The Last Samurai [HD DVD]

While Japan undergoes tumultuous transition to a more Westernized society in 1876-77, The Last Samurai gives epic sweep to an intimate story of cultures at a crossroads. In America, tormented Civil War veteran Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is coerced by a mercenary officer (Tony Goldwyn) to train the Japanese Emperor's troops in the use of modern weaponry. Opposing this "progress" is a rebellion of samurai warriors, holding fast to their traditions of honor despite strategic disadvantage. As a captive of the samurai leader (Ken Watanabe), Algren learns, appreciates, and adopts the samurai code, switching sides for a climactic battle that will put everyone's honor to the ultimate test. All of which makes director Edward Zwick's noble epic eminently worthwhile, even if its Hollywood trappings (including an all-too-conventional ending) prevent it from being the masterpiece that Zwick and screenwriter John Logan clearly wanted it to be. Instead, The Last Samurai is an elegant mainstream adventure, impressive in all aspects of its production. It may not engage the emotions as effectively as Logan's script for Gladiator, but like Cruise's character, it finds its own quality of honor. --Jeff Shannon

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Last updated: November 5, 2009, 1:00 am

The Last Samurai [HD DVD] Cusomter reviews:

Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 709

(Walbert Matos, 2009-10-30) I'm gonna review the quality of the blu-ray version of this movie. I'm not gonna review the movie itself as there are enough reviews of it. The image quality is totally HD quality, image is crisp and detailed and the audio is superb. I'm not a fan of special features so I can't tell you if there are enough as I normally don't watch them unless there are deleted scenes or alternate endings. If you like this movie and you have an hdtv then this is a good purchase.

(Julian Kennedy, 2009-10-22) The Last Samurai: 8 out of 10: I admit I greeted this movie with low expectations. The idea of Tom Cruise as the last Samurai was laughable. The movie completely suspended this disbelief right until the horribly awful last scene. Tom Cruise plays a drunken Civil War hero who hired by the Japanese government to modernize their army is captured by the Samurai rebels and falls in love with their doomed way of life. And what a life. Every shot of the Samurai village is postcard perfect almost to the point of unintended parody. Like Robert Redford's take on Montana in "Legends of the Fall", every view is spectacular, every sunset is orange, every leaf is colorful and falls just so and all the characters are freshly scrubbed and dressed in their Sunday best. You wouldn't be half surprised to see Hobbits pop out at any moment. Of course the old time Samurai are romanticized to the nth degree. Historically the Samurai at this point resembled Afghan warlords resisting a long overdue central government rather than the honorable colorfully armored knights that are depicted. (Samurai no more wore armor in the late 18th century than the British army did.) Yet the picture despite one or two faults works. The acting, with one exception is uniformly excellent. The battle scenes are plentiful and full of surprise and the pacing is good. On the dark side newcomer Nakamura Shichinosuke plays the Japanese emperor like he was channeling Michael Jackson. The voice and mannerisms of the gloved one is as out of place for a Japanese emperor than it would be for the Pope. His strangely self effacing dialogue doesn't help his cause, yet it truly is his performance that is cringe worthy. In addition the last scene is an awful Hollywood copout. I still recommend The Last Samurai highly however as a thinking mans action movie.

(David Powers, 2009-10-21) This is one of the best action movies since interview with the vampire. Don't know how anyone can rate it less than 5 stars. Great drama/action. :)

(Franklin Vizcaino, 2009-10-08) Anyways, this product is amazing and the quality is superb, sorry I erased by mistake the rating but the reality is that from the transaction to the delivery was correct.!!!

(Paul Keeper, 2009-09-24) When I watch a movie that I enjoy, I'll watch it many times with months in between to allow it to breath. If I can find more depth and meaning each time, I consider it more than just a film, it becomes a teaching about life. Such is my finding for this exceptional movie. It offers up a wide variety of important, even vital, lessons of life portrayed to perfection by everyone involved. The writing, directing, acting, locations, depth of meaning are all most excellent! In today's world we often race by the more subtle and beautiful aspects of life. A movie such as this calls forth pause and consideration of what is being served up for our enlightenment as well as our enrichment. The Last Samurai is about the redemption of humanity as well as the individual- the awakening to a deeper level of life, honor, purpose, self sacrifice, and pure, love. While watching this film for perhaps the 7th time, I fully realized that it is a true masterpiece. I suggest to the viewer, that they treat this film as one would a rare and fine wine. The point is to take your time with this film, sipping it slowly and savoring every drop of it's wonderful bouquet of thoughts and emotions, and in the end become enriched by an understanding what films have the potential of delivering and sadly also, what they seldom do and that is a fuller appreciation of "life in every breath."

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