Rating: 
Summary: No cheese or gratuitous ANYTHINg in this film.
Review: Although I generally eschew movies with battles and lots of warfare, and had to be convinced by my husband to see this, I was amazed at how wonderful this movie was. There were no cheesy moments in this film. There were no gratuitous gore, violence, or nudity. No sex, just the gentle suggestion of what could happen at some other date. It was fabulously done. Fully believable, and very in tune with the Japanese culture that I was exposed to while living there. Clearly a previous reviewer didn't watch the film carefully. The main character was never officially made a samurai; however, he was exposed to eastern philosophies in a gentle, very authentic, eastern philosophy way. The main character learned about mindlessness, mindfulness, and other tennants of Buddhism, but overall the main theme of this epic was HONOR. Honor in living, honor in battle, and honor in death. Young teens and older children could watch this field, because it lacks the graphic violence and sexuality as I mentioned before. I am the mother of a 12 and 15-year-old, and I will show it to them with no hesitation.
Rating:
Summary: Dances with Wolves, but not in a "slap in the face" way
Review: 'The path to enlightenment is littered with the bodies of the ignorant.' This movie was simply incredible. The acting second to none, the story moving and flawless, the characters deep and passionate, a must see, again and again. Hired to train the army of a Japan drowning in western influence, Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), becomes captured by a band of 'savage' samurai warriors led by Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe). In the months to come Algren embraces the code of the samurai and befriending his 'savage' enemies to soon discover there is nothing savage about honor, duty, and respect.
Rating: 
Summary: Dances With Tom
Review: Tom Cruise plays a disillusioned American Civil War veteran, Captain Nathan Algren, who is hired by the Japanese emperor to train his soldiers in modern methods of warfare. Algren, who is captured by the Samurai, learns to love, then eventually to adopt their way of life as his own. This is so much so that he even becomes a Samurai and battles with them against the forces of Japanese modernism, influenced, of course, by an evil, acquisitive American government. Sound familiar? I have seen it all before in "Dances With Wolves," only here it is Tom Cruise taking up the cause of Samurai traditionalism instead of Kevin Costner and the Lakota Nation against the murderous U.S. Cavalry. The battle scenes, pageantry, and blood are straight out of "Glory," an earlier Civil War film also directed by Edward Zwick. Yes, the cinematography of the Japanese countryside is absolutely gorgeous and the battle scenes are very well orchestrated, but there is little else to recommend in this tired and cliche-ridden film.
Rating: 
Summary: "SAKI"
Review: Every year a crop of prestige pictures get dumped out of the major studios in Hollywood. Every one of these large scale epics is full of wild battles, romance, outstanding performances, and the cream of the crop celebrities. These are the films that are especially created to win the coveted Academy Awards. The problem is every year one film is so big, so bloated, and so prestigious it turns into a silly mess. This year's film is EDWARD ZWICK'S THE LAST SAMURAI. A fun action film that longs to be SCHINDLER'S LIST. The Last Samurai stars Tom Cruise (Vanilla Sky) as Captain Algern, a soldier who stood with General Custer as he made his famous last stand. While in battle he is forced to kill innocent Native American women and children, and it eats away at his soul. Turning him to drink. When his old associates give him a job training Japanese soldiers to fight against a Samurai warrior named Katsumoto (Ken Wantanabe, T.R.Y.). Everything seems okay. That is until he's captured by Katsumoto and begins to learn the law of the Samurai. THE LAST SAMURAI at it's best boasts some of the most breathtaking close up battle scenes I've seen in a long time. I could hardly believe that for once I could follow the battles, because for the first time in a long time the camera stayed pretty steady. It simply wasn't sound effects and shaky steady cams moving around. It was real, and true battle choreography. Now that made me smile. I also loved the scene in which Algern battles a group of overzealous Japanese soldiers who are attacking his friend. The scene actually works and is a rare sight. A modern fight scene that doesn't feature wire effects or CGI. It reminded me of old Bruce Lee movies. A scene that was about a fight and not about special effects creating it. SAMURAI also features a nice relationship between Algern and Katsumoto. Enemies that become friends, Wantanabe's character is strong because it feels real. Unlike SONNY CHIBA's silly turn as the proverb spouting sword dealer in KILL BILL. Wantanabe exudes the feeling of a real Samurai and not of a silly Kung Fu movie reject. I loved how he could embody this man who is torn between his country and his king. SAMURAIS