Hollywood at its best and worst at the same time

Rating: 6/10 (15 September 2004)

The Last Samurai shows Hollywood at its best as well as its worst. The film is very strong technically. The production is grand, and the cinematography is impeccable, although the music score is too loud. It also features a great performance by Ken Watanabe and good performance from Tom Cruise. However, the script is very hollywoodish, from beginning to the end. The story of a man getting captured, becoming understanding of the other side, and then helping them and even falling love with a woman, is nothing new. Overall, I'm disappointed with how traditional the story evolved, but I did enjoy the movie as an entertainment, and the last battle did give me a goosebump. 7 out of 10.