So what do you do when you have two quite popular film characters that have each spawned their own dynasty of sequels? That's right! Team them up for a whole new movie. In some cases, this formula works out nicely (Alien Versus Predator –yes, Alien Versus Predator: Requiem – not so much), and in the case of the dream team of Zatoichi, the Blind Masseur, and Yojimbo, the ronin who has a habit of playing both sides, the synthesis of two legendary characters and the mega-stars that play them, the formula works like a charm. Toshiro Mifune and Katsu Shintaro are at the top of their games in Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo.

The plot involves Zatoichi (Zato-ichi, or Blind Ichi) returning to a peaceful village that he had left three years earlier, only to find it run by the Yakuza, hired by the former mayor to protect the village. A silk merchant and his two sons are squabbling over stolen Shogunate gold, and as Zatoichi rolls into town, a price is put on his head. A price which attracts the attention of the Yojimbo, working for one of the sons. There is also a woman involved, in the form of Umena, a local whore that only whores because of the debt she is on to the Silk Merchant/Crime Boss. Zatoichi remembers the whore from earlier, before she had to turn to prostitution, and of course, he wants to help her. Ichi and the Yojimbo, who happens to be the number one squeeze of Umena, team up to break up the gang, but some wacky misunderstandings ensue. Despite the fact that this may come across as a serious samurai film, there is a lot of comedy and hi-jinks involved that keep the film from getting too plot-twisty.

Katsu Shintaro steals the film from Mifune, a seemingly impossible task, true, but Shintaro has the better role, and it's a pretty badass role at that. Zato-ichi, in addition to giving a mean shoulder rub, has almost super-human powers and can take down any man coming at him. When his action skills cannot help, his wit and strategy fill in. Mifune is a great complement to Shintaro. The two men are virtual superstars at the time, but it is kind of like The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance in that the actors seem to like each other and acting off one another, rather than a battle of egos that can ruin a perfectly good samurai movie. Oh, wait, the battle of egos is what samurai films are all about. Anyway, if you are a fan of either actor, or want to be, check out Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo.