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Summary: Kudos to Tom Cruise as an American last Samurai
Review: Before I start with my reveiw,let it be known that I was never a Tom Cruise fan. He is just another pretty face in a long list of Hollywood hunks. Yet I must give Tom my kudos playing the washed up, drunken American soldier who volunteers to live in Japan in the early Meiji era when the whole country was in a big transition to catch up with the Western(Euro) civiliazation in fear that the country may easily colonized, which happend to China and other Asian countries. I studied Japanese history and the character played by Ken Watanabe is loosely based on Saigo Takamori who led the Samurai rebellion in Southern Kushu, Kuwamoto prefecture. Kuwamoto lord was a strong Shogun supporter and held up to fight back the modernization of Japan. There were several Shogun sympathisers scatterd around the country, bur Kuwamoto clan was most well known. In actuality, Takamori joined the Meiji emperor and became one of the most outspoken supporter of the emperor's plan to open the government to the Western world. Knowing history of Japan helps to understand what the director was trying to bring out to the not-so- knowledgeble audience. Tom Cruise did a fine job of portraying an ignorant, cocky post Civil War soldier who ended up in the Samurai culture where only way to live was by Bushido. The movie is all Tom Cruise which is expectd. This is a Hollywood movie with a matinee idol who has star power to attract audience so that the producers will benefit the mega bucks. Do not expect any Kurosawa from this movie. However the movie is not totally without some messages. A similarity between the American Indians and Samurais in which they were victims of the American conquering and destroying cultures foreign to them. In Aldren's mind, the American Indians and Samurais had a common thread; honor and loyalty to their tribes, and lived by their unbreakable warriors code. To break the code meant dishonor to their ancestors. Death to them was never an option. Some reviewers are critical of plot shallowness, cliches, stereo typical portrayals of Japanese women and of course,a handsome white male among the not so handsome natives. Well this is Tom Cruise's film after all. A handsome white Samurai was very attractive even those who never seen them before. Asian countries seem to worship handsome white actors anyway. Tom's ability to master the Samurai swordsmanship in the movie is just as good as Japanese actors. Sutle performance by Koyuki(Taka)is so true to the era when the women were second class citizens and did not have any rights of their own. The women were not permitted to speak unless told to do so by husbands. Bushido was a way of Samurai's life. Takamori's desire to write a perfect poem is contrast to the way Samurai had to live everyday. Maybe that is why the Japanese culture is very Zen like, existential life which the Westerners are not totally in comprehension. I strongly recommend the movie, and enjoy it for what it offers to the eyes and senses.
Rating:
Summary: The Samurai Flick is Back!
Review: "The Last Samurai" is without a doubt Tom Cruise's greatest movie. In it he playes Cpt. Nathan Algren, a man who is soul sick about how dishonorable war has become. He accepts a commission to train Japan's new modern army against the last samurai warriors led by the proud Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe). During a battle, Cruise is wonded and ends up captured by the samurai. There he learns the honor and courage of battle again. Think of it as "Dances with Samurai". I don't mean to make fun of it, I really don't, it's that great. Tom Cruise has lately taken lots of chances with his career, some worked ("Inerview with the Vampire"), and some didn't ("Vanilla Sky"), but this one payed off in spades. Cruies's scenes where he's drying out and facing his nightmares for the first time in years is nothing short of brilliant, poignant with out being ugly and depressing (a `la Gene Hackman in "French Connection II"). Ken Watanabe dose a great job of expressing the sorrow of knowing he is the last of a dying breed. The photography and landscape is beautiful, Japan is such a lovely land, I truely appreciated so many wide shots. Edward Zwick should pat himself on the back for this one. If this movie isn't at least nominated for an Oscar, I'll be very suprised.
