The Last Samurai

Though formulaic in the Hollywood manner, The Last Samurai is a beautifully made movie in which nothing surprises you, but which will make you feel like you are in heaven. It’s obvious how much care the filmmakers put into it. Including Edward Zwick. Whatever the scene, it’s either beautifully poetic harmony or agile force of action. Tom Cruise is better suited to his role than you would expect and Hans Zimmer’s music adds incredible power to the fight sequences, significantly more than those in Gladiator. Incidentally, The Last Samurai is in every respect a better, more well-rounded film that elicits more legitimate tears from viewers at the end. (12/18/2003)

At times I felt like I was walking in a Japanese garden to the sounds of koto and shakuhachi, at times I was swept away by the whirlwind of the fights and appreciated their great choreography. Visually, this film is flawless, the scenery (New Zealand is a really beautiful part of the world, filming there was an idea worth all the yen) is stunning, and the final battle is a truly believable uncompromising carnage. Who was definitely a pleasant surprise was Cruise. He finally broke away from his typical overacting and seemed natural in his role. A full scoring is hampered by the minutes after the final battle. That battle had a great emotional charge, the ride of the samurai against the machine gun fire gave me chills, but the subsequent clichés and excessive pathos were a shame. Otherwise, no complaints. Interesting fact: The Last Samurai was the most successful film of the year in Japan, grossing more than in the US. The chosen theme and the Japanese actors worked wonders. (08/16/2004)

The Last Samurai is a film for everyone. The critic suddenly reveals that he understands better than others the principles of Eastern philosophy and the essence of the samurai (see the reviews on some of the renowned servers), the unpretentious viewer is delighted by the pretty face of Cruise, as well as excellent and precisely executed examples of fencing (ermm... Fencing, in fact!). For a discerning spectator, there is a pleasure in its own foresight, for everything that happens in The Last Samurai is perceptible to the last detail. A textbook major Hollywood film in all the glamour and misery. If you accept Zwick's game and abstract from the demanding evaluation of popcorn attempts at a deeper philosophy, the classic "initiation" plot remains, in which the hero finds honor through humiliation. There are also some excellent battle scenes, led by the final battle, which will humble the mega-battles from The Return of the King in a cool way. The great Ken Watanabe remains as samurai leader Katsumoto, as well as Tom Cruise, who, if he were to stop doing the pretty poses, would be a real adornment... It simply remains a pleasant spectacle, which is all that can be expected from The Last Samurai. Edward Zwick cut out a spectacle, which I had a lot of fun with and which made me very happy. Sometimes it's nice to watch the story and know what's going to happen in the next few seconds. And to only care about how it happens. And to not take it so seriously... ___ footnote: After four views, my light intellectual perspective turned to love. Yes, this film is the work of a great romantic and idealist, but it continues to affect me, because in all romanticism there is really an effort for feeling and a huge will to tell the story as impressively as possible. When I put films like Braveheart, Gladiator, Troy, etc., next to each other, Captain Algren's story is the most personal and closest to my heart. I'm increasing the rating to full. (02/19/2004)

Over two hours of shots of Tom Cruise who is meant to be Nathaniel Algren, but remains simply Cruise for the entire movie. It’s kitsch, void of a screenplay and respect for other cultures, full of clichés... And very good. Monumental battles, Zimmer’s thunderous soundtrack and visual spectacle on top of everything. Dumb and naive gilding. But it must be said that this is extremely entertaining dumb and naive gilding. ♫ OST score: 4/5 (01/17/2008)

The great Japanese cast and samurai lifestyle definitely led me to award the full number of stars. In most movies Tom Cruise's personality would eclipse all supporting actors. But he failed to do so here, since the quality of the Japanese actors is still a bit above him. Content-wise, I find everything I’m looking for here...honor, peace, war, love, friendship. And even though it's a war movie, I also find lots of balance here. And you don’t see that often. A beautiful experience. 5 stars. (09/12/2011)

A really nice, atmospheric picture. The production design is captivating and Zwick’s directing gives this a aura of timelessness. The fights are perfect and the acting performances are more than just good. Cruise gives a more or less standard performance and Ken Watanabe is even better as the last leader of the samurais. (10/14/2006)

From poetic shots of the beautiful landscape of New Zealand to the thrilling final 20 minutes, everything is just as it should be in a Hollywood blockbuster. What's more, even though it is an American film, it doesn't look as American as it might seem at first glance, and Edward Zwick's tribute to the art of the Samurai is admirable. Tom Cruise is stunning, his portrayal of Nathan Algren is truly amazing. The director paid attention to every camera shot. The Last Samurai can be watched multiple times and it will still entertain you. (02/20/2004)

It may be somewhat naive at times, but I still like how this movie portrays different ways of thinking. What is beautiful about it is that it is all about how these approaches may be different, but when it comes to fighting for the right thing, it is not about the differences, but about what unites people. I must say that I am liking the Japanese approach more and more. (04/02/2015)