Samurai Pirate (1963)

Released in the US as The Lost World of Sinbad, this Toho fantasy casts Mifune as Luzon, a merchant loosely based on a real historical figure, who is branded a pirate, escapes the stake and decides to become a real pirate out of spite. From there it is witches, palace plots, a princess and practical effects that still charm. Senkichi Taniguchi directs it at a fast clip, and Mifune clearly enjoys playing a swashbuckler instead of a brooding ronin. Treat it as a Saturday matinee rather than a classic, and it is a blast.