Wild movie which I cannot recommend to a casual audience that knows nothing about the genre or the history behind this film. I had no idea what to expect and was thoroughly confused only 20 minutes in. I was never able to catch up with the story which moved at a blazing speed. Characters appeared quickly without introduction, names flash for a second on the subtitles and they went on their merry way. The director literally serves you an entree allows you to take a bite and immediately pulls the plate away. Next plate is served again just one bite. This went on repeatedly.

This is not a good movie at all. Major plot lines just go off on their own and do not intersect. So much action and backroom plotting is occurring I had no clue who was who and why this or that. The only saving grace for me was the "Monkey". His character was super funny and the actor did a great job portraying him. Outside of that I didn't enjoy the movie as I had hoped. Advice to you non-Japanese speaking audience members take notes of names and who's side they're on. You will need it to stay on track.