Rating: 
Summary: Dumb and pretentious
Review: No wonder the Japanese people hate this movie. It's not only the stereotypes (most of the Japanese characters were faceless or ugly, and in general violent and, hmm, stereotyped). It's also the pretentious way of fitting an Oriental philosophy in a Westerner's world. I'm not against meshing the best of different worlds. I'm just saying the novel and the movie are purely made to make money, and there's nothing philosophical or endearing about the story or the main character. Of course, it has to end with the white man taking the Asian woman as his bride. No wonder the Japanese hate this movie.
Rating:
Summary: The "Evil West" Strikes Again!
Review: The Last Samurai is very reminiscent of Braveheart , minus the kilts and good acting. It takes place in the 1860's in Japan at the end of the Tokugawa family era, the last of the Shoguns. The Samurai are in revolt against the Emperor, because they are asked to turn over their swords and culture and accept a modernization (westernization) of Japan.
The film portrays the modern Imperial army as evil, while the Samurai are the oppressed good guys. Interestingly enough, the Samurai in history were the elite army and agents of oppression of the Japanese people, while the young Japanese Emperor in 1868, struggled to bring his country up to date with the rest of the modernized world.
This may be entertaining for those who like pure visual stimulus without thought. For the rest of us....don't bother.
Rating:
Summary: This movie sucked
Review: yawn..... anything happen? no? ok yawn....
Rating: 
Summary: Beautifully filmed - lame story
Review: "The Last Samurai" is the same story as "Dances with Wolves" - bitter Civil War vet goes off to a far away land and encounters a group of people looked down upon by Western Civ as "savages" but are instead a poetic and noble culture. The idea is nice, but overly simplifies feudal Japan, which wasn't exactly a peaceful and idyllic place all of the time.
The acting is good, the story is OK, but the ending is downright silly and unnecessary. I won't spoil it for those that haven't yet seen the movie, but let's just say that the "true" ending would've involved Tom Cruise meeting a noble death on the battlefield. Instead, he lives happily ever after, which was not the message of the rest of the movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Overlooked by most but finds new life on DVD
Review: I missed this one at the movies due to the fact that it wasn't out very long. When I rented it, I wonderd just why it wasn't nominated for best picture? It was moving, beautiful, epic...just plain great! I haven't seen a really amazing film like this in a while.
Rating:
Summary: Currently in my top 10 fav's of all time.
Review: This movie being categorized as action, pretty much misrepresents what it's about. Yes, it has action in it (amazing battle scenes), however it's central theme has to deal with honor, the loss of it, and the loss of a way of life in exchange for a more modern society. On the one hand you have the Japanese civilization in the middle of adopting a more Western style of living, and on the other you have the Samurai, more than willing to die fighting to keep Japanese tradition alive.
Now, some people say the title of this movie refers to Tom Cruise's character, others (including me) say it refers to Watanabe's character, Katsumoto, who loosely represents the real life Saigo Takamori, the real life samurai who was considered the actual "last samurai". Some reviewers also describe Tom's character, Algren, as the white man who swoops in to save the day. I say he was simply a bystander caught up in the events of history. It's not impossible to believe that a white man can get involve with the samurai, since this idea is borrowed from actual history of a westerner who adopts the samurai way of life during the rise of the Shogunate.
No matter who's name is credited first though, it wouldn't be much of a movie without the cast. With that said, Ken Watanabe, Hiro Sanada, and Koyuki make this movie. No offense to Tom Cruise since he was impressive in doing all of his own sword work. However, it is obvious that his character takes a back seat to what is supposedly the secondary plot of the samurai. Frankly, this isn't Cruise's movie, it simply has Cruise in it.
Rating:
Summary: Too Arrogant
Review: Cruise was much better in "Rainman" Here he is too arrogant and the movie is much to violent. Not a good movie...shut it off half way through.
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Movie Turned Bad
Review: ***Some Spoilers****How disappointing that "The Last Samurai" becomes dreadful in its last half, because the first half is quite engaging. This movie is what results when a director with left-leaning sensibilities tries to make a liberal-minded "message" movie without the courage of his own convictions. So the movie is not content to merely show us the crisis facing the Samurai in the face of westernization and letting our sympathies lie with them....Oh no, fearful that an American audience would not take to a film centered around Japanese characters, we have to have a white, hot-shot Hollywood actor to root for, who sweeps in to be our hero. We get a token Japanese hero to root for as well, but guess who remains living at the end of the film? Didn't Kevin Costner already make this movie? Tom Cruise's heart is obviously in the right place. He gives an incredibly earnest performance...and that's part of the problem. He's SO earnest that I never forgot for a second that I was watching Tom Cruise, Mr. Hollywood A-List, feeling self-important for attaching himself to such an important film. Ken Watanabe received heaps of praise for his performance, but I fail to see what the hype is about. And the obligatory love story is just silly---obviously, the movie makers thought so too, because they make only a half-hearted attempt to develop it in the first place. I loved the message in "The Last Samurai," but I hated the approach taken to the material. It's yet one more movie in which the creators give the audience not one single amount of credit for having a brain; emotions are force-fed to us through superficial means like slow-motion and thundering music. Not comfortable with any amount of ambiguity, all of the Americans except for Tom Cruise have to be evil, and all of the Samurai have to be entirely noble. The film inadvertently makes the point that killing someone with a sword or a bow and arrow makes you a better person than killing someone with a gun, conveniently sidestepping the fact that killing is killing, regardless of how it's done. My summary: a pretty film with not a brain in its head. Grade: C-
Rating:
Summary: LET'S JUST KEEP OUR EYE ON THE MOVIE
Review: THE LAST SAMURAI starring Tom Cruise has been compared far too much to DANCES WITH WOLVES as though, somehow, what we have here is a reversal of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. Let's just look at the movie for its own sake and forget the nonsense about comparisons to other flicks, especially DANCES WITH WOLVES. THE LAST SAMURAI is simply a beautiful story about a man who is able to see the best in his "enemies." Taken prisoner, he is forced to study a culture that is based on honor and simplicity and determines to defend "what he has come to love." The movie goes a long way in portraying the end of feudal Japan and accurately depicts a culture bound by spiritual beliefs that permeated everything from the way tea was served to how a warrior honorably ended his own life. And all without the ridiculous and unnecessary political correctness that saturated DANCES WITH WOLVES! If you watch and enjoy this movie for nothing more than the beauty of Japan and the wonderful way that the makers of this movie put it on the screen you will be richly rewarded. Supporting Cruise, Ken Watanabe is superb in his role as the Samurai chieftain, Katsumoto, and Hiroyuki Sanada is a scene-stealer as Cruise's antagonistic enemy, Ujio, turned reluctant but effective teacher and mentor.
Rating:
Summary: Becoming a complete "man"
Review: The dream: Katsumoto, a rebellion leader whose only interest was to obtain a free Japan. he beleived that Japan should be governed by Japanese cultures and ideologies than Western. In my opinion, this movie opened my eyes showing me that culture is very important in our society because it protects and prevails our natural rights. "I'm not critizing others who emphasize more on the characters than the moral and cultural message of the movie". In the same way, this movie was presented as a historical "tale", where protectors (samuraies) waere considered protectors and regulators of the Japanese Empire. I gave this movie 5 thumbs up becuase it reflects what Japan was, is and will be. By the way, the most interesting about this movie is that it does not contain sexual scenes most likely others. :)
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