The vengeful Retsudo (a deliciously venomous portrayal by Minoru Oki) assigns his lethal only remaining daughter Kaori (lovely Junko Hitomi) to kill Ogami (the redoubtable Tomisaburo Wakayama) and his son Daigoro (adorable Akihiro Tomikawa). When Kaori fails to accomplish her mission, three deceased warriors are resurrected to take care of both Ogami and Daigoro once and for all. Director Yoshiyuki Kuroda and writer Tsutoma Nakamura totally go for broke with this enjoyably outrageous final entry in the series: This time we've got an astronomical triple digit body count, oodles of hysterically gory blood-spraying violence, a grim take-no-prisoners tone (innocent folks who help out Ogami and son all meet brutal untimely fates), striking widescreen cinematography, a cool supernatural bent, several neat gimmicks (the baby cart is equipped with a gatling gun!), a funky-grooving score that sounds like it belongs more in a 70's blaxploitation flick, and, best of all, a wild pull-out-all-the-stops epic climatic battle sequence set on a snow swept mountain in which Ogami takes out over a hundred opponents. A satisfying berserk closer to this on the money series.

When this film began, it soon became apparent that it had a much greater cinematic quality than the previous films. The cinematography is quite artistic and I loved how they framed the shots. It also had a much grander--more wide-open sort of look to it--with, oddly, a scene of Itto and his young son skiing!!!! Then, as the film unfolds, the music is also very nice--again, with a lovely artistic flair. Truly this is the best looking of the Lone Wolf films.The scene switches to the head of the evil Yagyu clan (Retsudo) ). Apparently now it is only he and his daughter who are left--Ogami Itto has killed the rest. And so the clan chief is told that this 'problem' is going to be taken out of his hands and handled officially. The Yagyu boss begs to have one final chance and the scene then switches to a very impressive and sick scene--showing this killing machine daughter (Kaori) practicing her knife techniques. The old man coaches her as very methodically she kills three men--burying blades deed into their skulls. This is no ordinary lady!! Sadly, however, her showdown with Itto is over very quickly and it felt very anticlimactic.Immediately following Kaori's failure, the boss-man himself responds. He goes to visit Hyoei--his previously never mentioned illegitimate son. Now here's where it gets really weird...in the next scene he is officiating some sort of zombie resurrection scene. It seems three warriors were buried alive for 42 days and now they are undead killing machines. Wow...and I thought Itto's anachronistic machine guns in the stroller were weird! Things now really heat up for Itto, as everywhere he goes, anyone who helps him in any way is brutally killed by Hyoei and his Tsuchigumo Tribesmen. They are definitely much more formidable than his half-sister and it sure looks as if Itto will die at Hyoei's hand...and soon. However, Hyoei fails when he he is goaded by Itto to fight him as a samurai...and when Hyoei tries to rape his sister (ewwww--why is there ALWAYS rape in the Lone Wolf films and with his sister yet!) to continue his family line, Retsudo kills him and his sister in the act. He then tries to assume command of the Tsuchigumo--who refuse and wish to destroy Itto on their own--using their magical and mysterious ways.By now, Itto and his son have high into the snowy mountains--a hint of this was seen at the beginning of the film. Here, the Tsuchigumo are at a disadvantage--they cannot use their bizarre tunneling technique (this is a REALLY weird skill when you see it in action). But they are zombie-like magical beings and so things once again look very bad for Itto the killing machine. Fortunately, Q from the James Bond movies must have invented his baby stroller, as it helps him in this jam---which leads to a snow ski fight somewhat reminiscent of a Bond snow scene. Heck, it even has Bond-like music! However, when Retsudo turns up with his own tricked out Q-inspired baby carriage-like machine, all attempts at realism are out the window...it's truly Bond Time in the 19th century--or should I say "Wild, Wild West" time?!!! I would have to say that this is DEFINITELY the most ridiculous Lone Wolf movie and, at the same time, the most exciting to watch. It's almost non-stop insane action and wild and weird villains. It's something you just have to see.By the way, this is the last Lone Wolf film--even though "Shogun Assassin" was released in 1980. This 1980 film is actually a film chopped from the earlier films and arranged into a 'new movie'. So, if you've seen the original films there's no reason to see this later film.

