Decent copy of the last half of Kurosawa's Ikiru.

Rating: 8/10 (18 May 2004)

I really enjoyed this film, but watching Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru, one of the best films I've ever seen, kind of ruined it for me. Basically, the entire film seems to be borrowed material. In the second half of Ikiru, a group of individuals argue back and forth about the intentions of a character who passes away. In 12 Angry Men, the jury argues about the guilt in a case. It's not the same situation, but it's basically the same type of storytelling. The problem is that the second half of Ikiru is so much better than 12 Angry Men, I was kind of left wondering what is so great about 12 Angry Men in the first place. I'd recommend seeing 12 Angry Men first if you haven't seen Ikiru, because it simply can't compare to Kurosawa's masterpiece. Good, but it is unquestionably outclassed by Ikiru.
I'd give 12 Angry Men about a 7.5 to 8/10, but I'd recommend you also see the far better Ikiru, easily a high 10/10.