Sword of the Stranger

There's plenty of samurai sizzle in this dynamic anime feature film from longtime filmmaker Masahiro Ando (Ghost in the Shell). Sword of the Stranger tells the story of a dissolute ronin (a samurai with no lord or master) who stumbles through the Japanese countryside defending a mouthy young boy and his dog from a mysterious band of Chinese warriors bent on capturing the child. Riddles abound in this bloody 2007 epic, beginning with the haunted past of the Clint Eastwood-like hero, Nanashi (No Name), and the question of why bossy kid Kotaro is so important to the foreign killers. The answers are certainly weird, but it's the action that is truly satisfying (Nanashi refuses to draw his sword throughout the story until he absolutely must), while the bond between Nanashi and Kotaro grows as the danger to both deepens. An interesting twist finds the ultimate bad guy in this tale to be a cold-eyed, European mercenary hooked on death—an adversary worthy of a final battle. Ando's artwork is splendid, highlighted by nature scenes that are particularly dazzling at night. Presented in a dual-language Blu-ray/DVD Combo set, rated TV-MA, extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette, a cast interview, a behind-the-scenes featurette, a pilot short, and a battle animatic. Recommended. (T. Keogh)