The last samurai how good/bad is it?

[Zero]

Has anyone seen this yet? If so comment away.

[Wraith]

Haven't seen it, but the most common comment I've seen about it is "Dances with Samurai". So if you liked Dances with Wolves, sure, go see it.

Personally, I'd recommend going and finding something like Kurosawa's Seven Samurai.

Wraith
"Always make the audience suffer as much as possible."
-- Alfred Hitchcock

[Q Classic]

i'm morally opposed to tom cruise in a movie that, at least from the previews, seems to smack a bit of a white man in an asian exploitation film.

[Q Classic]

actually, on second thought, i'm morally opposed to tom cruise.

[Alinestra Covelia]

I've heard reviewers say reassuring things that Tom Cruise himself is not the "Last Samurai" and that it does not paint him as the hero of the piece - he's more like the ignorant westerner who gets to see the last glimpse of a dying warrior code.

[Q Classic]

in this case, it might not be as bad.

i remember having to watch the good earth in class, and was very puzzled as to why the chinese people looked like white people with things on their eyes.

at least if tom cruise isn't supposed to be asian, that's a plus.

we all remember how the last white person to turn asian ended up. sean connery just didn't quite pull it off.

[Drake Tungsten]

at least if tom cruise isn't supposed to be asian, that's a plus.

Why'd you think he would be? The previews pretty clearly indicate that he plays an American Civil and Indian Wars vet who is brought to Japan to train the new created Meiji-era imperial army to fight in a modern fashion. Then he gets captured by old-school samurai types and learns to respect them and fights alongside them.

Kinda similar to "Dances with Wolves", now that I write about it. Samurai are a lot cooler than Indians, though, so it should be good.

we all remember how the last white person to turn asian ended up. sean connery just didn't quite pull it off.

Bond completed his mission, didn't he?

[Q Classic]

Why'd you think he would be? The previews pretty clearly indicate that he plays an American Civil and Indian Wars vet who is brought to Japan to train the new created Meiji-era imperial army to fight in a modern fashion. Then he gets captured by old-school samurai types and learns to respect them and fights alongside them.

to tell the truth, the only preview i saw was the one they showed before matrix reloaded.

everything you mentioned? nowhere in that preview.

[Drake Tungsten]

http://www.apple.com/trailers/

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by Wraith


Personally, I'd recommend going and finding something like Kurosawa's Seven Samurai.

It's SO easy to be a snob with this type of film.................so I recommend something like Kirosawa's 'Mo' Obscure Film'

[David Floyd]

Hmmm, I saw the movie and rather enjoyed it.

[Drake Tungsten]

o I recommend something like Kirosawa's 'Mo' Obscure Film'

I'd recommend Kurosawa's "Rashoman" or "Ikiru" if you want a great Kurosawa movie that doesn't fit into the stereotypical view of Kurosawa's work. Only uncultured swine would watch "Mo' Obscure Film"...

Hmmm, I saw the movie and rather enjoyed it.

How much Japanese dialogue is there? The movie's out here as well and I'd like to see it, but as they don't subtitle Japanese dialogue over here it may be a waste of money to see a movie I won't understand.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
i'm morally opposed to tom cruise in a movie that, at least from the previews, seems to smack a bit of a white man in an asian exploitation film.

Dude, if we have Anglo-Saxon actors portraying Asian characters, then we might as well go back to white actors in cork black-face portraying African-Americans.


I never thought that Tom Cruise was portraying an Asian!

[Wraith]

--"so I recommend something like Kirosawa's 'Mo' Obscure Film'"

The samurai genre isn't particularly big in the US, but if you look into the genre at all it's going to be hard to avoid hearing about Kurosawa and works like Seven Samurai or Yojimbo.
If I wanted to be obscure, I'd probably recommend something like Yoji Yamadai's Twilight Samurai. Which isn't particularly obscure either, really.

--"How much Japanese dialogue is there? "

Given that it's a Hollywood film, I'd guess the amount would be slim to none. Although there might be some of the "Itiyorshu! Yutimishu!'" level.

Wraith
"Interesting if true - and interesting anyway."
- Mark Twain.

[Jac de Molay]

Another BIG epic where Tom Cruise chews scenery, and shows those samurai how to kick ass after only months of training with them?

Think I'll wait for this one to come out at the dollar theater...