Before he made his name in ‘Lone Wolf’ and ‘Cub’ Tomisaburô Wakayama starred in this triptych of violent samurai spectacles that draw on James Bond and Spaghetti Westerns for inspiration yet feature the familiar style and blood-spattering action of the period.

In director Shigehiro Ozawa’s (The Streetfighter) “Killer’s Mission”, Wakayama stars as Doctor (and spy-for-hire) Shikoro Ichibei, who is hired to prevent the sale of firearms to a hostile Shogun.

In Eiichi Kudo’s (13 Assassins) follow-up, “The Fort of Death”, Ichibei is hired on a Seven Samurai-style mission to protect a village of farmers from a ruthless Lord.

The final film sees Ozawa return for “Eight Men to Kill”, in which Ichibei is hired to recover a cache of stolen gold from the government’s mine. Featuring an array of weapons and gadgets that would make Q proud (with Ichibei supported by a band of helpers including fellow spies, Ronin and female ninjas), the Bounty Hunter films deliver action thrills galore and deserve to sit alongside the celebrated action epics that followed.

For thoughts on The Bounty Hunter Trilogy, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/e75oPdYf6F0?si=7TMoIG1aCN-ys6fF&t=958]

Video Quality

Killer’s Mission, The Fort of Death, and Eight Men To Kill debut on Blu-Ray courtesy of Radiance Films with high definition masters supplied by Toei. While we often feel in safer hands when Radiance is allowed to guide a new restoration, it is not uncommon to have Toei in complete control of their output, and thankfully the results are quite pleasing. These three films share many overlapping qualities, so they will be discussed as a group with any notable differences pointed out. While these may not be as pristine as some releases from the label, these three films are right in line with the steady quality of Toei. You will clock the occasional fleeting specks, but largely we get a transfer that is clean and consistent transfer for each of these.

The new transfers deliver a lovely sheen of natural film grain which resolves favorably with no clumping or swarming spotted across any of the three films, even in wide-open skies. Each transfer preserves the intended aesthetic in a way that cannot be undervalued. Colors are nicely saturated with hues permeating the screen. The contrast is in good shape in all environments with stable highlights and no unsightly instances of black crush. Even the most shadowy moments present some rewarding depth to the image. There is a world of subtle detail to be seen for the first time in the costumes, weaponry, and natural environments. Softness in the original photography is to be expected, but there still is very little to complain about thanks to the stable origins of the material. Radiance Films continues to put forth top-tier quality even when they have to simply put out what they are given.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray set comes with an LPCM 2.0 track for Killer’s Mission, and a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track for The Fort of Death and Eight Men To Kill. Each film is presented in the original Japanese (with optional English subtitles) that is translated on these discs with admirable clarity. These individual narratives allow for consistent deployment of environmental sounds such as gunfire along with other textural elements. Dialogue stands tall with distinct clarity and without any signs of damage or distortion. Important exchanges never get buried by the sound effects or the score. The scores created for these three features come through without major signs of age or weakness. Every element appears to come through with decent fidelity and very little in the way of age-related wear and tear. Radiance Films has put forth some solid work here.

Special Features

The first-pressing of the Radiance Films Blu-Ray box set of The Bounty Hunter Trilogy includes a 40-page book featuring new writing by samurai film expert Alain Silver, an obituary of Eiichi Kudo by Kinji Fukasaku and an interview piece on Shigehiro Ozawa after his retirement from filmmaking. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Disc One – Killer’s Mission

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Tom Mes provides a commentary track in which he discusses the legacy of the film, how it plays with historical accuracy, the direction of Shigehiro Ozawa, the background of the performers, where it stands in the Bounty Hunter films, the legacy of the feature, and more.

Akihiko Ito: A new 16-minute interview with film historian Akihito Ito in which he shares his expertise on director Shigehiro Ozawa, his historical background, where he fit within the Japanese film industry, how he made movies in a way that pleased studios, his two entries into the Bounty Hunter franchise, his insight into what audiences wanted to see, and much more that is very enlightening.

Trailer: The three-minute trailer is provided.

Disc Two – The Fort of Death and Eight Men To Kill

Robin Gatto: A new 18-minute video essay from Japanese cinema expert Robin Gatto is provided in which he delves into the career of Eiichi Kudo, the history of Japanese samurai films, the shifting attitudes of audiences, how the filmmaker shook things up, and more.

Gallery: A collection of promotional stills, marketing materials, and more are provided here.

Trailer: This disc provides trailers for The Fort of Death (3:20) and Eight Men To Kill (3:07).

Final Thoughts

The Bounty Hunter Trilogy is a unique series that upends what we think of as traditional martial arts films as we mix in some more modern tendencies that result in surprising clashes. Each of these tales provides a bloody good time that turns violence into a true art form. The direction of these two filmmakers provides a keen sense of visual style that elevates them even more. We are glad that this trio of films is getting a spotlight for newcomers to discover the fun that is in store. Radiance Films has released a Blu-Ray set featuring a very strong A/V presentation and some insightful special features. If you are a fan of violent Japanese samurai films, you will not want to pass this up. Highly Recommended

The Bounty Hunter Trilogy will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on March 26, 2024.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Radiance Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.