is a 2009 Japanese action film written and directed by

Kazuaki Kiriya is a Japanese photographer and film director, director of films and music videos. His birth name is . He is represented by Paradigm Agency. Early life and career In 1983, in his second year of junior high school, he moved to the United States. ...

. It is loosely based on the story of

Ishikawa Goemon was the leader of a group of bandits during the Azuchi-Momoyama period in Japan. Over time, and especially during the Edo period (1603-1867), his life and deeds became a center of attention, and he became known as a legendary Japanese outlaw h ...

, a

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

ary

outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them. ...

hero who stole valuables from the rich and gave them to the poor. The film is a

fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...

al account of Goemon's exploits and his role during the final phase of

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

, particularly the period leading up to the decisive

Battle of Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was an important battle in Japan which occurred on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, ...

. Like Kiriya's previous

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

, ''

Casshern ''Casshan'', also known in Japan as , is an anime series created by Tatsunoko Production founder Tatsuo Yoshida in 1973. The ''Casshern'' franchise also includes a 1993 original video animation titled '' Casshan: Robot Hunter'', and a 2004 ...

'', ''Goemon'' was filmed on a

digital backlot A digital backlot or virtual backlot is a motion-picture set that is neither a genuine location nor a constructed studio; the shooting takes place entirely on a stage with a blank background (often a greenscreen) that will later on project an art ...

, and made use of over 2,500

visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated as VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action fo ...

. ''Goemon'' was released in North America on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

and

Blu-ray Disc Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of ...

Funimation Funimation was an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service. Launched in 2016, the service was one of the leading distributors of anime ...

on April 19, 2011, and features an English dubbed audio track.

Plot

In the middle of the bloody

, a young

watched his entire family assassinated for political reasons. While escaping with his caretaker, they were attacked by bandits until Goemon was saved by the warlord

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...

. Goemon followed Nobunaga to his castle where the impressed warlord took him under his wing and the ninja

Hattori Hanzō or ''Second Hanzō'', nicknamed , was a famous samurai of the Sengoku era, who served the Tokugawa clan as a general, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. He is often a ...

was assigned to train him alongside

Kirigakure Saizō was a fictional ninja of the final phase of the Sengoku period of Japan. In the folklore he is one of the Sanada Ten Braves, and next to Sarutobi Sasuke, he is the most recognized of the Ten. As in the case of Sasuke, Saizō might be a fictiona ...

. Goemon was eventually assigned to protect Nobunaga's niece,

Chacha Cha-Cha, Cha Cha, ChaCha or Chacha may refer to: Music *Cha-cha-cha (dance), a dance of Cuban origin *Cha-cha-cha (music), a genre of Cuban music *Cha Cha (album), ''Cha Cha'' (album), a 1978 album by Herman Brood & His Wild Romance *Cha Cha (sou ...

who grew to like him. When Chacha left, she gave Goemon her favorite fan as a memento while Nobunaga gave him his double-bladed sword as reward for protecting his niece. Nobunaga was soon

murdered Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excu ...

by his generals

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: ...

and

Akechi Mitsuhide , first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period. Mitsuhide was originally a bodyguard of the last Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later, one of ...

. After that, Hideyoshi betrayed and killed Mitsuhide to seemingly avenge Nobunaga, and then he became the new ruler of Japan. Goemon and Saizo parted ways; Saizo chose to remain in service to the

Oda clan The is a Japanese samurai family who were daimyo and an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. Though they reached the peak of their power under Oda Nobunaga and fell soon after, several branches of the ...

in hopes of rising to samurai status while Goemon chose to leave and be free. As a parting gift, Goemon divided his double-bladed sword in two and gave one half to Saizo. Years later, Goemon becomes an outlaw with

Sarutobi Sasuke is a ninja who appears in kōdan narrative art and fictional writings. The nickname is generally believed to have been concocted sometime between the Meiji to the Taishō periods. Some argue he is based on real live personages, such as and . ...

, an inexperienced bounty hunter who tried in vain to capture him, as his personal attendant. During a festival, Goemon robs a treasure repository that houses a mysterious box which is referred to as "Pandora's Box" by foreigners.

Ishida Mitsunari was a Japanese samurai and military commander of the late Sengoku period of Japan. He is probably best remembered as the commander of the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the Azuchi–Momoyama period of the 16th century. He ...

, a high ranking samurai serving under Hideyoshi, arrives to destroy the box but Goemon escapes with it. Unaware of the value of the box, Goemon throws it away upon finding it empty. It is later picked up a young pick-pocket named Koheita. The following day, Goemon learns of the box's value from Sasuke and returns to the city to find it. While searching in the slums, Goemon finds Koheita and his mother, who has just been murdered by a local samurai. Goemon saves Koheita and retrieves the box. Saizo, now working under Mitsunari, and his ninja squad appear and confront Goemon over the box. Goemon evades Saizo's team except for Saizo himself and they engage in a fierce duel until Hattori Hanzo intervenes, causing Saizo to withdraw. Returning to the city with the box, Goemon examines it and discovers a map leading to a mysterious treasure. Following the map, Goemon and Sasuke are led to a ruined Buddhist temple where they find a hidden contract containing Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide's signatures. From it, Goemon learns of Hideyoshi's involvement in Nobunaga's death. Hanzo reappears and offers his old student a bag of gold for the contract. Seeking vengeance for his murdered lord, Goemon infiltrates Hideyoshi's palace and kills him. Goemon then reunites with Chacha for a short while before hiding himself. To his shock, Goemon discovers Hideyoshi enter Chacha's room, realizing he just killed his fake double. Later on, one of Hideyoshi's guards discovers Goemon and shoots him. Goemon is soon rescued by Saizo. Not long after, Hanzo takes Goemon to a waterfall to meet with Chacha. Chacha bids Goemon farewell after revealing that she has agreed to become Hideyoshi's concubine. Later,

