Lone Wolf and Cub 2: Baby Cart at the River Styx (DVD – AnimEigo)

BABY CART AT THE RIVER STYX, the second feature film in the LONE WOLF AND CUB series was first introduced to western audiences in 1980 when it was edited together with SWORD OF VENGEANCE to create the English-dubbed cult classic known as SHOGUN ASSASSIN. This DVD release from AnimEigo introduces to the U.S. market the original, unedited 1972 film with the original Japanese audio track and optional English subtitles.

AnimEigo has since re-issued this movie in a value-priced LONE WOLF AND CUB DVD Collector’s Edition Box Set which contains all five of the movies in the series. The distributor has also released SHOGUN ASSASSIN so buyers have the option to purchase either version or both.

Buyers should steer clear of the Artsmagic version, released in the U.K. Most of their chambara releases are in very poor condition.

Image quality is above average for a 1972 import however the picture isn’t as crisp as it could be. There is also modest print degradation although nothing distracting. The print has been formatted in 16×9 for widescreen displays but the image may still appear slightly inset with thin black borders on the sides.

Original Japanese-language audio is presented in Dolby 2.0 mono. There is slight hiss but no defect to complain about.

Optional English subtitles are large, yellow, bordered and easy to read. AnimEigo is one of the few Asian film distributors in the U.S. to translate and write their own subtitles. Tai Seng is also company that translates their own releases. AnimEigo puts great care into the process of faithfully translating the dialogue and the effort is appreciated. Unfortunately, their single-minded zeal for translation has led them to the practice of adding occasional side notes that appear at the top of the screen.

The menus and cover art are unattractive and fail to entice but are a small improvement over SWORD OF VENGEANCE.

Liner Notes - Rather dull “liner notes” on the disc are about related Japanese culture and history and not movie or actor/crew trivia. All the liner notes on AnimEigo releases appear directly related to the research that goes into translating subtitles.

Trailers - Original theatrical trailers for BABY CART IN THE LAND OF DEMONS, ZATOICHI THE OUTLAW, WHITE HEAVEN IN HELL, and ZATOICHIL THE FESTIVAL OF FIRE.

• Format: Region 1 NTSC DVD
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Widescreen (2.35:1)
• Audio: Japanese 2.0
• Subtitles: English
• Length: 81 minutes
• Release Date: 2003.09.09