Overview: Most famous for his role as the stoic Ogami Itto in the legendary Lone Wolf and Cub series, Tomisaburo Wakayama shows a different side in the ebullient martial arts comedy series Wicked Priest, where a devout man of the cloth doesn’t let a little thing like his vows keep him away from women, booze and brawls!

4K Blu-ray Verdict: Wakayama plays Shinkai, a Buddhist monk with a penchant for drinking and gambling, setting sinners straight with judo throws rather than sermons. In the first film, Wicked Priest (1968), he’s placed on probation for fighting off a gang of thugs, but when he hears of rogue priests in his order consorting with yakuza, he returns to punch them towards enlightenment.

Wakayama is extraordinary and the story of the film is very good with very emotion. It is a movie that have to be seen by all the Wakayama’s fan. Shinkai, the character played bye Wakayama is closed of the famous Zatoïchi played by the brother of Wakayma the great Shintaro Katsu. And Wakayama, in his character, look very like his brother in his character of Zatoïchi.

More, Wakayama him-self sing very well the songs of the film. Shinkai is the predecessor and announce the character of Ogami Itto of the Babycart’s movie with his moral code, his violence and his kindness to the women and the children.

The first sequel, Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder (1968), sees Shinkai run afoul of the local mob who then hire his nemesis, the Zatoichi-inspired fighting monk Ryotatsu (Bunta Sugawara, Battles Without Honor and Humanity), hellbent on revenge against Shinkai for blinding him.

The production is as solid as any other Katsu Productions picture was. Nice wool suits bounce off equally exquisite classic silk dress and our backdrops are just as much of a blend between the old and new. Bicycle rides through the open fields, hotel rooms and every tavern, temple, and brothel in between.

The fisticuffs are top-notch with Wakayama handling all of his own heavy lifting, which is always impressive to watch. The closing act is where you get your action, ranging from the bittersweet to beachside beat downs with the blind to a generous helping of revenge.

In the third film, Wicked Priest 3: A Killer’s Pilgrimage (1969), Shinkai joins the fight to defend a coastal village against dynamite-wielding pirate revolutionaries, whilst still finding the time for bawdy misadventures and fighting off the tenacious Ryotatsu.

Shinkai returns and this time around his travels take him to a fishing village under siege by dynamite loving pirates. Along the way he seduces women (Let’s play the octopus sucking game), exposes fake religions and destroys more eyeballs while also dealing with the repercussions of a man he killed previously.

Not as confidently shot, or as action heavy as the second film but Tomisaburo Wakayama’s spirited performance still makes it essential viewing. Not quite as good overall as the second but still way better than the first film, this is a solid series so far.

In Wicked Priest 4: The Killer Priest Comes Back (1970), Shinkai returns to his snowy hometown for his mother’s memorial in the fourth film and must encourage the local community to fight back against the yakuza who are exploiting them.

Not quite sure why this is considered one of the strongest in the series, I found it one of the weakest. Shinkai returns to his hometown and gets involved in a Yakuza dispute over river workers, it’s much more serious in tone than previous entries but honestly the first hour is kinda dry and pretty generic period stuff. The added backstory was good, adding depth to Tomisaburo Wakayama’s character but the film never really picked up until the last 20mins when Bunta Sugawara turns up.

Finally, in Wicked Priest 5: Blood on the Commandments (1971), Shinkai must face off against the vengeful Ryotatsu once last time in the series’ concluding instalment. Wakayama shines as the rascally Shinkai whose roguish ways attract the ire of his superiors before they’re won over by his righteousness and affinity for roundhouse-kicking ruffians.

This final installment of The Wicked Priest franchise has our hero Shinkai servicing multiple prostitutes until he is interrupted by a group of Yakuza that he of course fights. Bunta Sugawara returns as the blind swordsman that wants to put an end to Shinkai. Plus Shinkai holes up with a group of old beggars lead by none other then the great Takeshi Shimura.

Lots of action and a big final showdown that leaves you wanting more ends this epic of a sort of anticlimactic finish that could have had more closure, but maybe the studio thought there was going to be another installment.

In conclusion, this is a rather thrilling blend of raunchy humor and explosive karate fights, and therefore to me the Wicked Priest series is the Nirvana of Japanese 60’s action comedy!

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
Brand new restorations of all five films in the series: Wicked Priest, Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder, Wicked Priest 3: A Killer’s Pilgrimage, Wicked Priest 4: The Killer Priest Comes Back and Wicked Priest 5: Blood on the Commandments
High-Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all five films
Original lossless Japanese mono audio on all five films
Optional English subtitles on all five films
Composing the Gospel, a brand new video essay on Wicked Priest composer and electronic music pioneer Isao Tomita by music supervisor and Japanese cinema expert James Balmont
Taisho Troubles, a brand new video essay on Wicked Priest’s depictions of historical Japan by Japanese cinema expert Jonathan Clements
Offscreen Battles, a brand interview with Asian cinema expert James Mudge on the tumultuous landscape of 1960s Japanese cinema
Martial Arts and Super Mario Brothers, a brand new interview with Japanese cinema experts Patrick Macias and Matt Alt on Wicked Priest star and Japanese screen icon Tomisaburo Wakayama
Priest or Monk, a brand new primer on Buddhism and pop culture as depicted in the Wicked Priest films by Patrick Macias and Matt Alt
Original theatrical trailers for all five films
Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon
Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the films by Camille Zaurin

Official Purchase Link

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