Plot: Ogami (Tomisaburo Wakayama) continues to wander the land with son Daigoro, hiring out his services where needed. Along his path, Ogami has battled countless Yagyu clan warriors and assassins, leaving a blood soaked trail behind him. He simply kills those who come after him, then he returns to his travels. But now new enemies surface, such as a band of female assassins who carve their enemies to pieces. These fierce women have been assigned to kill Ogami and Daigoro, by order of the Yagyu clan. But Ogami also has his work cut out for him when he accepts an assassination task. Ogami is to kill a traitorous man who holds secrets to dye-making, but he is well protected by the three brothers with blood stained reputations. Can even Ogami win an epic battle fought on two fronts against two sets of dangerous opponents?

Entertainment Value: Few sequels manage to even hold a candle to the originals, but Baby Cart at River Styx is one of the exceptions. This movie continues down the path established and raises the stakes in the action area. The narrative isn’t as sharp, but we have two stories that converge. I think throwing creative enemies at Ogami and giving him interesting tasks as a hired sword are fine story elements, but some seem to look down on this film’s focus on action. Wakayama has settled in as Ogami here, reaching a level of bad ass rarely seen in cinema. His trance-like performance is criticized by some, but I think it works quite well. On the action front, Baby Cart at the River Styx is packed with great fight scenes in the Lone Wolf and Cub style. A stream of enemies to fight, but we see new tricks and new ways of dispatching them, so there’s never a dull moment. I’d rank this as one of my favorites in the series and given how excellent the entire run is, that is high praise for Baby Cart at the River Styx.

A couple of topless scenes, but one is just seen long enough for the girl’s chest to be sliced in half. This movie takes the same violent approach as the original, with blood drenched fights and literal fountains of blood. You even see female assassins slice a man to pieces, cutting off his nose, ears, and limbs in sadistic fashion. Daigoro gets into the action as well, impaling and lopping off feet while inside his cart. But Ogami is the real master of the arterial spray, rending his enemies and showering the screen with blood. All done in stylish ways, of course. The blades do most of the talking, but a few memorable lines manage to make it through. This is a wilder movie than the first, which had much more narrative to shoulder. It ramps up the creativity within the violence and introduces some interesting enemies for Ogami. So not a buck wild romp through the countryside, but this one is coloring outside the lines, for sure.

Nudity: 1/10

Blood: 8/10

Dialogue: 1/10

Overall Insanity: 6/10

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