Good concept, poorly executed.

Absolutely brilliant

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Blistering performances.

I usually don't watch martial arts films too often, but when I heard the premise for this movie, I figured I should give it a chance. Boy, was I glad I saw this film. This had an excellent plot all through the film. Shintaro Katsu was excellent as Zatoichi in the original series. I only saw a few of the movies in the series, but this had a very emotional element. He was very good acting with an infant on screen. I admit I did shed a tear towards the end, but the whole movie just moved me. The way he changed the baby's diapers, holding the baby, singing to the baby, playing with the baby. This film broke the mold when back in the early 60's, most films would never use a real baby in the movies. Even the scenery was lovely. It's a shame that Shintaro's no longer with us. But during his 5-decade film career, out of all his 105 films that he's done, Fight, Zatoichi, Fight is definitely his best film ever.

This entry in the series is highly recommended. I often recommend this as the first film in the series that friends and family view. Katsu Shintaro is fantastic in this film. At one point in the film, Zatoichi tells someone that he has never been happier, and the audience already knows that because of Katsu's fine acting. This is not the only film where Katsu shares the camera lens with a child. Katsu obviously loves children and their presence lightens the mood of these films.The emphasis in this film is drama. There is less sword fighting, so if your interest in the series is purely for the fighting sequences, move on to another entry. For all others who enjoy a mixture of drama and action, this is a fantastic film that is sure to bring some moisture to your eyes.Just as an aside, I don't know how the international English title became Fight, Zatoichi, Fight. The Japanese Kanji literally mean Zatoichi Blood Smile Travel, giving the feeling of both violence and happiness.

Shintaro at his best. He's a mother, a husband and a reluctant killer all rolled into one. I can't imagine anyone else pulling off the role of Zatoichi. His interaction with the infant is truly heartwarming. There is pathos and humor as well. What else is there? Swordfighting, swordfighting, swordfighting...Not that he doesn't try to talk reason to his assailants. He deters an angry samurai without blood or violence in a scene I felt was so unusual, I played it back three times in a row. I LOVE martial arts sequences, but, the reason that I watch this one again and again is the acting and the natural building of his relationship with the infant that he has decided to help.If you want to sample the Zatoichi series, I would certainly recommend this one to be your first...

Fight Zatoichi Fight benefits from a particularly strong and emotional Shintaro Katsu performance. In this film he takes charge of an infant whose mother is killed by yakuza meaning to kill Zatoichi. He also joins up with a fallen woman, and this dysfunctional family attempts to return the child to its father--who doesn't want his offspring back. The relationship that Zatoichi develops with the unwanted child is quite moving, and the final battle scene takes on added poignance after the blind masseur is forced to leave the baby in the care of a monk.