Rating: 
Summary: Good Period Pic
Review: Sat., Dec. 13, 2003--It may be slow...and it's certainly flawed...but this period drama about a former Civil War soldier (a fine, if Zen-like Cruise) and his life after he's captured by a group of samurai (while in Japan training the national army) holds your interest a majority of the time, thanks mostly to the directorial finesse of Edward Zwick ("Glory"), the amazing performance of Ken Watanabe (as Cruise's mentor), and the quietly observed theme of honor.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing!
Review: At first I didn't care to see this movie because I'm not a big Tom Cruise fan. I am so glad I did! It was wonderful. I left the theater wanting to see it again and I can't wait for the dvd to come out. It was truly an amazing film. Go see it!!
Rating:
Summary: Dances with katanas
Review: Comparisons to "Dances with wolves" apart, "The last samurai" is a very enjoyable movie. Tom Cruise, maybe in his best performance ever, plays Nathan Algren, a veteran of the Civil War that now lives in oblivion as an alcoholic ad-boy for a weapons company. He's invited to Japan to train the Imperial Army against a bunch of rogue samurai. The Imperial Army represents the new Japan (in 1876), a nation that has turned its eyes to the western world. The samurai represent the old japanese style, fighting without fire weapons, living a life of discipline, simplicity, commitment and respect for the nature, etc. This clash of so different cultures is what makes this movie interesting. Besides, there are many dialogues spoken in japanese (what helps create the correct atmosphere), the costumes and figurines are excellent, and the battle scenes, that some people found to be not well-represented and slow, caught my attention every time. Not only Tom Cruise is good, though a little too intense; the girl Koyuki and, especially, this amazing actor Ken Watanabe play their parts with a tremendous ease and desenvolture, giving us, westerners, a glimpse of what japanese culture is (or was). OK, the script is Hollywood from beginning to end, but, nonetheless, Edward Zwick did a competent job, just like he did in another exceptional movie, "Glory". I did not enoy "The las samurai" because of its story, but because its very well enacted, colorful and it portraits one of the most interesting cultures in the world. Maybe something that helped me like this movie is the fact that I've never watched (and I'm ashamed to say so) an Akira Kurosawa movie. Grade 8.7/10
Rating: 
Summary: Cruise as samurai!
Review: Conclusion: Edward Zwick has displayed himself in the past as a true patriot. Just look at the protagonists in his films, striving for independence, justice and honor: Denzel Washington's characters in 'Courage Under Fire' and 'The Siege', or Matt Broderick in 'Glory'. Tom Cruise, as it turns out, represents the director's patriotism like no other - just watch the sulken way he looks past the camera while riding a horse, battling, or simply conversing with the samurai, who took him hostage to see learn the Americans' techniques. This is a star performance, and never for a second is Tom anyone but Tom - he simply looks more and more ridiculous in different costumes, but with the same facial expression of deep pondering.
The film is like its star's performance: while glossy and seemingly intelligent, it's in fact shallow and predictable. The film follows a simple structure: Cruise as American - Cruise captured by samurai - Cruise trains - Cruise falls in love with the village and its people (including the wife of a man he killed) - Cruise as samurai. Ken Watanabe is a very Americanized samurai; Cruise's love interest actually fits him in terms of the acting range she displays (tragism has never been so unflichingly boring). And at the end, there is this unimpressive, 'bad version of LOTR' battle, where the two protagonists remain alive just to pronounce the moral of the film.
Zwick's film isn't apparently flawed, but doesn't break any new ground. It displays little affection/understanding of its main subject. Watch Kurosawa's classics instead - even Jim Jarmusch' 'Ghost Dog' has a more authentic samurai feel than this degrading feature.
Rating:
Summary: The Last Samurai = Oscars...Golden Globes...etc...!!!
Review: "The Last Samurai" is BY-FAR - without a doubt - THE BEST MOVIE EVER in the history of movie-making! Returns us to the classics! They don't make them like this anymore! A MUST-SEE! AND a MUST-sweep for the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild, and the remainder of the awards season! Tom Cruise (Captain Nathan Algren) gives the best performance of his career! And Ken Watanabe (Lord Katsumoto) and Koyuki (Taka) give OUTSTANDING supporting performaces! TWO THUMBS WAY UP!!! My favorite movie of ALL TIME!
