to an unviewable 1.33x1 aspect ratio. In this movie Kurosawa and Mifune build on the character and mystery of Sanjuro, the bodyguard anti-hero of Yojimbo(Bodyguard). The standing joke with Sanjuro is his identity, which remains a mystery even after politely giving it to everyone who asks. He helps the righteous, but inexperienced young samurai of a castle-town, who have discovered corruption within the ruling clan. The gruff, but pedagogueic, method with which he out-argues and teaches the young samurai throughout the movie, shows not only his love for justice and soft spot for people who can't help themselves, but also hints at a deeper knowledge of political intrigue and leadership than one would expect of an average samurai gone ronin. My recommendation is to buy this criterion insult to the masters only if you haven't seen the original tohovision format, or you don't mind the snippets missing on the sides. Further i wish that this, as well as 'Seven Samurai' and all other Toho produced movies, can be remastered in their proper format. Maybe you would be so kind as to write Criterion and give them a piece of your mind. For further investigation into the brilliance of Toshiro Mifune and the 'Sanjuro' character I'd recommend 'Zatoichi vs. Yojimbo'
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as Yojimbo and..
Review: the reviewer below is correct. If you have never seen the film in the original Tohovision you probably don't know how much is missing in this transfer. Tohovision is probably the widest of the widescreens on planet earth, people have been trying to figure out for years how to format such a huge screen to fit on TV. From the ultra tacky huge bar at the bottem format to the TIGHT SQUEEZE (thankfully the most unpopular) they still can't get it through their thick and stupid skulls that they're just going to have to go with the HUGE letterbox. Criterion, damn you for again almost ruining another classic. It's not as obvious on the Yojimbo(and it really does not matter with that film) disc but you can clearly see the entire screen is not in this letterbox (don't worry, its just a couple of cenimeters but still). But atleast its on DVD and letterboxed! Pan and scan, I shudder to think what a pan and scan version of Sanjuro would look like. And about the movie, well its no Yojimbo. This is the more PG-13 Sanjuro. Its still gritty but well, first time seeing it you'll be hating it and maybe very bored, but the last and final surreal scene is like the final touch on a painting. It feels so complete and you'll want to see it again and again. I always felt the two movies were like an incomplete trilogy, its a little sad this the last time we'll ever see this character in a film, but his spirit lives on in the Man With No Name trilogy, Django, and yes (as slobbish as it may sound) Escape From New York and Escape From L.A. Good movie, worth getting if you liked Yojimbo, but there are much better Akira Kurosawa and Samurai films out there. Check it out before buying, or if you own Yojimbo and love it, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
Rating: 
Summary: Stupid friends are dangerous
Review: The sequel to Akira Kurosawa's classic "Yojimbo" is very different in tone -- rather than a straightforward grizzled-anti-hero-cleans-up-the-town tale, it's a comic story about the grizzled hero getting stuck on a ship of fools. While it's Kurosawa's lightest samurai movie, it's still a solid action/drama flick with plenty of comedy sprinkled in.
A gang of idealistic young nobles are gathered in a decaying house, talking about how they are trying to battle local corruption. Suddenly a scruffy warrior (Toshirô Mifune) who calls himself Sanjûrô Tsubaki, appears and tells them who is lying and who isn't -- and that after confiding in the treacherous superintendant, they're being set up for an ambush.
After he saves their butts and drags the none-too-bright young men into hiding, he begins concocting a plan to save one young man's uncle, who is being held as a political hostage. After rescuing the lord's wife and daughter, Sanjuro and his band of fools continue with their plots to save him from the evil superintendant -- and he teaches his bumbling co-conspirators that exalted social position isn't what keeps you alive...
Kurosawa isn't known for having made goofball comedies, but there's a definite comic flair to this film, from the pampered prisoner offering nuggets of wisdom to the silent "happy dance" that all the young noblemen do. At the same time, there's a poignant note to Sanjuro's regrets about the men he's killed -- including men much like himself.
