Rating: 
Summary: Leontyne Price is a better singer than Britney
Review: Leontyne Price is better than Spears.Tom Cruise makes a great samurai.
Rating: 
Summary: Tom Cruise goes all superhero samurai.
Review: My favorite moments in THE LAST SAMURAI happened after Tom Cruise's integration into the samurai society. Faced with a fight, he closes his eyes and plays what he feels is going to happen in his head. Then, his Spidey-samurai senses in flux, he proceeds to slice and dice his enemies. The whole thing struck me as, to be honest, sorta amusing. I mean, Tom Cruise's character, Nathan Allgren, is abducted by the ancient warriors early in the film, then he spends three to six months with them, first as their enemy and then as their friend. He's living in the house of a man he killed, tended to by that man's widow. The man's children, all rather understanding about their father's death being part of "samurai duty," start playing with the American, thinking him a pretty cool guy. And, while all this is happening, Nathan Allgren becomes a FEARSOME SAMURAI WARRIOR. And, eventually, he's able to battle alongside the samurai general against a band of the emperor's invading ninjas. All this in less than six months! That said, THE LAST SAMURAI is an entertaining, beautiful-looking film. Tom Cruise's character, who alternates between being a rude, drunken Civil War soldier and the sort of man who writes that he's "beset by the irony of his life" in his journals, is hard to pin down. But the supporting actors, particularly Ken Watanabe as the samurai general Katsumoto, are uniformly terrific in it, and they make Cruise look better and less wooden in each progressing scene. The film even, for the most part, escapes being a cliche about the white hero coming in and saving "savage, foreign" warriors from themselves. The ending is a letdown, sadly. This film would clearly work best as a tragedy, yet the filmmakers, for some reason, tack on a happy-ish ending to the film. By not daring to bring the story to its more obvious yet ultimately dark conclusion, the filmmakers instead give us a film that is less than great. But it's fun, for the most part. It's not going to win an Oscar, except maybe for Watanabe's supporting work, but it's a fun film.
Rating:
Summary: Very moved and remind me somethig inportant thing
Review: I am Japanease and live in Japan.
At first time,Tom Cruise decided to make Samurai movie,most of Japanese must be suspicious about it.
Because all hollywood movie about Japan and Japanese were really strange for us.
I always disappointed and felt didn't want to watch to the end. But this movie was really great.
I can't belive this movie was made by another country except Japan.
It must be very difficult job and They did it.
Most of Japanese don't understand "samurai"spirit in these days.
And this movie was so fresh and felt like re-educated. One of Japanese,I would like to say thank you to "The Last Samurai"
Rating:
Summary: Five stars!
Review: As a Japanese living in the United Staes, I can say totally, that this film is amazing. There're some critics says Tom Cruise's acting and so on, however, this film sucessfully depicts the history of Japan, and people's traditional lives and the end of samurai era. This is a spectacular movie with sweeping sword actions and it is based on the true history events in japan, I've seen a lot of samurai movies(made in japan for japanese) but i can say this one is GREAT as the other movies, plus this is not usual hollywood movies that awfully depicts samurais and even Yakuzas and brush off the truth. I can say, however, without Tom Cruise, this movie could have also been great as well. But i would guess that it is because of him, this movie gained more attention among people and so typical americans can get the idea of what samurai really is and what they really think. so overall i gave this movie 5 stars. I plan to go watch it again.
Rating: 
Summary: A polished, though predictable samurai epic
Review: Make no doubt, "The Last Samurai" is a sweeping, well-produced epic that is immensely entertaining. Several battle sequences, especially early in the film when Tom Cruise's character is surrounded by armored samurai, are tremendously exciting. I also appreciate Hollywood's recreation of actual events in Japanese history involving samurai warrior Saigo Takamori during the 1870s. But one cannot escape the overall feeling of déjà vu throughout this film, with a predictable chain of "Dances With Wolves" - like events leading to the redemption of the film's main character. And the ending, as Hollywoodized as any in recent memory, is so unbelievable (and offensive) as to almost capsize the entire film. "The Last Samurai" is a tragedy, make no doubt. Film director Edward Zwick (who also brought us the superior epic "Glory," which did not have a tacked on Hollywood ending) details throughout this film that this band of colorful and fluffy samurai warriors, the last of their kind, are headed for a Charge of the Light Brigade type conclusion. This is going to be a final, tragic stand for an ancient way of life. So to cop out (for the most part) is insulting and offensive. Why pull the punch?! Tom Cruise gives a good performance as a former captain in the U.S. Army. He is haunted by his bloody tenure in Custer's Seventh Calvary, which included the murder of defenseless Native Americans. He is hired on as a mercenary in Japan to train the Emperor's new army in the art of modern/Western warfare. During his first encounter with a samurai rebel force, his men flee and he is captured. Cruise winters in the hidden samurai village, eventually learning their ways and making peace with a dishonorable past. Along his symbolic journey, Cruise bonds with the warrior's leader, wonderfully played by American newcomer Ken Watanabe. Zwick has gone on record as stating his admiration for the late-great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, who produced brilliant samurai epics during his day including "The Seven Samurai," "Ran" and "Kagemusha." "The Last Samurai" is not anywhere near as good as those films, and lacks the kind of energy, action detail and eventually, profound tragedy that marks those international classics. Kurosawa touches are evident throughout, and the film does not suffer for it. "The Last Samurai" must eventually be termed a too-Hollywood product, possessing the kind of epic detail seen in great films, but lacking the courage to carry through with its tragic vision.