This final episode of the six Lone Wolf and Cub series is a mixed bag, though continually entertaining, with the expected quota of sword fights, ninja attacks, and all-out battles - here captured in the the rival Yagyu faction's attempt to push the Lone Wolf to despair the body count that follows him.The extravagant violence that follows isn't so much realistic (with its blood that looks like paint, and shoestring foley work) as it is a Downhill Racer with samurai swords, the Baby Cart equipped with machine guns, cannons, and an assembly of spears. The most appealing aspect of this series (and this movie) derives from its bleak depiction of a world of honorable bad guys and just plain bad guys. Death, here, is an ugly business. The final sequence, which pits our hero against swordsmen wearing skis, is kind of campy, but that's all part of the mystique of this series. Some people love it; others may find it a bit formulaic.

"Kozure Ôkami: Jigoku e ikuzo! Daigoro" aka. "Lone Wolf And Cub: White Heaven In Hell" of 1974 is the sixth and (sadly) final installment to the brilliant Ôkami-cycle starring the great Tomisaburo Wakayama as Ogami Itto, my personal choice for the greatest (anti-)hero character in the history of moving images. While the finale is, not my favorite in the cycle (actually, it is my least favorite of the six), it is nonetheless a brilliant movie that no fan of Chambara or Japanese film in general could possibly afford to miss. The entire "Kozure Okami" cycle ranks high on my personal all-time favorite list and even my least favorite parts, the third and this one, get the highest possible rating of 10 out of 10 from me. This last Ôkami film is essential to Japanese cinema fans for a variety of reasons: First off, the entire cycle is essential to Chambara fans, and all true cineastes in general. This last part is also unique in a very particular way: Believe it or not, "White Heaven In Hell" is THE film with the highest on screen-body-count caused by a single person in motion picture history. The Ôkami films are all (very stylishly) ultra-violent and blood-soaked and from the third Ôkami film onward, the films always had ultra-bloody battles in the end, in which Ogami Itto single-handedly (or, more precisely, with help of his son Daigoro) wipes out entire armies of enemies. This last part is the most extreme in this regard, as Ogami Itto kills 104 people in the final showdown alone.The Ôkami films are brilliant in all regards, be it the immensely stylish bloodshed, the brilliant characters, the impressive cinematography or beautiful Japanese settings. My arguably favorite aspect, however, is probably the father-son relationship between Ogami Itto and his son Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa). Working as an assassin, Ogami Itto, former Kaishakunin (highest executioner) of the Shogunate, travels through feudal Japan with his infant son Daigoro, in order to clear his name and avenge his wife's death. Throughout the cycle, Daigoro, who is a baby in the first film, grows, and his upbringing and the father-son relationship are unique and strangely heart-warming. Daigoro, who often engages actively in his father's fights, hardly sits in his baby cart any more in the later films, but he still uses the ingeniously modified cart in battle. Shortly spoken: Ogami Itto is the greatest (anti-)hero character ever, and Daigoro is the most brilliant sidekick-character in cinematic history. American Director Robert Houston made an absolutely unnecessary dubbed re-cut of the first two Ôkami films under the title "Shogun Assassin". I didn't see the re-cut, and probably never will as the Japanese language is an essential factor. Also, the re-cut is narrated by Daigoro, which is idiotic, as it is one of Daigoro's most distinguishing character traits that he hardly talks. The original Ôkami-films are entirely brilliant, the entire cycle ranks among my favorite films of all-time, and each part has its particular magic. Even the slightly lesser parts (the third one and this finale) are masterpieces that any lover of Chambara in particular, or Japanese cinema, Exploitation, Martial-Arts, or just movies in general should love. My only regret with the "Ôkami" cycle is that they didn't make more sequels. My advice: If you don't know them yet, get all six "Lone Wolf And Cub" films, and watch them NOW!