Even steeped in comedy, Kurosawa's creativity is still intact -- to give the feel that people are running, he shows short, rapid shots of several young men running down different streets. There are a few flaws (a lot of people get cut down without a speck of blood) but only a really determined nitpicker would let it bug them. And the finale is a shatteringly brutal scene, reminiscent of a western shoot-out, where you almost expect Sanjuro to put on a white cowboy hat and spit.
Mifune is wonderful as the grubby, grumpy samurai who is like an "unsheathed blade," and who has more brains than his little gang. He gives the character a lazy, languid air, sort of like an unexploded land mine. His followers are well-acted, though they don't have much individual personality. And small supporting roles -- like the kindly, prim noblewoman and the friendly prisoner in his little closet -- are very well-drawn.
Lurking under the comic flourishes is an intelligent film with likable characters, solid writing, and plenty of action. "Sanjuro" is as good as the film before it, though in a slightly different way.
Rating:
Summary: Kurosawa laughing at his own expense
Review: This 1963 film by Kurosawa is relatively short in comparison to his great epics, (Seven Samurai) however it certainly does not lack in depth, vision and scope, but more particularly, its obvious parody on the genre itself. Sanjuro makes fun of all the Samurai cliché's that Kurosawa made famous. In fact this is a very funny film, yet manages to retain the genre's core themes - courage, loyalty and humility.
Tushiro Mifune plays the lead role of Sanjuro, a reluctant anti-hero who lacks in basic manners, those elegant aspects of the Samurai warrior we've come to expect; constantly scratching his chest under his kimono, rubbing his beard and nose and continually yawning while saying it like it is. This character is not as extreme as his role in Seven Samurai, though they're similar. Tushiro Mifune in my opinion is one of the most intense actors on screen. Even when he's funny, you can feel that the man is tremendously dangerous.
The plot is a simple one. There's an uprising in the clan, power is shifting, and Sanjuro reluctantly helps a group of young lads rescue their aunt and the clan lord who has been kidnapped by the insurgents. These young lads continually make mistakes while Sanjuro constantly has to dig them out again. A few of these predicaments are hilarious and Mifune's devil-may-care attitude only adds to the humour.
It is a shame that Kurosawa's films are shot in black and white because there are certain scenes of the Japanese countryside that would be spectacular in colour. However the beauty of these shots are still magnificent despite the lack of colour.
This is a good picture that ranks as high as Kurosawa's best with a humorous and adept performance by Tushiro Mifune. Excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't translate well to a non Japanese audience
Review: This film used to be shown a lot in double bills with Yojimbo. It is a very different film and not as good. Where as Yojimbo is about a self confident swaggering warrior, Sanjuro is based on a very different story. It is about a samurai who is cowardly but cunning. It is a sort of joke or playing against type which would make a lot of sense to Japanese audiences but can leave western audiences scratching their heads. The film is also reasonably talky and is set largely in interior settings. The inside of a house, gardens and so forth. The plot involves the cowardly samurai who helps a number of younger samurai overcome an evil lord. A well made film but a dissapointment after the Seven Samurai or Yojimbo.
Rating:
Summary: SUGOI IIYO KATTA!
Review: This is a great film! I have only seen the letterboxed VHS version (which is beautful...the widescreen black and white images jump off the screen). Not sure whether or not to risk purchasing the DVD(?), as many reviewers have complained about the quality. point; while I certainly found portions of the film funny and laughed out loud several times, I still don't agree that this is a "comedy". It contains elements of comedy, but it also builds a sense of dread and explosive violence as it progresses. I think the point Kurosawa was trying to make was that violence isn't funny. It would seem that he crafted the film to draw the audience in with the jokes and whimsy and then deliver the true message; (to paraphrase) A powerful and true man keeps his sword in its sheath. Violence is not the answer. But it sure is a fun film!
Rating:
Summary: Sanjuro Rocks!!!
Review: This is one of my favorite Kurosawa films. I have saw many of his samurai films and this one is my favorite. It is hilarious!!! I would suggest this film to anyone that likes samurai films. It also has some of the best swordsmanship scenes that I have seen in Kurosawa films. Toshiro Mifune is simply amazing in this movie.
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