The Last Samurai

[nath]

I can see why it might not appeal to people though, that's why i was worried my girlfriend was gonna hate it. She used to be into stupid, fluffy teen "clueless" type films (she's only 18) but she loved it.

lol.. so the last samurai is a film for growdups?

 

[ReActor]

Well after having read all the replies I remain completely undecided as to whether or not I see this film. Can't you guys put a consistent opinion together just this once?

 

[old.user4556]

Go and see it to make up your own mind

G

 

[Stazbumpa]

Well worth seeing. Most of the types who hate it seem to have something wrong with them

What is there not to like?

 

[Astfgl]

Nothing in it is not worth seeing, as the whole thing rocks.

Oh well, if anyone doesn't like it, it's their own dumb fault.

 

[Frizz]

Oh well, if anyone doesn't like it, it's their own dumb fault.

You define opinion as "dumb"? Sounds ironic to me.

:/

 

[Tom]

Utter tripe. A few good scenes, particularly near the end with the presentation of the sword, but apart from that, nothing worth paying £5.80 for.

Its your typical Hollywood 'meaningful film' really. Suicidal man finds peace in beautiful but tragically doomed culture, and fights on their behalf, becoming the most powerful warrior ever.

Spoiler

It even comes with the not-too-surprising happy ending

. A good indication of how tightly I was gripped by the story is the fact that I can't remember the name of a single character.

If you want to see a good film about a clash of cultures, go and watch Dances with Wolves, which is a far superior film.

Also, did the guy who wrote the score for Gladiator do the same for this film? Because if he did, he must have had a lobotomy at some point between the two.

 

[Bodhi]

Well worth seeing. Most of the types who hate it seem to have something wrong with them

What is there not to like?

You mean apart from the faintly ridiculous idea of Tom Cruise as a Samurai?




*disclaimer*

I haven't seen it yet, however I'm not sure if I really want to in view of the above.

 

[Lazarus]

went to see it on Saturday and thought :

Good!!!










in bits. However, there werent enough GOOD bits to make it a GOOD film.

Spoiler

how can someone live a year in a remote village and keep the same length of hair/beard?

Good up to a point, but no classic

 

[TdC]

went to see it on Saturday and thought :

Spoiler

how can someone live a year in a remote village and keep the same length of hair/beard?

Spoiler

samurai have such iron wills that they can control their hair growth

 

[DaGaffer]

went to see it on Saturday and thought :

Good!!!

in bits. However, there werent enough GOOD bits to make it a GOOD film.

Spoiler

how can someone live a year in a remote village and keep the same length of hair/beard?

Good up to a point, but no classic

THAT'S your only beef with the film? Good grief. Hardly critical to the plot is it? And easily explained anyway, as I'm sure the Japanese had tonsorial capabilities

Far more of an issue is that in typical liberal Hollywood fashion it attempts to glorify the 'noble warrior' ethic of the Samurai and vilify the evil industrialists; the former trying to reinstitute fuedalism (and in the real world, militarism - the Samurai wanted the Emperor to invade Korea), and the latter trying to drag Japan out of the middle ages in the face of Western Imperial power (and actually become the only Asian nation to successfully do so pre-WW2). Fact is, the Samurai were 'the bad guys' (or certainly the greater of two evils), and the Samurai ethic became the driving force behind later Japanese militarism. Of course, they wear pretty armor and live in nice houses so they must be the good guys in Hollywood's eyes.

 

[Moving Target]

You mean apart from the faintly ridiculous idea of Tom Cruise as a Samurai?

It's NOT REAL!

 

[Stazbumpa]

Well said. Wasn't it based on a true story though?

Yes, the Samurai were nowhere near as nice as the film makes out, but then neither is losing your entire way of life that has existed for centuries. I think that is the point of the story (as well as the culture shock side to it). As for Tom Cruise being laughable as a Samurai, I don't think he's particularly brilliant, but he played the part well and made a very good lead.
The Hollywood-isation was kept to a minimum, given their previous record (particularly with BRITISH history), I think Japan came out of it rather well.

And the ending wasn't exactly happy was it ffs.

Spoiler

The entire Samurai warrior caste gets slaughtered to a man and he buggers off to the mountains to be with someone he loves.

Thats a happy ending? More like a reality check, he kept his western ideals to the end ie:

Spoiler

not disembowling himself and doing his best to get a shag!!

Great film, nuff sed.

 

[SilverHood]

I thought it was pretty good....

Loved Billy Conolly when he told Cruise to stuff it

Battle's were pretty well done, not epic like LOTR, but still pretty decent.
Still a bit hoakey, with an american becoming a samuari in a year, when these guys train for 10 years to get to that same place.

 

[old.user4556]

an american becoming a samuari in a year, when these guys train for 10 years to get to that same place.

you've never heard of a fast track skill seekers course on samurai training before?

 

[SilverHood]

Well, I heard of the fast track course yeah... my seconday school teachers were mostly from that background.

Never knew they did Samurai courses though - where do I sign up?

 

[Stazbumpa]

Still a bit hoakey, with an american becoming a samuari in a year, when these guys train for 10 years to get to that same place.

Agree with that, nobody gets to be a Samurai in a year. Mind you, he did learn all that sword stuff in two years, but that still doesn't make him anywhere as good as a samurai.

Useless info: Only 8 non-japanese have ever been made Samurai, the latest being a 30 something from Croydon.

 

[Sni9er]

omg

hey guys
ive just gone back to se that film again .. i love it .. im such a fan of all things to do with the samurai i have two swords of my own and a few kimonos lol dont even ask about my room lol if you like samurai as i do i suggest you get a copy of the hunted .. no not the tommy-lee jones one the one with christopher lambert .. very good also a good movie to look out for is seven samurai it was the original influence of the magnifcent 7 also it kicks ass .. enjoy my buds

 

[Skyler]

I agree with Bodhi (shock!), it just feels to gay and Americanised to be great... if I want a film with Samurai in then I'll watch Seven Samurai or another Akira Kurosowa (sp?) directed film as he's rather elite, oh and original

This film may well be great but it stinks of Hollywood..

I'll give an opinion on it once I've watched it..

So far the highlight of this film has been finding out that Tom Cruise almost died during filming! I wouldn't wish death on Tom Cruise but that was still an amusing thing to find out about..

 

[Astfgl]

You define opinion as "dumb"? Sounds ironic to me.

:/

I've spent my whole life searching for irony, and now I've found it, guess how pleased I feel?

I was actually being a little sarcastic, and wasn't saying that anyone in particular is dumb (except maybe Staz, and he likes the film).

Sorry if anyone was offended at me calling the unbelievers dumb (except Staz), and you have a right to throw blunt objects at me (except Staz).