THE BEAST AND THE MAGIC SWORD is the last great film from Spanish horror legend Paul Naschy. Although he would go on making and planning films until his death in 2009, he never again attempted the epic sweep and grandeur of this 10th entry into the saga of Waldemar Daninsky, a man afflicted by the curse of lycanthropy. In this film, we get for the first time an origin story of how the Daninsky curse began back in the 10th century.
We then move forward to 16th century Japan where Daninsky has traveled in search of a cure to his affliction. Co-starring Japanese stage and screen veteran Shigeru Amachi, and shot in the studios of Toshiro Mifune, THE BEAST AND THE MAGIC SWORD is a highly successful and colorful melding of European werewolf legends and dark Japanese fantasy.
It features a fight between werewolf and tiger, an evil scarlet-cloaked witch who imprisons Daninsky, a sword fight with a troupe of ghost samurai, and many other unforgettable scenes. This is the first Blu-ray release of this film and it's first-ever US release and includes both a full-frame version and a widescreen version.
This Naschy film has everything and then some. There's witches, black magic, monsters, swordfights, topless female ninja assassins, magical weapons and some stunning sets and cinematography. --Cool Ass Cinema - Brian Bankston
It's one of the most impressive and entertaining Naschy flicks I've ever clapped my eyeballs on. --mmmmmovies.blogspot.com
Well produced in authentic castle and Japanese settings (the film) looks like a million pesetas. --Brian Senn - The Werewolf Filmography