Far Better Than I Had Imagined

Rating: 9/10 (10 May 2004)

I am not a Tom Cruise fan, but once again here he is in a movie that far exceeds my expectations. The movie is filmed beautifully and is very pleasing to the eye. It examines certain spiritual aspects of the Samurai culture, while also providing some historical background, but it is also an action film.
I was frankly afraid that I was going to see another martial arts movie, with people leaping on top of buildings and performing superhuman and totally unbelievable stunts. I was pleased to find instead intricately choreographed fight scenes that were tremendously exciting and although farfetched, within belief.
Overall, the acting is solid. Nobody wowed with their performances, but neither did they disappoint. The film is well paced and keeps one's interest. I will admit to having tired of the fighting by the time the movie ended, but some of the action sequences were superb.

In the end, it was great entertainment.