Rating: 
Summary: Mocks Japan While Claiming to be "Sympathetic"
Review: (...) Haters of Western Culture have no fear: The Last Samarai is here! In The Last Samurai, the Westerners (Americans and Brits) are once again the bad guys, infecting yet another innocent race with Western ways. The silmplistic plot involves American military officers going to Japan to help modernize the imperial military. The time of the movie is the late 1870's when Japan was taking to western culture with a vengeance. Tom Cruise and his men are hired to train the Japanese military to drive out the last exhisting Samarai warriors who are resistant to the new order. All is going not-so-well, when Tom Cruise ends up captured by the Samarai enemy. He then falls in love with their culture and their ways. Cruise then switches sides, eventually leading the Samarai in a final, suicidal assault on the newly equipped Japanese military. Throughout the flim, the plight of the Samarai is contrasted with that of The Native Americans in the United States. Both cultures have been threatened by the destructive effects of modernization (aka the white man's ways). Such parallels are ridiculous. The idea of Americans exploiting the "nobel savage" is a Western concept'; such ideas of "good versus evil" have never held sway in Japan. Moreover, in real life the last of the Samarai simply resigned, and the prestige of the Samarai order gradually decreased over time. It was not wiped out by a Westernized military machine. Therein lies the film's irony; by trying to flatter Japanese culture and history, The Last Samarai insults it. One example of this is the depiction of Emperor Meji. He is depicted as an indecisive, weak- kneed boy who allows himself to be mocked by subordinates. This is grossly innacurate and just plain shameless. In reality, anyone who dared challenge the Emperor would have lost his head.
It is worth noting that the Samarai make a "successful" last stand only because they have the help of a white Westerner. This should be enough to make the average Japanese person cringe. The Japanese would not have taken to Cruise's character so easily, nor would they have needed him to make their last stand. This film is a big mess that fails to capture the essence of the culture is seeks to portray.
Rating:
Summary: First off...
Review: I'm actually surprised how anyone can bash this film, although when I came to this review section I quickly understood why. The bashers: one, someone who hates Samurai, and knows obviously NOTHING of Bushido! While the other who loves the term Gaikokujin, which is akin to foreigner for the none-Japanese literate, apparently this "reviewer" is upset and angry with his own bad luck with asian women and so decides to rant furiously against a great film. It's not a "cliched notion" as he calls it. Captain Nathan Algren not only nearly saved her life, but is symbolic to the Zen Way. He killed her husband, and symbolically takes his place as a way of keeping his honour and as a message of karma in the film. Now, with those two mixed up reviewers tossed out of the mix, I wish to present to you an objective opinion. The movie was great. I loved it. My favorite film ever, and I can saw that is alot coming from me, as I am a very cultured viewer. That is not to say you might not like it, as much of the film is in Japanese, and you would need to be open-minded to embrace it as I have. I personally, went in skeptically. I don't particularly like Tom Cruise's last performances. In specific, Mission Impossible 2, and all the other movies where it focuses solely on him. It's different in this movie. Tom Cruise contains his ego, and gives other people surprisingly proportionate roles. He was a hardened battle veteran, but still the movie shows that it was not his skill, as another reviewer whined about, that was great, but his perserverance. I don't want to spoil the movie, so go watch it! It's my personal favorite ever, "and that's saying a lot" *quoting Samwise Gamgee* I loved Two Towers, watched it 3 days in a row before going to see this, and still this one tops it off. Purely magnificent. A work of art.
Rating:
Summary: The clear leader for Best Picture thus far.
Review: The Last Samurai is probably not for everyone. Japanese culture is almost impossible to understand to the western mindset. Feudal Japanese culture is even more difficult. Even though director Edward Zwick does a good job watering most of it down for western audiences, that's just another part of the problem. Now not only do we have a society that doesn't make sense, but now the why's and what-for's are brushed over. One example is the obligatory seppuku (ritual suicide) scene. It was a part of samurai culture, so it is shown, but western audiences are expected just to accept that samurai kill themselves when shamed, and then move on. Fans of samurai lore will be disappointed at this very shallow look into the culture and society. However, one must remember that this is a 2 1/2-hour film and not a 9 1/2-hour mini-series like Shogun. Zwick makes a smart decision to focus on the story while walking the delicate middle ground of the setting and characters. Even so, the story feels a bit rushed at points, and Cruise turns into a samurai much too quickly. But if we suspend out disbelief just a little, what we get is a mesmerizing, and powerful story about a man who reminds the Japanese of who they are. Tom Cruise plays Nathan Algren; a washed up, frontier war hero who's committed so much murder and atrocity that he's lost his soul and who's only friend is the bottle. He's hired by the Japanese to train their army in the way of modern gunpowder warfare. When he arrives to Japan, he soon realizes that the Japanese want to use him to erradicate enemy samurai just as his own government used him to erradicate indians. Ken Watanabe plays Katsumoto; the samurai lord who captures Algren so that he may understand this new enemy and way of warfare he is up against. However, he and Algren form a bond of friendship, and Algren is forever changed by it. All the acting performances in this film are top notch, and I wouldn't be surprised if Watanabe was nominated for an Oscar. Cruise gives a convincing performance of the transformation from a broken man who cares about nothing to someone who cares so much for these foreign people that he's willing to die for them. The only problem with Cruise is his "stardom." He's such a huge mega-star that it's often impossible to forget you are watching Tom Cruise dressed up as a samurai, which is more than a little distracting. The Last Samurai is a breathtakingly beautiful film that is sure to land cinematography nominations. When the Japanese conscripts armed with muskets face down a charge of mounted samurai you will feal their fear. Kurosawa would be proud. While the story is not perfect, and we are forced to endure a few cheesy moments of Algren, it is undeniably powerful and moving. Don't miss this film.