Rating: 
Summary: Tarzan redux
Review: I happen to see this film tonight and for the life of me I can not fathom the near universal praise.
Let me start with Mr.Cruise .While Born on the 4th revealed he had some emotional depth and especially his work in Magnolia, in this film he is absolutely awful.He runs the gamut from A to B.The opening scene where he has to act "drunk" I could literally "see" him acting.The rest of the film he has a total of three facial expressions.One; the glowering warrior all squinting eyes and clenched jaw,noble,resolute and certain of his convictions.Two,the compassionate puppy dog either staring blankly at the widow or with supposed affection for her two boys.And lastly ,the Zen look where he visualises scenes of combat or contemplates the idyllic life of the Japanese peasants.
Why do so many American films have this obsession of placing caucasian males in usually exotic or third world scenarios where the White man has the duty to civilize the natives ,attract the native wenches and somehow be an apologist for Vietnam,slavery,the American Indians or any socially relevant cause.
This film is deeply insulting to the Japanese as it portrays them in the same old stereotypes.The xenophobic,emotionally stunted ,devious and insular Asian.
Beyond the superbly staged action scenes, this film is just another one off the Hollywood conveyor belt in the tradition of "Genghis Khan" with the original "Top Gun" ,the Duke.
As i came out of the theater I couldnt believe that they still make this kind of rubbish in 2003.
Rating:
Summary: 'Last Samurai' a story of honor
Review: When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I thought, "Oh man, another 'artistic' Tom Cruise movie", but then I saw newer trailers for it and I decided to go see it. Tom Cruise is a really talented actor. I always thought he was an egotistical maniac and played himself in movies. You know, a wealthy womanizer with too much time on his hands, but this time he wasn't. The movie is about an alchoholic Civil War Captain who takes a job to go to Japan, to fight off rebels who are disgracing the Empire. The Captain, (Cruise) is taken hostage by these rebels and he finds out they are samurai. He learns many things about these people and why they stay samurai instead of converting to a regular army. Honor. They believe in practicing their heritage from their ancestors and the Captain becomes accustommed to that. There are then many battles and they were very well done. The acting from everyone in this movie was superb. The movie was alot like "Dances with Wolves". It was great to walk out of this movie having liked it, after I thought it was going to be bad.
Rating:
Summary: Wow! I love it!
Review: Wow! What a movie! I can't recomend it highly enough to people that aren't bothered by heads getting chopped off, blood spurting, and much death by the sword. If you are queasy, avoid it, but if you aren't, go see it! As far as I can tell, it was rated R for the gore, and nothing else. It only has a few moments of mild profanity, and the romantic side of it would be safe to show to a six-year-old. (Though perhaps some of the viewers would not consider this an advantage.) If you liked Braveheart, you'll love this movie!
Rating:
Summary: The Best Movie I've Seen This Year
Review: The Last Samurai is a thrilling epic drama set in 1876 Japan, starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. Cruise plays US army Captain Algren, who has been filled with disgust at the cruelty he and his comrades have inflicted against Indians. He accepts a post in Japan to train their newly formed army in the ways of modern warfare. He is captured by his enemy, Katusmoto (Watanabe) and taken to his village, where he comes to appreciate the Samurai values.
This is such a beautiful film. It has lots of battle scenes, but they are balanced by quiet vignettes where Algren leans the language and culture, and begins to take part in village life. He comes to admire the traditional values of these people. "No matter what their calling," he says, "everyone spends his day in the pursuit of excellence." The overwhelming sense of honor, duty, tradition, and respect fill the story with grace and elegance.
Cruise gives an excellent performance, but I was even more taken with Ken Watanabe, who plays the title role. He combined ultimate power and quiet elegance to create a memorable character. The photography and music make a truly lovely epic. I recommend this film to history and war enthusiasts, as well as those who appreciate the quiet dignity of old Japan. It is a lovely film.
Rating:
Summary: A Damm Good Movie!!
Review: This movie has action, drama, story, great cinematography and good acting. The fight sequences are well choreographed. The story is deep and has soul. It gave me that feel like when I saw dances with wolves and fighting spirit like Gladiator. This movie will bring the Warrior out of you once you get into it! If, like me you love Epics, History, Martial arts and ZEN stuff,
You'll enjoy this movie hopefully.
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