real flaw is that it thinks it's SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, THE SEVEN SAMURAI, CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON, and DANCES WITH WOLVES, when it's really just a fun battle movie. It takes itself far too seriously. You watch it with this feeling that at any moment you'll see a graphic pop on the screen that says "FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION." It also gets the award for the silliest and most melodramatic thing screamed by an actor in peril in 2003. Algern is going through alcohol withdrawal and screams "SAKI" at the top of his lungs. I was sitting next to my brother-in-law, and every time the film hit another stupidly melodramatic moment I would whisper "Saki!!" It kept me entertained. I was also aghast that in front of me a small boy no more than five was sitting there. There is a pretty gruesome scene in which a man loses his head. Never have a felt so badly for a little child than I did when he screamed out in terror and then latched onto his mothers shoulder. LISTEN PARENTS OF THE WORLD, THE RATING SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED SO THAT THIS KIND OF THING DOESN'T HAPPEN. YOU WANT TO WATCH AN R-RATED MOVIE RENT IT AT YOUR LEISURE. DON'T BRING A FIVE YEAR OLD TO THE MOVIES TO WATCH IT. (Calming Down) Thank you! THE LAST SAMURAI is a mixed bag. On one hand its breathtaking to watch and on the other its kinda of silly. I'm going to recommend it to those whom like really cool battle sequences. But for the rest of you why not give THE SEVEN SAMURAI or even BRAVHEART a chance. They are far better films. *** out of 5
Rating: 
Summary: Not Kurosawa, But Still Engaging Story of the Lost Ideal
Review: First of all, if you want to see the real samurai in film, see Kurosawa. He is, and will be, the definite master of the genre (or any genre of film) and "The Last Samurai" does not change his undisputed status. Still Tom Cruise's new film has several merits of its own, and to watch the fictional Japan with great Japanese cast is worth a look. Disillusioned and alcoholic American officer, Tom Cruise's Nathan Algren, is hired to train the Japanese army. The time is in the 1870s, when Japan's new government is struggling to establish its rule over the country, and rebellious "samurai" (techinically there were no samurai at that time, though) are unstable elements in the new-born nation. After the bloody battle, Nathan is captured alive by the leader of rebel samurai Katsumoto (brilliant Ken Watanabe). Katsumoto keeps the wounded American within his village, knowing that the coming severe winter will shut down any access from outside. Moreover, Katsumoto says, he wants to "see his enemy." After the sagging middle part, while the film portrays the gradual understanding between Katsumoto and Algren, it gives occasional actions using Japanese swords (including those of ninjas which tells that Hollywood still do not understand). Wait to see when it finally leads to the big action scene, of which very authentic and dynamic power is undeniable, even though it is still tainted by Hollywood ending. All Japanese audiences know (and grieve to see) that the Japanese soldiers would not "kneel" that way on the battlefield. If anything should be recommeded, that is its production designs and Watanabe's acting. The sets of Japanese village and Japanese town (of Yokohama 130 years ago) are literally perfect. (Think about they were mostly bulit in the field of New Zealand or the backlot of Hollywood studio.) Being myself a Japanese who experienced many sad cases of misunderstandings of Western films, I can testify that there are no strange things coming from so-called "Orientalism." Surely they did homework. And Ken Watanabe. Watanabe's samurai is far better and rounded than Tom Cruise's rather (cliched - ?) American. In fact, Cruise is good, but his performance is clearly enhanced by Watanabe's much subtler and more charismatic acting. In him you will be looking at a new Yul Brynner of "The King and I," with his dignity and slight touch of humor this late great actor so easily had shown. And many Japanese audiences know that Watanabe once suffered from leukemia, and this fact might have lent his convincing portrait of "The Last Samurai" a solemn tone. To be frank, Edward Zwick's idea about "Bushi-do" or ways of samurai looks too "Westernized" to us. The film shows the armoured samurai riding the horse, but actually, this battle style had already been out-of-date around this era. Any Japanese know that before the Meiji era (which the film depicts), we had a very long peaceful time that lasted about 250 years, and during the period the samurai underwent many changes. And though Katsumoto insists on using swords, the fact is samurai used early-style rifes back in the late 16th century. The film is engaging, but just do not take the film as the historical facts about samurai. Incidentally, there is a book called "The Last Samurai" by Mark Ravina about a real-life, well-known historical figure Takamori Saigo, whose life is one of the possible inspiration of Katsumoto.
Rating:
Summary: It Takes 20 Years......
