G.I. Samurai: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1979
Director: Kôsei Saitô
Writer: Toshio Kamata
Cast: Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, Noriko Honma, Haruki Kadokawa, Shin Kishida, Asao Koike, Shin'ichirô Mikami, Noboru Nakaya, Mikio Narita, Isao Natsuyagi, Raita Ryû, Hiroyuki Sanada, Kenpachirô Satsuma, Mizuho Suzuki, Katsumasa Uchida

Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 139 Minutes 14 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese, DTS-HD Stereo Japanese. DTS-HD 5.1 Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.95

"During a routine military exercise, modern-day soldiers led by Second Lieutenant Iba (Chiba) find themselves transported back in time four hundred years to war-torn feudal Japan. Facing attack by samurai warriors from rival clans, frictions rapidly emerge among these modern-day soldiers, whisked from a time of peace, freed from the strictures of a higher authority and stranded in one of the bloodiest and most decisive periods in Japan's history." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The film was restored in 4K by Kadokawa Pictures in 2022.

All materials were provided by Kadokawa."

G.I. Samurai comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.4 GB

Feature: 32.9 GB

There are two optional viewing modes via seamless branching: the original Japanese version or the uncut English-language version titled Time Slip. The source looks excellent; flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid; and the image looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Stereo Japanese. DTS-HD 5.1 Japanese), 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Japanese)

This release comes with three audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Japanese and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Japanese. All of the tracks sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should. The stereo and 5.1 tracks do an excellent job expanding the soundtrack. The audio tracks and English subtitles can only be changed via the setup menu and not during playback. 

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (35 images—stills/posters), a teaser trailer (42 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with text in Japanese and removable English subtitles), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba (20 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Isao Natsuyagi (23 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actors Hiromitsu Suzuki and Monsieur Kamayatsu (21 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actors Jun Eto and Isao Kuraishi (21 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Eiji Suzuki (3 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an appreciation by Mark Schilling titled The Good Fight (22 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an appreciation by Matt Alt titled Acting in Self-Defense (18 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a discussion between film critics Masaki Nomura and Tatsuya Masuto titled Back in Time (21 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Samm Deighan and Tom Mes, an English-language version of G.I. Samurai under the title Time Slip (139 minutes 14 seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono English with non-removable English subtitles for text in Japanese), reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and a 24-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Sanity Slip written by Josh Slater-Williams, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Kôsei Saitô directed G.I. Samurai. Although he mostly worked in television, his notable theatrical feature films are Devil’s Flute and Ninja Wars. The English language version of G.I. Samurai was released under the alternate title Time Slip.

A squadron of Japanese soldiers is transported into the past, where shoguns and samurai rule the land. Lt. Yoshiaki Iba tries to keep his men in line while he thinks of a way to get them back home. Kagatore is an ambitious samurai who aspires to be the next shogun, and when he sees Lt. Yoshiaki Iba's advanced weaponry, he forms an alliance. Does Kagatore have ulterior motives or will he help Iba and his men find their way back home?

Starting in the late 1970s, Kadokawa was producing the most inventive films coming out of Japan. Where their main competitors, Toho and Toei, were focusing on samurai and yakuza films, Kadokawa was making films that thought outside of the box; case in point: G.I. Samurai, a time travel film that pits modern soldiers against samurai.

Another thing that sets G.I. Samurai apart from other films from this era is its interesting take on time travel. The modern-day soldiers, while plotting their return home, seemed primarily focused on the prospect of meeting their ancestors. They showed little concern for the thousands of samurai they killed in the process, some of whom might have been related to them. That said, this logic of how the future can only be altered when you come in contact with your ancestors is a major flaw that is never really explained. 

Outside of Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba (The Street Fighter), the core cast is mostly made up of relative unknowns. Fortunately, this works in the film’s favor, since it is really an ensemble film that does not rely on star power carrying it. Speaking of Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, he’s given plenty of chances to flex his muscles. His standout moments are a scene where he rides a horse during a battle and a scene where he hangs from a rope that dangles from a helicopter while he shoots an Uzi.

The opening setup does a superb job pulling you in, and the relationship that evolves between Iba and Kagatore is its heart and soul. The narrative employs flashbacks that cut between past and present memories that link characters with their ancestors. While most of these moments are very effective, some of them disrupt the narrative's flow. 

Although the special effects look incredibly dated, they still serve G.I. Samurai well. That said, it is the action sequences where G.I. Samurai excels the most. They are expertly executed and epic in size, and the final third of the film is all-out action that doesn’t let up until the final moments. Ultimately, G.I. Samurai is a highly entertaining take on time travel.

G.I. Samurai gets an exceptional release from Arrow Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras. Highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer