Ogami Itto is wrongfully accused of being a traitor by the evil and insane Lord Yagyu Retsudo. As if this insult to his pride was not enough, Retsudo has Itto's wife murdered causing Itto to give his infant son a choice. If he reaches for a ball he will be killed and join his mother, reach for the samurai sword and he will join his fathers quest for vengeance and bloodshed. Daigoro crawls towards the sword and thus the journey begins.

Ogami Itto crafts a baby cart for his son to ride in filled with hidden swords, machine guns, flying knives, bullet proof shields, and blades that expand from the wheels cutting the feet off of oncoming enemies. Soon the blood starts flying as whole armies of men are sliced to shreds by the seemingly unbeatable Itto. Easily the most violent action films ever made, there is no part of the human body that isn't at some point hacked off, as Itto must fight not only Yagyu troops but hidden ninjas. The ninjas ingeniously disguise themselves as regular citizens - from seemingly friendly wash woman to bath attendants - Itto, and the viewer are never allowed a moments respite.

Parts of the six film series were spliced together and badly dubbed by Roger Corman and released as Shogun Assassin. This is a nice introduction to the series, but now that all six are available they must be sought out in their entirety to fully enjoy their complex story lines (The LaserDisc edition by AnimEigo contains a pull out of samurai facts and customs which Lone Wolf painstakingly recreates).

The first in the series (released by AnimEigo as part of their Samurai Cinema collection), is Sword of Vengeance. Itto's story is set as we witness the murder of his wife and his subsequent massacre of Lord Yagyu Retsudo henchman. We learn that Retsudo's entire resource of killers are set out to kill Itto and his son. Itto finds himself imprisoned by a group of mercenaries who abuse and ridicule him until they find out his true identity. The head of the mercenaries - in a classic Lone Wolf scene - stutters Itto's name when he realizes who they've been torturing. In a flurry of violence Itto makes hamburger meat out of the clan before continuing his journey.

Baby Cart at The River Styx is the second in the series, best known for "The Gods of Death" Itto must dispatch. In a scene relived in Tarantino's Kill Bill Volume 1, it ends with the last God of Death complimenting Itto on his technique as his slit throat spurts blood like a geyser.

In the third film, Baby Cart To Hades, Itto comes to the rescue of a girl sold into prostitution. Itto is beaten within an inch of his life in a bizarre ritual involving being hung upside down, spun, and beaten with sticks. Itto survives to seek revenge and continue his battles with various Lord Yagyu Retsudo clans.

Baby Cart in Peril is the fourth installment. This Lone Wolf is legendary for the incredible end battle that sees Itto and son battle an army of hundreds. This one also includes the incredible beheading of swordsman Yagyu Gunbei.

Baby Cart in the Land of Demons sees Itto hired by a clan for another assassination job. The kicker - Itto must kill the clans five best warriors. In their last breathes each will explain a part of the mission and give Itto 1/5 of his fee.

The last in the series is White Heaven in Hell. This is the only film in the series where Itto shows signs of fear as he must battle supernatural warriors who can burrow underground. The finale includes an all out battle in the snow with Itto using the baby cart as a sled!

Created in the early to mid seventies the series includes great funky music, the occasional seventies zoom and an insane amount of violence. Simply put - people get FUCKED up in this series in a variety of previously unimaginable ways. The revenge factor, so intensely played by Wakayama Tomisaburo, elevates the films to dizzying levels. Where Tarantino borrows heavily from Lone Wolf in Kill Bill, he loses the real hate that a great revenge flick should have. Lone Wolf sidesteps tongue and cheek dialogue and situations, instead concentrating on pure rage.

A special note should quickly be made about the character Daigoro - Itto's son. For all of you who can't stand the always annoying movie cliché of the child tagging along with the hero, rest assured. Daigoro is the coolest tot to ever grace the silver screen. With his badass haircut he's not above helping his dad slaughter ninja's in his makeshift cart - occasionally saving his fathers ass - and being used as a decoy for his fathers advantage. It is the love this father and son duo have for each other that gives the film its heart and has the viewers on pins and needles throughout the series.