Director Kimiyoshi Yasuda's Zatoichi films are so far my least favorite of the bunch, and this one, while not plain bad like Zatoichi on the Road, is fairly underwhelming and didn't really leave an impact on me.Zatoichi's Cane Sword is unusually talky for a Zatoichi film and the majority of it is just a long slow burn. It really takes a while for things to get going, and the plot isn't really the most interesting one too. Some aspects of the story were unclear to me, and there was some filler material. I don't know what's the point of the gambler character who appears several times (most notably in the final scene), and the appearance of singer Kiyoko Suizenji (who's here just to sing her popular song "Ippon dokko no uta") seems lazily shoehorned without much effort to weave her into the plot more fluidly.There are some interesting moments in the film, most notably the final fight scene and the dice throw in the final scene which assumes Zatoichi is a bloody wizard, but aside from those, there isn't much to recommend here.Highlight of the film would, once again, be the climactic fight scene taking place on the streets of the snowy town. Zatoichi's enemies are getting more and more creative - they use everything on him; barrels, even carpets!

Master Ichi finds out from a friendly sword-smith that his legendary blade has a weak point and thus, will break upon his next attack. This inspires him to give it up and attempt to live life on the straight and narrow. Of course, with all the evil men lurking about and terrorizing the locals, somebody eventually has to do something. And you know who that somebody is. There's not too much action for the first hour but when it comes, it's classic Zatoichi, meaning some of it must be rewound just to enjoy it a second time. Zatoichi's Cane Sword (#15) is one of the best in the 27-film series (and has some of the best bits of humor from Zatoichi, like the whole "duck dance" scene) and as such, I'd recommend it to both fans and non-fans alike. And in case no one knew, Katsu Shintarô rocks.

I love the Zatoichi movies, though I have found that because they made so many and the plots tended to blend together so often, it is hard to distinguish them apart. I would give all of them about the same score of a 7 or an 8--with a few exceptions (the return of the original in 1989 was a TERRIBLE and depressing movie, while the new Zatoichi movie starring Beat Takeshi is probably the best of any Zatoichi movies).This movie features a unique plot--something many Ichi films do not feature. His relationship with the sword maker and what happens when his old blade ultimately breaks make this one stand out from the crowd. It's also nice to see that he is indeed NOT invincible.

This is one of the best Zatoichi movies. The action is superb, and Zatoichi shows more emotion in this film than most. You learn some of the history behind his sword, and he even gets a new one. I highly recommend it!