Afro Samurai: Director's Cut

The “muthafuckas” fly fast and furious in Afro Samurai—an inspired mix of samurai story and hip hop sensibility based on the original manga by Takashi Okazaki—and they're delivered with conviction and style thanks to the voice talent of Samuel L. Jackson (both in the title role of the laconic “Afro” and his Chatty Cathy sidekick, the profanity-spewing Ninja Ninja). Sporting eye-popping animation, the TV-MA-rated two-disc director's cut (suitable for ages 16-up, due to relentless graphic violence, the aforementioned colorful language, and a spicy sex scene) is 15 minutes longer than the tamer Spike TV-aired version (available on a single disc for $19.98), both of which compile all five episodes in the series. The tale cuts between the adult Afro's quest to find Justice (voiced by Ron Perlman)—the man who killed his father—and flashbacks chronicling Afro's childhood training as an orphan in a samurai dojo. Although the cold-blooded antihero Afro is no role model (as one character correctly observes: “don't seem to me you're out to make this stinkin' world a better place”), the lemonade-drinking, sword-wielding lanky brother with a massive ‘fro (think: a rougher version of Jim Kelly in Enter the Dragon) is a visual triumph. DVD extras include a “making-of” featurette, another on the music score by The RZA (Kill Bill, Wu Tang Clan), and an illustrated character gallery with audio commentary by co-producer Eric Calderon. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—Sept. 2, 2008—Funimation, 125 min., TV-MA, $29.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2007's Afro Samurai: Season 1 (Director's Cut) features a great transfer and a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. The extras on the disc are identical to the previous DVD release, including a “making-of” featurette, another on the music score by The RZA (Kill Bill, Wu Tang Clan), and an illustrated character gallery with audio commentary by co-producer Eric Calderon. Bottom line: Afro Samurai looks good in Blu.]