Afro Samurai: Resurrection (2009) (TV)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Fuminori Kizaki

Writers:

Eric S. Calderon (writer)
Leo Chu (writer)

Release Date:

25 January 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

When his father's body is stolen from its grave, Afro takes up his sword again to tear through an army of deadly foes led by a sadistic leader. |

Plot Keywords:

Second Part | Sequel | Samurai

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson	...	Afro Samurai / Ninja Ninja (voice)
Lucy Liu	...	Sio (voice: English version)
Mark Hamill	...	Bin / Oden Shop Master (voice: English version)
Grey DeLisle	...	Tomoe / Ogin (voice: English version)
Dave Wittenberg	...	Adolescent / Fencing Brother (voice: English version)
Liam O'Brien	...	Shichogoro (voice: English version)
Zachary Gordon	...	Kotaro (voice: English version)
Yuri Lowenthal	...	Jinno (voice: English version)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jeff Bennett	...	Brother 3 (voice)
Steve Blum	...	Assassins / Man A (voice)
S. Scott Bullock	...	Dharman / Kidnapper (voice)
Greg Eagles	...	Rokutaro (voice)
Phil LaMarr	...	Teen Afro Samurai (voice)
Kevin Michael Richardson	...	Blacksmith / Takimoto (voice)
RZA	...	DJ (voice) (as The RZA)
Ariel Winter	...	Young Sio (voice)

Also Known As:

Afuro zamurai - Yomigaeri (Japan)

Country:

USA | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-MA | UK:18

Company:

Fuji TV

Movie Connections:

Follows "Afro Samurai" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Are You Still Gonna Roll

Subpar sequel to the original blaxploitation chambara anime

Brooding, laconic badass Afro Samurai and his wisecracking alter ego Ninja Ninja (both voiced by Samuel Jackson) once again return to walk the path of demons as a sultry villainess (voiced by Lucy Liu) steals Afro's Number One headband and plots her revenge that involves resurrecting Afro's dead father. The refreshing and intriguing combination of blaxploitation, samurai culture, anime and hip hop (soundtrack by usual suspect RZA) that made the first one such an infectiously cool hack-and-slash yarn is pretty much of the same standards but this time it's let down by a silly story and disappointing ending that was clearly not very well thought out. How easy Afro loses his headband at the beginning of the film left me scratching my head in disbelief but Teddy Bear's change of heart at the end was downright lame. Whereas the first worked so well exactly because of the very simple revenge story - Afro, wearing the Number Two headband, looking for the man who killed his father, all the while having to defend his headband from an assortment of colourful villains, not very different to a video game logic and very enjoyable for that matter - Afro Samurai: Resurrection throws everything and the kitchen sink in the plot and hopes it all makes sense somehow. I also had the impression the gore and blood geysers were less this go around. Fans of the first will probably have a good time as the funky and bloody style are good enough for 90 minutes of brainless fun but take it any more serious and you might be in for a let down.