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

, Hanzo's new liege lord, arrives and asks Goemon to assassinate Hideyoshi in order to save the country. Meanwhile, Mitsunari offers Saizo samurai status in return for killing Hideyoshi. During Hideyoshi and Chacha's wedding aboard a royal ship, Goemon prepares to kill him but he changes his mind. Moments later, all of Hideyoshi's escort ships are destroyed by explosives set by Saizo and his team, and then they assassinate Hideyoshi. Believing Hideyoshi to be dead, Mitsunari turns on Saizo and shoots him. However, Hideyoshi and Saizo survive. Unaware of Mitsunari's betrayal, Hideyoshi interrogates Saizo, who is soon saved by Goemon. Saizo then races to save his family, only to discover that Mitsunari has kidnapped his infant child and killed his wife. Saizo is recaptured and executed through

death by boiling Death by boiling is a method of execution in which a person is killed by being immersed in a boiling liquid. While not as common as other methods of execution, boiling to death has been practiced in many parts of Europe and Asia. Due to the length ...

along with his child after he falsely confesses that he is Goemon. With the help of Saizo's team, Goemon storms through the palace until he reaches Hideyoshi, whom he finally kills, and then he rescues Chacha. With Hideyoshi dead, a power struggle between Tokugawa and Mitsunari begins and Goemon, having enough of the conflict, decides to intervene. Goemon charges into the battle wearing Nobunaga's armor and carrying his fully repaired double-bladed sword. His appearance instills fear on the warring armies as they believe Nobunaga has returned. Goemon fights through the armies until he reaches and kills Mitsunari during a solar eclipse, causing Mitsunari's army to retreat. Goemon then charges through Tokugawa's army, but Hanzo intercepts him mid-way. Goemon immobilizes Hanzo by pinning his foot to the ground with a broken sword blade, allowing him to approach Tokugawa. As Goemon closes in to kill Tokugawa, he is mortally wounded by Sasuke. It is later revealed that he is only holding Chacha's fan; Goemon actually planned to get Tokugawa to promise that there will finally be peace. When Tokugawa agrees, Goemon leaves the battlefield. Goemon struggles to make his way back to Chacha, but he dies of his wounds while watching the fireflies.

Cast

English dubbing staff

*Dubbing director: *Dubbing studio:

*Media:

Reception

The film was nominated at the

Asian Film Awards The Asian Film Awards are presented annually by the Asian Film Awards Academy to recognise the excellence of the film professionals in the film industries of Asian cinema. History On January 29, 2007, Wilfred Wong, the Chairman of Hong Kon ...

in 2010 for the categories of Best Costume Designer (Vaughan Alexander and Tina Kalivas) and Best Visual Effects (Takuya Fujita and Kôji Nozaki). According to

Twitch Film ScreenAnarchy, previously known as Twitch Film or Twitch, is a Canadian English-language website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown. In addition to films, ...

, "''Goemon'' is going to be a divisive film ... It fits in well with their live action catalog of films like '' Shinobi: Heart Under Blade'' and yet it feels like a live action

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

." According to a

DVD Verdict DVD Verdict was a judicial-themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. The editor-in-chief was Michael Stailey, who owned the website between 2004 and 2016, and the site employed a large editorial staff of critics, whose revie ...

review by Paul Pritchard, ''Goemon'' "entertains with its combination of imaginative visuals and exciting action sequences, but leaves you wanting for more". The Blu-ray Disc version was "highly recommended" by Blu-ray.com.

Soundtrack

The

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

to ''Goemon'', composed by Akihiko Matsumoto, was released in Japan on April 22, 2009, by

Columbia Music Entertainment , often pronounced ''Korombia'', operating internationally as , is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as Nipponophone Co., Ltd. It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK C ...

. The film's theme song, "Rosa -Movie Mix-", composed by

Yoshiki Yoshiki is a masculine Japanese given name. Written forms Yoshiki can be written using many different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples: *義樹, "justice, tree" *義基, "justice, foundation" *義機, "justice, opportuni ...

and performed by Violet UK, was released on

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

seven days later on April 29, 2009.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Goemon 2009 action films 2009 films Cultural depictions of Akechi Mitsuhide Cultural depictions of Hattori Hanzō Cultural depictions of Oda Nobunaga Cultural depictions of Tokugawa Ieyasu Cultural depictions of Toyotomi Hideyoshi Warner Bros. films Funimation 2000s Japanese-language films Ninja films Sengoku period in fiction Shochiku films Films set in slums