Rating: 
Summary: Ruined by Conventional Hollywood Filmmaking
Review: Talk about a movie that could've been sooo much better than it actually was. I didn't dislike all of it; I'm a sucker for anything with samurais in it, and so I found parts of it very entertaining. And being interested in the Meiji Restoration, I felt it was worth seeing. But as a whole, this film is over-Hollywoodized and far too melodramatic to be worth more than a single viewing, in my eyes. The film concerns an American soldier named Nathan Algren, who fought in the Civil War and later became disillusioned during the Battle of Little Bighorn. In 1876, Japan is in the middle of the Meiji Restoration. The old ways are being cast aside for the new, and the samurai has become a relic of the past. A band of samurai, led by the fictitious Katsumoto, probably based on the real-life Saigo Takamori, believes that the old Japan can be saved. They've been attacking railroads and other constructs of Westernization. Frustrated, Japan has asked the United States for officers to train Japanese troops in modern warfare so they can fight the samurai. Algren, played by Tom Cruise, is asked to go. Following a brief training period, the Japanese troops are ordered to fight the samurai. This is one of the best scenes in the film. When the troops are lined up in the forest, with mist all around, and there are weird noises off in the distance, the samurai come riding slowly out of the fog, swords raised, clad in intricate armor and horned helmets, looking like ancient death incarnate... It's an enormous thrill. The troops lose the battle and Algren is captured. He comes to learn the ways of the samurai and to develop a friendship with their leader, Katsumoto. The film is more or less about Algren embracing the ancient ways of the samurai. The film has a decent amount of swordplay. It isn't as graphic as some samurai films I've seen, but blood is shed, heads are chopped off, etc. A few times the film was slowed down so you could see how graceful and skilled samurai swordfighting really is. I have to say that I came away with a slightly greater appreciation for the samurai than I had previously. But hell if they didn't completely ruin the whole enterprise with over-sentimentalized, conventional Hollywood filmmaking. Tom Cruise is a good actor, but I felt that he was wrong for the role. He just isn't complex enough to be believable for what the film demanded of him. I feel like this film would've been the perfect vehicle for a little-known actor to make a name for himself. And as for the fictitious character of Nathan Algren, well, this is quite obviously an American movie for American audiences, if you know what I mean. For example, we're expected to believe that a U.S. soldier with some scabbard training can become a master samurai swordsman in a matter of months. Yeah... As for the plot, it's more or less "Dances With Wolves in Japan." And there's this tacked on love story - or "flirt story" - that had really no reason being in the movie. I personally despise tacked on love stories. And talk about melodrama! A little melodrama here and there is forgivable, and even expected in most big budget films of this kind, but it was laid on way too thick in this movie - especially at the end. What could've been an emotional finale ended up being 10 to 15 minutes of overbearing tear-jerking. Gag! Call me sadistic, but I have to say the most satisfying part of the film is when a samurai beats the living crap out of Tom Cruise with a wooden sword. Definitely worth the price of admission.
Rating:
Summary: True "Samurai Spirit"
Review: It is a true gift from Hollywood's finest to have such a beautifull movie that so wonderfully expresses the genuine honor of the samurai code. Only one other film illustrates the true meaning of the samurai spirit better than this Tom Cruise epic, it's called "Men Behind the Sun". And be sure to check out the upcoming DVD release of the sequel to "Men Behind the Sun" by the same director, it's called "Black Sun: the Nanking Massacre" and promises to have the large scale heroic battle scenes which will be on par with those in "The Last Samurai".
Rating:
Summary: A major disappointment
Review: This movie, which I looked forward to seeing, let me down on many different levels. Much has been written about "Braveheart Visits Japan" and as much as I hate to admit it, the suggestion fits. I have always enjoyed the spirit of Tom Cruise, but he lets me down in this movie, despite his clear effort to lift it above the action flick genre. It does not inspire. It does not engage. It does not even entertain too well, although the choreography of the fight sequences is very good. I left the theater with the same kind of feeling I have when I observe a good special effects movie - empty - kind of like, uh, Asian food?
Rating:
Summary: The Last Samurai is awesome!!!!
Review: I rated The Last Samurai 5 stars because it was the best movie i have ever seen. It's got it all mad good action, a little comedy, and some romance. I don't really like romance but with the girl that plays Katsamoto's sister. She is really hot. And I liked the movie so much I went to go see it again. I can't get enuff of it. I am going to see it again. So go see The Last Samurai I garntee you will love it.(.)(.)
Rating:
Summary: Satisfying and engaging Samurai epic. One of 2003s best!
Review: "The Last Samurai" is everything a movie should be - exciting, emotional, and involving. Though I would not go so far to say that it's a masterpiece, it is one of the better movies I have seen in 2003, and without having seen the new "Lord of the Rings", it's definitely near the top of the list. It will no doubt draw comparison with "Braveheart" because of the epic battles and the emotional climax, but thankfully avoids becoming derivative of other "battle epics". Tom Cruise (who spent two years learning Japanese) plays Nathan Algren, a civil war hero who has fallen off the right path and is now washed up and heavily into the booze. His fortunes change when he is commissioned by the Emperor of Japan to help train his army to fight efficiently against the Samurai who roam the country. His success with that endeavor is short lived when he is captured by the Samurai during a devastating battle. He spends the next several months living among them and adopting their ways, and growing fond of the discipline, skill, and tact that the Samurai display. Knowing of the Emperor's motives to rid Japan of the people and way of life he has come to embrace, he joins them in their battle against insurmountable odds. There are many subplots and characters, some predictable Hollywood fodder (do you smell a love story cooking?), but most are effective and necessary to the overall story. "The Last Samurai" is tempered with humorous moments that help to balance the violence that is peppered throughout. As you can expect, many of the battles are long, drawn out, and very bloody. But the violence is never gratuitous, and it knows it's limits. As far as performances go, Tom Cruise is nothing if not reliable, and his largely Japanese supporting cast all do a great job in hitting their cues and making us believe in them. What really deserves special mention is the cinematography, which captures Japans lush valleys, majestic temples, and overall aesthetic beauty. The battle choreography is also stellar, obviously benefiting for painstaking direction and CGI effects. "The Last Samurai" is not a history lesson, so you are unlikely to walk away from it having gained a substantial knowledge of the Samurai customs and traditions. What you will get out of it is a fantastic movie-going experience that satisfies on every level, which is exactly what we go to movies for.
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