The logline: Two rival clans, whom are after hidden gold in a western town, try to woo a masterful gunslinger to help find them find the gold.   

Takashi Miike + a western + Quentin Tarantino sounds like a great combination, right? Alas no. Sure, the bloody violence, stylish shots, luscious cinematography, and the multiple personality Sheriff are fun to watch, but overall this “experiment” never quite delivers. The problem is that the movie is flat out awkward. All of the Japanese actors speak English here and you can tell nearly every cast member is struggling to say the lines. Why director Takashi Miike made this decision, I do not know. Additionally, the script lacks substance. This is a pretty straight forward movie and there’s not much to it. It doesn’t help that there’s far too much padding and flashbacks which wind up hurting the pacing as well.

Summary: Skip this and watch one of cult director Takashi Miike’s other films such as “Ichi The Killer.”

The widescreen picture quality is superb. The exterior local and snow shots in particular looked stunning.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is decent. The dialogue can be hard to hear in spots, but the shootouts/action sounded great.

Extras:

* “Transsiberian,” “War, Inc.,” “August,” “Sukiyaki Wester Django,” “Priceless,” and “Contract Killers” trailers.
* 6 ½ minutes of deleted scenes.

* A 52 minute making of featurette which contains set footage, a look at Miike's directing style, etc.