Takashi Miike excels at creating true horror from the internal darkness of humanity and this is clearly evident in his brutal depiction of the villain of this movie, Lord Naritsugu. Through this characterization he establishes a strong motivation for us to stick around and witness the epic 45 minute battle at the film's climax in our hope to see Naritsugu brought to justice. Period Japan is depicted in a fashion that appears competent and authentic and the climactic battle is satisfyingly crunchy and visceral. The story is simple and direct and Miike's deft hand spends the first half setting up a truly despicable, hate-able villain and the titular assassins and their heroic leader, Shinzaemon, then the second half delivering a very satisfying come-uppance in a relentless fury of action, blood and mud. Well worth watching if you like this sort of thing!