Review: 1.......to be able to even swing a sword in a way that Tom Cruise displayed in the film (whereas he learned in a matter of months). Realistically speaking AT BEST he could be a battle strategist but not on the front lines with the 20+ year Samurai veterans. 2. I was not moved but the so-called "romance", how many times must we see the poor, weeping, vulnerable black/asian/native american/martian female fall for the heroic, strong, honorable white male? 3. I have lived in a "westernized" Japan for 3 1/2 years, although this movie is fiction it's nice to get some insight to how things were (there's always some truth even in a lie) prior to the execution of 1,000,000+ innocent Japanese (Hiroshima, Nagasaki). Contrary to most "hardcore" American belief, America's priority has ALWAYS been Globalization, be it by assimilation (westernizing a culture) or occupation (beating you into submission). 4. More kudos to the Japanese actors who played their roles flawlessly, but when it's your culture is it really "acting"? 5. For "entertainment" value I gave this movie a 5, had I graded it for the subliminal message that is underneath it all I would have given it 1.
Rating:
Summary: Stranger in a Strange Land
Review: "The Last Samurai" is an excellent film, respectful of its source material even while telling a fictional story. The "foreigner joins a warrior culture, taking on their strange dress and winning their respect" story is well-represented on film and in history, from Bonnie Prince Charlie to "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Dances with Wolves," as well as the Japanese-themed "Shogun," which is based on the life of Miura Anjin/William Adams. Here, Tom Cruise is the stranger in a strange land, and the Samurai of Japan are the warrior culture. Being no stranger to Samurai films of Japanese history, I was pleased by all aspects of "The Last Samurai." Both the modernizing Meji government and the past-looking Samurai of the period are well represented, although the Samurai come out looking much better. The warrior code of Bushido is not explained, and the lifestyle is completely romanticized, yet this is a movie and not a history text. Emperor Meji is well-played, which surprised me. He is neither hero nor villain. And there are ninjas, which improves every film. In the vein of the big Hollywood epics, "The Last Samurai" serves up healthy doses of sweeping score, beautiful vistas and Japan-landscape eye candy. The country has rarely looked so beautiful, although I bet some technicians spent plenty of time computer-erasing the omni-present power lines. The samurai armor,while not historically accurate, looks beautiful on film. There are more than a few scenes that leap beautifully from a Kurosawa flick. A great looking cast helps as well. To this day, Japan has difficulty rationalizing tradition and modernization, as can be seen in books such as "Dogs and Demons." "The Last Samurai" has some good lessons for modern Japan, and some good entertainment for us all.
Rating:
Summary: Flawed, but worthy
Review: A disillusioned, alcoholic American soldier (Tom Cruise) hires out as a mercenary in Japan to put down the rebellion of a samurai leader (Ken Watanabe), but instead he comes to admire their ways and joins them in their struggle. This is a deeply flawed film that nevertheless has many fine points to recommend it. It is a rousing adventure with stirring battle scenes. The photography, costuming, and production design are astonishing, presenting a convincing and fascinating portrait of samurai culture and Japanese peasant life. The cast is mostly excellent, especially Watanabe, who should be remembered at Oscar time. However, there are two things that work against this film. The first is Tom Cruise himself. Although he does good work here, he just seems to be too lightweight as an actor to grapple convincingly with the issues of guilt and redemption that torment his character. The biggest problem is the film's ending, which eschews an honest resolution in favor of Hollywood convention. Nevertheless, the things that work in this film really work well, resulting in a entertaining and worthy feature.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible movie
Review: This movie should finally get Tom Cruise his oscar nomination. It was an awesome movie with a great meaning about honor.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful Epic
Review: For those who enjoy the book SHOGUN by James Clavell, sit back for a true treat. The story, though not new, is very tightly woven. From the epic scenery of Japan(wow!) to the battles scenes(double wow!), this movie shows nothing but grace througout it's 2 1/2 hours. The romance was refreshing and beautiful as there are no nudity or sexual scenes that hollywood soo depends on to get ratings(or points across). How powerful it is to just see plain human emotion show by one's ever so slight movement and gestures. Incredible. The Asian actors, Ken Watanabe, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Koyuki(gorgeous in all graceful forms) all deserve nominations as I rarely see such inspiring performances. Everything you'd expect in a grand adventure from director Edward Zweck. The music by Hans Zimmer is truly deserving. Though not as "Japanese" as some reviewers stated, I truly felt heart motivated through his symphonic composition for the battle scenes. I'm sorry, should I instead state "awe inspired"! So sit back, relax and enjoy something that only comes out once in awhile. If you like this, perhaps you'll also enjoy a Japanese animation that's called "samurai X: trust, and samurai X:betrayal". For those who disliked this movie or criticized it for being "tom cruised" or "not historically accurate", try watching with an open mind. I usually go watch movies to be inspired, love, hate, feel through them, not to point out every flaw I see.
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