Rating:
Summary: An Oscar Worthy Film
Review: This movie is easily, the best movie of the year. The acting is great, and surprisingly Tom does an amazing job. This is the type of movie that you really start to like all of the characters and really hope that this one doesnt get hurt or this character die. The action scenes were amazing, and were very realistic. The main characters just dont defeat millions of guys. The ending was also an amazing part of the movie. I did cry at the ending. I dont want to ruin the ending to i will let you see it for yourself. This movie is the best movie this year, and is one of the best movies ever made, do youself a favor, go and see this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Close but no cigar
Review: It is a shame that a film with so much potential to be great just missed the sweet spot. The movie had real strengths in the supporting cast and succeeded in convincing you that you were indeed in the middle of 19th century Japan. With what seemed to be "genuine" shoji filled spaces and beautiful countryside landscapes it was impossible to dismiss the films charm. Unfortunately the photography, while adequate, seemed to be uninspired and just very bland. The score also leaves something to be desired. During the first battle scene I found the music seemed to detract from the intensity of the battle and what should have been heart-pounding and overwhelming effect seemed more anticlimactic than anything. There were also a few scenes that used computer generated images landscapes/battle scenes which were just below todays standards.
In the end however the film was carried by strong supporting characters and a believeable Tom Cruise. One is left with an even greater admiration of the Samurai way by the end of the film; this is no doubt a by-product of Ken Watanabe's performance and the beautifully intricate armor and weapons. There were hints of Braveheart-esque traits but sadly this film, while excellent in its own right, falls short.
Rating:
Summary: A Movie For Everyone
Review: I'm not generally emotional in movies. I can only remember ever crying for two - and this was certainly one of them. In the last scenes, I was bawling. This is not to say that the ending is sad, however, and I hope I won't give it away by saying it gave me a sort of peace. I must recommend this movie. It's the best that I've seen this year. One of my friends who hates when Americans usurp a role that should have been played by a person indigenous to the country the movie was set in refused to see it. However, Tom Cruise does not and cannot steal the spotlight in this movie. The spotlight is aptly directed at the true last samurai and the actors that play them (and do so excellently). The Japanese locales that the movie is shot in are absolutely breathtaking - they reminded me of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's snapshots of China. Also, for all you ladies out there who think this is a guy movie: there is plenty of action, but go see it anyway, because the action is not at the heart of the movie. This is a movie for everyone.
