47 Ronin (2013)- A Short Movie Review

Plot Summary:

From ancient Japan's most enduring tale, the epic 3D fantasy-adventure 47 Ronin is born. Keanu Reeves leads the cast as Kai, an outcast who joins Oishi (Hiroyuki Sanada), the leader of 47 outcast samurai. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. To restore honor to their homeland, the warriors embark upon a quest that challenges them with a series of trials that would destroy ordinary warriors. 47 Ronin is helmed by visionary director Carl Erik Rinsch (The Gift). Inspired by styles as diverse as Miyazaki and Hokusai, Rinsch will bring to life the stunning landscapes and enormous battles that will display the timeless Ronin story to global audiences in a way that's never been seen before. -- (C) Universal

Movie Specs:

Rating- PG-13

Sex and Nudity- 2/10 (a bare-chested Keanu with some “geisha” leg)

Language- 1/10 (No room for English swearing in a samurai themed movie)

Violence- 7/10 (Decapitation, sword fights, and mass suicide)

Drugs-0/10 (no drugs)

Length- 2hrs 7 mins

Review:

I may have overrated this movie. I love samurai fights, and I had a brief obsession with the original Matrix movie (yes… I once fantasized of flying though the Matrix with a trench coat clad Keanu).

Since I have absolutely no background of the legend this movie was based on, I couldn’t critique on whether or not it did justice to the original plot. The magical element of the movie allowed beautiful special effects but it seemed too fantastical to allow character development of the samurai. Keanu portrays a character that is reminiscent of his Neo aka “The One” role, he even had a “come-over-here” moment in a climactic fight scene. Even if we choose to ignore the fact that the lead character of a samurai film is not Japanese, we can’t help but question the legitimacy of various cultural elements in the movie. The characters are so obvious and so unidimensional they become parodies. Villains are my favorites in films and taint my overall perspective of the movie. Kira. ugh. disappointing. The witch however was so senselessly evil I ended up liking her best just for her ability to pull it all off despite her character's lack of depth.

The best part of this movie is not its stilted Japanese-accented dialogue. Nor is it the revenge honor and forbidden love centered plot (which they unnecessarily stretched into a 2-hour film). The best parts are the fight scenes with sharp swords and agile “ninja” moves. The big budget is apparent in the special effects and cinematography. The sets are also beautifully made and some segments allowed me to concede that 3D movies are not so bad. It succeeds in transporting audiences into 18^th century Japan. 

Although it had a generally sullen vibe,  it is occasionally broken by some moments: The stereotypical fat guy blunders, the lead samurai's name Oishi (Hi, I am samurai Delicious hehe) and the pompous smile of Kira. You spot familiar faces (wohoo! Cary Tagawa!). All in all, it was a decent film that requires little brain activity to understand the scenes. Watch if only for my favorite scene of the wedding crashers.

Fave Character:

Witch (deliciously wicked).

Least Liked Character:

Kira (most useless villain ever. hehe)

Fave Quote: (NV)

Monster Monk??: Mika will never be yours in this lifetime.

Kai: Then I would die praying that I would find her in the next.

Fave Scene:

Wedding Reception/wall breach scene. Can’t find a screen cap so below is the cheesiest scene.