Realistic battles with unbelievable Hollywood plot & bad history (SPOILER)

Rating: 5/10 (19 May 2004)

This film strains credulity by placing a "gaijin" in a leadership position within the samurai rebellion. Nor is it credible that Algren would swear allegiance to the Japanese emperor when he knows nothing of his government and policies.
The samurai way of live is portrayed in a romantic and naive fashion. While the samurai code include honors, it also supports a repressive feudal system. Did he think the peasants along the roadside knelt to the parade of samurais out of respect only? It is more because peasants can be killed with impunity by samurai for any show of disrespect!
This film perpetuate the Hollywood theme of putting in a white man in a Japanese culture and have him out-Japanese the Japanese. Throwing in some Zen-lite remarks cannot make someone a master swordsman in 3 months!
The only saving grace for this film is the very realistic battle scene. It is almost as realistic as Braveheart. Otherwise, it resembles a pompous version of Gilbert & Sullivan "Mikado" without its wit.