Rating:
Summary: A worth-while samurai movie in the new millenium
Review: Wow! It's a samurai flick starring Tom Cruise, and you know what: He's turing Japanese, I think He's turning Japanese, I really think so. "The Last Samurai" is a film that tries to take a huge step into this imported-cult genre. Hey, I like samurai flims and I LOVE 'Seven Samurai', so knowing that a movie like this is coming out in theaters has really got me hyped up in anticipation. Many people say that an epic film starring Tom Cruise is a lousy gimmick for the movie to bring in the big bucks, and to make Cruise and the WB look good. When I was checking this out, thought the lousy idea is there, "The Last Samurai" actually executes into a well-productive and impressive film to see. This film start off with the handsome actor as Nathan Algren, a wasted Civil War veteran grieving over his bloody memories of that war, being sent to the land of the rising sun by authorities of two nations in order to train Bigwig soldiers how to fight against the 'antagonists'. During his first battle of Nihhon Civil War, he lost, and instead of being killed dishonerably by the oppositioners, they took him to their turf, a really nice and solitude turf. Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), the head village chief and captain of his soldiers, decides to use him to know more on his enemies' new weapondrym and later builds a strong partnership with Algren, that which is Cruise, to stop them. Since I realized this isn't based on a true story, I knew that this movie would go by-the-numbers and there would be some easy-to-recognize foreshadowing moments. Hey, this is an epic movie; Epic = violence, betrayal, love, and honor. Actually, the formula works in high numbers for this flick. Knowing how Algren mourned over the massacre in a native-american village his men caused many years ago, and how he was adjust to a Japanese village while he was captured was intriguing, especially when he knows much about the Japanese culture: how the people were respectable though silly like normal people, be spiritually intertwine, understand nature, and aware about life and death, even children must know about it; man, now I can understand why death is acceptable in Japanese animation. Adding Aldren knowing the hidden samurai spirit within, and the whole plotting structure makes this raw sushi well-done. Great as it seems, on the less greener side, the movie doesn't have a certain ingenuity that makes it inspiring and feels like it plays a big role in the movie industry and in our hearts. The movie is very emotional and breathtaking, but it's not exactly thought-provoking. Breathtaking is what I like to say the most on the movie's production value: good selection of cast, above-par acting, wonderful musical score, and battles mixed with somewhat-noticeable special effects that really build up an adreneline rush. 'The Seven Samurai', this movie is so not at its league, but "The Last Samurai" is a great epic film to watch. It's not profound, but it's still compelling in many ways. Samurai films like this should be made more, nowadays.
Rating: 
Summary: WOoOH, LOOK! THE GAIKOKUJIN, OUR SAVIOUR!
Review: I'll leave you in no doubt about the Last Samurai's handsome cinematography, the shots are postcard perfect and reek of a visual epic. But several movies have accomplished this carnival of color and martial arts in recent times so this cannot alone be a movie's saving grace. Terentino had a tongue firmly planted in his cheek for Kill Bill. Zwick has no such excuse for The Last Samurai, that has all the visual splendour it needed but is a victim of its own flawed mission: the elevation of Mr. Cruise beyond what his borderline comic attire can manage. It ends up falling a prey to the same kind of setbacks that made "Legends of the Fall" the draggy, pretentious magnum-opus-wannabe that it had ended up being -- (1) At 144 minutes, it is waaaay too long for its content as an inane romantic subplot is smooshed in, with a cliched notion of the Japanese woman falling for the white saviour, the oh-so-handsome Gaijin. Who surreptitiously stumbles upon a task so significant that he is swinging swords to perfection and speaking Japanese comprehensibly in a matter of a few sweet months. (2) Some of the samurai/ninja fights are neat, and SO obviously inspired by Kurosawa's work (Seven Samurais, anyone?) that it's embarrassing. Zwick though has missed an essential point: Kurosawa's movies moved. (3) During the denouement battle scene, you could be forgiven for thinking that you were watching Mel Gibson in Braveheart. (4) Ken Watanabe, who is topnotch in his role, as he usually is, gets a short shrift in screen time because our enigmatic (oh well) white saviour had to hog so much of it. Some of the most stunning moments of the movie emerge when Zwick tries to hone in on the dilemmas of Ken's character: to stick to the "bushido" (Japan's age old soul of honor and inner harmony) or to allow mechanisations and railroads to happen even if they defy the national traditions. (5) More time is spent on a screenplay that unfolds with a turtle noir-ish pace to give the movie that nostalgically artsy look, than on giving us some basic historical underpinnings. Several issues are left hanging in the air -- for instance, without giving too much away, the direction of conquests for Japan is swayed quite simply based on a very minor suggestion. (6) Then there is the grating narrator, who could have been skipped entirely without a dent in the narrative. Instead, voiceover gems are inflicted upon us -- "I am beset with the ironies of life" or "There is some comfort in the emptiness of the sea". Hmm. Manage your expectations and you may well enjoy this otherwise action packed movie. But despite all its highfalutin accoutrements, one wonders if this is indeed the flaming epic that it is being made out to be.
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