Anyone seen it? I heard it was mediocre, but a friend I know who has awful taste in movies loved it. Should I spend my oh-so-precious money on it?
Posted by Severian (Member # 2465) on :
Why not? Tom Cruise is hot.
Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
Hmm... While I really can't dispute that, I can point out that it doesn't really refer to me, being your usual idiot guy. But if I have any... well, unforeseen changes of heart, I'll be sure to take your advice.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
I think CNN or somebody was calling it a top Oscar contender.
Posted by LockeTreaty (Member # 5627) on :
I watched the movie last night, and having heard the same rumors about it being mediocre I was pleasently surprised. It was actually a great movie. The begining of the movie was a bit disappointing, but other than that it very impressive. Unless of course you are familiar with Japanese history and you are fully aware of some of the less than truthful events in the movie.
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
I beg to disagree. Tom Cruise is just getting old. He was hot in Top Gun and a couple other movies, but didn't impress me much in the Mission Impossible series. At the same time I like Asian history and will probably like the movie despite the flaws. Since the next move we are planning on seeing is RotK, we probably won't see it til it comes out on video though.
AJ
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I hate it when Tom Cruise has long hair.
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
We went to it last night and I actually really enjoyed it (I was expectign to hate it). I liked that it wasn't just plain old good vs. evil. Also, whoever plays the Samurai is a really good actor (I thought).
Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :
I'm just glad Tom Cruise was there to help all those poor Japanese learn how to fight. He's got a big heart.
Posted by Foust (Member # 3043) on :
It was a fun movie, but don't expect it to be anything then a linked series of cliches.
Spoilers
Here's a list of a few of the cliches.
The hero, in training, fights an obviously superior opponent. The hero gets beaten down. The hero gets up again. The people sneer. The hero gets beaten down again. The hero gets up again. The people sneer a little less. Etc, until finally he is finally rendered unconscious, but has won everybody's respect.
"I will miss our conversations."
The "traditional" people are simple and good, the "modern" people are evil.
Tom Cruise plays a Casablanca-type hero. Starts out selfish, becomes a selfless hero.
However, the scene where the woman dressed Cruise for battle was fantastic - they putting cloths on as sensual as other movies make taking them off.
Posted by IrishAphrodite19 (Member # 1880) on :
I loved it. If you go see it just to be entertained, you won't be disappointed.
~~Irish~~
Posted by Taalcon (Member # 839) on :
Hey, it's Ed Zwick, the director of GLORY and LEGENDS OF THE FALL. I'm there.
Posted by Jutsa Notha Name (Member # 4485) on :
The movie wasn't about Cruise's character saving the Japanese people. If anything, they saved him (his soul).
The "beat down, get back up" scene did not happen as previously described. He was not in training, and the people did not sneer. The samurai who kept beating on him was being ruthless, and the others disapproved at first, but then realized that even when brutalized, the strange white man would not give up. They began to realize why their leader brought him back to the village.
Not all of the traditional people were simple and good, and not all of the modern people were evil. The British journalist was modern, and happened to be a rather "good" character overall, while quite a few of those in the samurai village were succumbing to ruthlessness and pride, only obeying orders because of honor. It would be more accurate to paint the politicians as the ones who were blatantly painted evil.
Cruise's character wasn't selfish in the beginning, he was self-loathing. He hated himself for what he had done, and was living a life to die. From the samurai, he learned to live life to LIVE. That was kinda the point of the movie.
This is the first time I've seen ninja and samurai in a movie that wasn't cheesy. I agree about the dressing scene's sensuality.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
I kept looking for Rorouni Kenshin, but couldn't find him anywhere.
Posted by LockeTreaty (Member # 5627) on :
I too was hoping to see the legendary man-slayer Dan.