I must have some latent masochistic streak to subject myself to yet another LADY SNOWBLOOD film. While I did reluctantly recommend the first installment, it left me nauseous and depressed. This one just left me peeved. From the DVD case:

"1905. The end of the Russo-Japanese war that has created a new self confidence in Japan, and underpinned the power of the militarists and right extremists.

"Yuki (Lady Snowblood) has been found guilty of multiple murder and sentenced to hang. Set free by Kikui, the ruthless head of the secret police, she is recruited into his service as a political infiltrator. His target is Ransui Tokunaga, a key figure in the anarchist movement that threatens the establishment and the Emperor.

"Tokunaga possesses a document that could blow away the forces of reaction and the government, in the form of a letter that reveals their involvement in framing and executing a number of innocent people in order to further their own political ends.

"Before this affair is concluded, which mixes personal tragedy with public tyranny, Lady Snowblood will have again set herself firmly on the side of the outlaws, the dispossessed and the oppressed, as her sword paints a bespattered trail of carnage that leads to the very heart of corruption."

Whoever wrote this could sell you anything. With a description like that, you can see why I was duped into watching this miserable sequel.

The movie starts with a betrayal that had me screaming at the TV, " Lady Snowblood, have you learned nothing?! Trust no one!" As if this character flaw wasn't enough, she is then surrounded by hordes of law enforcement. Now, if you read my first Snowblood review, you know this poor lady has led a pretty dismal life. When faced with a lose-lose situation, you'd figure she'd be lookin' for an excuse to die - either hari kari or a blaze of glory. So what does Lady Snowblood do? She throws away her sword and says, "Come and get me." No fight, no blood, no nothin'. How can I get behind a heroine like that? 

Quentin Tarantino speaks very highly of Meiko, but to me there's a difference between being stoic and understated - and being just a . blank . void. Anyone home? It's not Meiko's fault, though. You'd draw a blank, too, if you were caught in such an absurd plot. Ironic that there's a lot more character exploration in the sequel, but none of it has to do with Lady Snowblood!

I never thought I'd say this, but what this movie really needs is more mindless violence -there's hardly any of it - to make up for the dumb ass plot. 

I will give Lady Snowblood this: she's one tough lady, surviving multiple gunshot wounds in the sequel. But would someone please explain to me how she survived the skewering at the end of the first film? I wish she hadn't.

Click to see Teri's review of the first Lady Snowblood film.