I’m not a Tom Cruise fan, but this film looks interesting: apple.com/trailers/wb/the_last_samurai/
Does anyone have any advanced news about it?
Looks promising, want to see it when it comes out …
Just got back from this. Fantastic movie. The story is really strong, and the acting excellent. Managed to avoid all the pitfalls this sort of film could have fallen into.
Brian
And Tom Cruise learns Japanese by living in Japan (full-immersion).
Haven’t seen it yet, but this is what I heard - white guy goes to Asia, teaches the locals a thing or two, goes through a process of self-discovery, has a love affair with the wife of a guy he kills. Plausible story…
Um, not in my opinion, Bu Lai En… It was yet another sentimental Hollywood drama that claimed to have profound meaning but which simply got washed up in overdramatisation…
Should have seen it coming: the transition of Tom Cruise from an alcoholic has-been to Buddhist(?) superwarrior in only 6 months, and the sanitised portrayal of life at the time (e.g. glossing over Samurai philosophy and Japanese culture), with an all-too eloquent superhero ending.
It was just another Tom Cruise film. The new Hugh Jckman movie looks far better; at least it’s got vampires!
i saw it last night. initially i was thinking “another braveheart” but i was pleasantly surprised. yes, it was similar in format to those movies but it is still a cut above them. maybe because of my familiarity with japan and the fact that i thought that the guy (o-mura) looked like my arsepipe of an ex boss helped me enjoy it a bit more. it is wierd how (historically) the japanese make sudden and drastic changes to their way of life and there is no going back once that the decision is made.
Not really.
Minor spoilers here, but:
More like they teach him a thing or two. No love affair, but tensions that lead to admiration and respect from both sides. But yes, a process of self-discovery.
I don’t care about criticism of this move that it portrays the samurai (or at least some of them) as much nicer than they really where. So what? It’s a story, not a history book.
There wasn’t much superfluous to this story. Most of the stuff happened as it cshould have and there weren’t any of those “why are they having htis fight?” , “why are they suddenly doing this?” moments.
Not ‘Hiroshima Mon Amor’ or anything, but much better than ‘Braveheart’ (for a film in a similar genre).
Brian
I haven’t seen it yet but from the trailers I have seen it looks like there are some really good Aikido moves.
style was too hollywoodish. though it deserves praise by showing restraint in the love story element.
the ending was terrible. i mean spoiler everyone else gets mowed down by gatling gun and he survives. i can just see it. machine gunner and ammo guy mowing from left to right. trigger depressed. suddenly ammo guy goes, “look white guy. stop” trigger let go. crosshair passes by white guy in samurai armor. ammo guy goes “you can start shooting now”. gunner mows down the rest.
the ending just brought down the rest of the movie; that’s why i think it was hollywoodish.
I saw it last night and really liked it. The fight scenes were beautiful, and the love story waasn’t offensive. As Doug McKenzie says, it was restrained and subtle. It wasn’t a waste of money at all.
great movie and lots of my friends like it as well!! one of the good movie recently
Seen it during my vacation in Thailand on the biggest screen I must have ever sat in (EGV Cinema 3 opposite the Central World Plaza, formerly known as World Trade Center, in Bangkok).
Loved it, nice story and great pictures, action without too much gore (as I like it) and it will certainly find it’s way into my DVD collection once available.
It was basically Dances with Wolves goes to Japan, but it was well done. Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise no matter how you slice him, and I’ll watch anything with enough swords in it.
SPOILERS:
The kiss should have been more fleeting or not happening at all, and the extra bit tacked on at the end to make it a “happy” ending, including the treaty business, should have been cut. I would have rather seen the movie end right after the last battle. The main Japanese actor completely steals the show, though he is a bit too Morpheus-like; he is what makes this movie worth watching, as well as the cinematography and solid (if rather fantastic) story.
[quote=“Poagao”]It was basically Dances with Wolves goes to Japan, but it was well done. Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise no matter how you slice him, and I’ll watch anything with enough swords in it.
SPOILERS:
I have it and “Cold Mountain” on DVD. I thought Last Samurai was entertaining, but a little weak on storyline. So much more could have added to make it a truly magnificent movie. “Cold Mountain” was also overrated, and the thai “English” dubbing made for some very funny interpretations with the “Deep South” lingo.
Chewy
The kiss should have been more fleeting or not happening at all, and the extra bit tacked on at the end to make it a “happy” ending, including the treaty business, should have been cut. I would have rather seen the movie end right after the last battle. The main Japanese actor completely steals the show, though he is a bit too Morpheus-like; he is what makes this movie worth watching, as well as the cinematography and solid (if rather fantastic) story.[/quote]
Oh, please. Poagao thinks Last Samurai is ‘well done’, but pans Kill Bill? Sheeeesh! 
Yeah, well, characters with motivation and a story are unusually important to me. I know, it’s strange. I must have been dropped on my head as a child.
Different people will always have different ideas of what makes a good movie, and will consequently enjoy some movies more than others. So Alien enjoys Tarantino’s style; that’s fine. For some people other aspects may be more important.
For these reasons, I really should stop talking about movies. Discuss amongst yourselves.