'Lone Wolf And Cub: Baby Cart At The River Styx (1972)' is the second of four films in its six-entry series to be released in 1972, hitting Japanese cinemas just three months after its predecessor. This quick turnaround isn't evident at all. Though it isn't, in a way, as complete as the prior title, it's probably a more consistently enjoyable affair. It's a pulpy, stylistic Samurai flick far more focused on its splashy violence than its straightforward story. However, the narrative does do just enough with its focal characters to make them feel like worthy leads. Make no mistake, this is not a character study (it's no 'The Tale Of Zatoichi (1963)', for example). The relationship between its father-son duo is fleshed out ever-so-slightly by a couple of scenes that are dedicated to the ways in which they interact with one another when nobody is trying to kill them. A particularly great sequence involves the young Diagoro attempting to heal Itto using a series of trial-and-error methods. The major plot involves a band of female assassins hunting our heroes as they continue their life on the 'demon path' and take work as paid hitmen. There isn't a sense of revenge this time around, which makes the story one of survival more than anything else. By its end, it's difficult to say exactly what anyone involved has learned; it's a journey in the literal sense, not the figurative one. Still, it works well for what it is. Its action, which is what most members of its audience truly want to see, is flashy, fast and full of eccentric kills. Between ruby red arterial spray and literally split-in-two heads is the occasional quiet moment of surreal pseudo beauty, moments in which bleeding-out characters muse on the poetic irony of their imminent deaths or in which various flipping foes are superimposed over the spinning blade of their killer. It's not high art, by any means, but it's a level of distinct visual design that you may not expect from an exploitation picture such as this. Speaking of exploitation, there's actually less sexism this time around. A major component of the plot involves female assassins who are, for all intents and purposes, more capable than their counterparts. The lead of these even gets her own character arc. Granted, she is forcibly stripped at one point in a genuine but unspoken attempt by the hero to huddle together for warmth. This is the only really iffy scene in the entire experience, which just proves that this entry's female representation is far superior to that of the first entry in the franchise. In the end, the film is enjoyable enough to be worth a watch. It's a good effort, with some obvious behind-the-scenes talent, but most of its violence is just one notch above mindless and its narrative is very basic. 6/10.