The last samurai how good/bad is it?

[chequita guevara]

If you've seen The Magnificent Seven then you've seen the movie it was based upon, The Seven Samuri. Unlss you're a movie nut like me and like watching original films, I wouldn't recommend it unless you haven't seen the Western. Fist Full of Dollars is based on Yojimbo, which is actually better than the Sergio Leone film, but I'm a sucker for Sergio Leone Westerns. Haven't seen The Hidden Fortress yet, off of which Star Wars is based.

[Alinestra Covelia]

The Hidden Fortress is exceptional and you're well recommended to watch it.

Star Wars may be based off it, but only in a very tangential way. There's the business about a headstrong princess in distress and noble knights (samurai) who work to deliver her from trouble, but that's about all.

There are some stunning set pieces in that - moments that really stick in the mind!

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Haven't seen The Hidden Fortress yet, off of which Star Wars is based.

They have Jedi in China????

[Drake Tungsten]

Japan, reds4ever...

[monolith94]

"If you've seen The Magnificent Seven then you've seen the movie it was based upon, The Seven Samuri. Unlss you're a movie nut like me and like watching original films, I wouldn't recommend it unless you haven't seen the Western."

I have to disagree with you here, Che. Seven Samurai is such an amazing film, and so much better than the Magnificent Seven, that I would reccomend it to anyone, whether they had seen the magnificent seven or not.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
The Hidden Fortress is exceptional and you're well recommended to watch it.

Star Wars may be based off it, but only in a very tangential way. There's the business about a headstrong princess in distress and noble knights (samurai) who work to deliver her from trouble, but that's about all.

There are some stunning set pieces in that - moments that really stick in the mind!

I totally agree. The Hidden Fortress is a great film. It is visually stunning, well acted and has solid plot.

The story involves two peasant/fighters trying to get home after a war. They bumble about and only at the end .... Well I am not going to reveal the plot. But Star Wars emphasis on R2D2 and 3CPO as the central focus for the moving the story forward comes directly from this film.

[Ned]

I just saw the Last Samurai. This is a really good film. I expect it good enough to win an oscar.

This may be Tom Cruise's best performance.

[Zero]

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.

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.

Theres two ways to look at this movie. One is another man being exposed to another culture foreign to him and take journey as he learns, appreciates etc the different culture

or white man trying to fit into a minority group, aka whigger, egg or whatever you call whitie that wants to be injuns.

[Alex]

Originally posted by monolith94
"If you've seen The Magnificent Seven then you've seen the movie it was based upon, The Seven Samuri. Unlss you're a movie nut like me and like watching original films, I wouldn't recommend it unless you haven't seen the Western."

I have to disagree with you here, Che. Seven Samurai is such an amazing film, and so much better than the Magnificent Seven, that I would reccomend it to anyone, whether they had seen the magnificent seven or not.

I agree. Seven Samurai is one of my favorite movies of all time.

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Japan, reds4ever...

I know, I was just kidddin'

[Ned]

Originally posted by 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.

Ali, I think you have heard wrong.

[GePap]

I just saw the film, and I tolerated it until the very end..that ending makes me want to kill the writers! They should be the ones committing sepuku. The depiction of the Meiji emperor is laughable, and why is there a happy ending?

[Ned]

Originally posted by GePap
I just saw the film, and I tolerated it until the very end..that ending makes me want to kill the writers! They should be the ones committing sepuku. The depiction of the Meiji emperor is laughable, and why is there a happy ending?

GePap, I don't know whether the Emperor in 1877 behaved the way he did, but the Hirohito behaved in a similar manner as did this Emperor.

I liked the ending myself. What did you expect to happen?

[GePap]

A FAR better ending, far more poignant, and powerful would have been for Cruise to see, as he lays there dying, To--whatever, the leader of the Samurai revolt kill himself gallantly, then he expires. Then cut to the emperor's chambers, the captain come with the sword and presents it to the emperor, who then can decide not to sign the treaty and whatnot.

The cop-out feel-good ending could have been written by any hack in hollywood..plus Cruise does end up being "the Last Samurai". I am sure nationalist will hate this in Japan.

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by GePap

The cop-out feel-good ending could have been written by any hack in hollywood..

.....it was......