The Last Samurai

Rating: 10/10 (30 November 2003)

The Last Samurai
**** out ****
Starring Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Hiroyuki Sanada. Directed by Edward Zwick.
I always thought this movie looked great. When I first saw the trailer, I thought to myself, "I have to see this movie". I saw a sneak preview last night, and I have to say, it completely blew me away.
The drama of this movie was more than I could handle. The way the samurai fought, the way they would never give up until the very death, and the way they loved life. This movie amazed me from start to finish. It starts off a little slow, but this allows you to see the development of Tom Cruise's and Ken Watanabe's characters.
The action sequences were very well done. Since there was little CGI involved in this picture, it gave you a very real feel to the battles. They were very gritty, brutal scenes. It really hit you hard when the samurai were being shot with those weapons.
In closing, The Last Samurai should be an Oscar contender for next year, and I will remember it as one of the greatest movies I have ever seen.